At Ericsson, we talk a lot about how connectivity is the foundation of the digital future. The world is entering an era of accelerated digitalization underpinned by three core technologies: artificial intelligence (AI), cloud, and mobility. AI applications need to be available everywhere, and high-performing 5G networks are the best way to secure that.
The 2025 Japan World Expo envisions smart cities, AI-driven mobility, and the integration of real and digital worlds, providing a concrete glimpse into this digital future. Together with leading industries at the event in Osaka, we are demonstrating how advanced mobile networks, cloud, and AI will serve as critical foundations for Japan’s resilience, economic revitalization, and sustainability goals.
Japan has been a leader in emerging technologies and next-generation connectivity solutions for decades. Leading communications service providers (CSPs) were early adopters of 5G, and they have some of the densest networks in the world. As my colleague Chafic Nassif, Senior Vice President and Head of Market Area North East Asia at Ericsson, wrote in a recent blog post, this advantage puts Japan in a great position, but still presents a sense of urgency. If the country wants to keep up with digital leaders such as China and the US, it needs to invest in critical digital infrastructure.
At Ericsson, we believe in Japan
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Ericsson Japan as a trusted and secure partner to the country's leading mobile CSPs, such as SoftBank, KDDI, and NTT Docomo. Together with Ericsson, KDDI is also one of the leading partners in Aduna, a new venture that simplifies global access to network tools for developers.
We invest around USD 5 billion in R&D each year, which reinforces our leading position in 5G with over 60,000 patents worldwide. Earlier this week we announced our plans to ramp up our commitment to Japan’s connectivity ecosystem through R&D investment that will potentially see hundreds of high-skilled next-generation telecoms jobs created in the country. The expansion will be focused on innovating radio access networks (RAN) through deployment of open high-performing programmable networks.
This RAN-focused investment will benefit from closer collaboration with ecosystem suppliers and partners in Japan, as well as giving local partners the opportunity to strengthen Ericsson’s global ecosystem. We are already collaborating on 6G research with the Yokohama National University and the University of Electro-Communications, among other research work.
Entering a new era of digitalization
Let’s delve deeper into why connectivity is critical for the future competitiveness of Japan and every country worldwide. To meet the demands of tomorrow, such as supporting the green transition, automating industrial value chains, and improving the efficiency of government operations, we need to go beyond best-effort 4G and Wi-Fi connectivity.
We can expand the value of mobile connectivity through mission-critical services for emergency response and defense. Mobile technology also plays a key role in industrial manufacturing, which accounts for 20 percent of the country’s GDP.
We’re currently at a crossroads, where countries that launch and fully utilize high-performing 5G standalone networks will lead the digital race. Japan’s leadership will depend on maintaining high-performing programmable networks, with features ranging from massive multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) networks to network slicing and driving adoption to scale.
Previously, developers couldn't easily work with mobile networks, but we make them more accessible to build new apps and services through Aduna. This change is important because it gives them more freedom to innovate, create new technologies and generate revenue and profit.
For example, we work with Sony to pioneer 5G network slicing through quality on-demand network application programming interfaces (APIs) in professional media production. Together, we enable cameras to connect to the network with guaranteed performance in crowded venues, benefitting broadcasters, viewers, and CSPs alike.
This is Japan’s moment
The Japanese government and private sector collaborate on a national initiative called Society 5.0. This project aims to tackle challenges, including decarbonization, public safety, and the revitalization of rural areas, through technologies such as AI and robots.
Now is the time for Japan to fulfill the promise of Society 5.0 as it showcases its potential at the 2025 Japan World Expo. Our intent to expand R&D in Japan emphasizes how strategically important the market is to Ericsson, and we’re committed to strengthening collaborations to industrialize an Open RAN-ready network.
To put it simply: leading in technology is the only way to lead in innovation. We welcome everyone, including the government, businesses, and potential partners, to join us on this transformative journey. We can only strengthen Japan’s position as a leader in the digital race together.
Explore how Ericsson empowers Japan to create its digital future:
