Nokia and KDDI test quantum-safe optical network for AI data centers in Japan

KDDI and Nokia tested quantum-safe optical transport at Japan's Sakai Data Center to see how future networks can protect sensitive AI data.

A recent test at KDDI's Sakai Data Center in Japan examined how optical networks can support growing AI workloads while strengthening data security. The telecom provider worked with Nokia to demonstrate quantum-safe optical transport aimed at protecting data moving between distributed data centers.

The Sakai site is designed for advanced AI use, including real-time training, inference, and analytics. These tasks depend on fast and reliable data transfer, which raises the need for strong encryption and stable connectivity. The trial focused on whether the network could handle large traffic loads while keeping sensitive information protected.

To run the demonstration, KDDI deployed Nokia's 1830 Photonic Service Switch with C+L Band and the 1830 Security Management Server. The setup was used to validate that high-capacity optical transport could operate alongside quantum-safe encryption, helping guard against future threats linked to more powerful computing methods. The companies said this approach is meant to help protect personal data, national infrastructure, and AI-related workloads as they move across networks.

The test also reflected a broader shift toward distributed AI data centers across Japan. As computing resources spread across multiple sites, secure links between facilities become more important. The companies aim to combine high-capacity optical transport with built-in cryptographic protections to support this expansion while maintaining reliability and privacy.

Ron Johnson, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Optical Networks at Nokia, said the project helps set "a new benchmark for advanced AI-ready data center connectivity." He added that as KDDI expands its quantum-safe infrastructure, the partnership is expected to support secure and scalable digital services, while Nokia's optical transport is designed to meet AI workload demands and reduce cybersecurity risks by protecting critical data in transit.

Tetsuo Mukai, General Manager of the Access Network Technical Division at KDDI, pointed to the role of secure communications in supporting AI systems. He said "high levels of security and performance are essential" for the infrastructure behind AI, adding that Nokia's optical transport solutions were "instrumental to the success of this demonstration." As AI data centers continue to roll out across Japan, he said the companies plan to keep working together on quantum-safe and resilient networks that connect these facilities.

The Sakai demonstration forms part of ongoing efforts to prepare network infrastructure for rising AI data traffic and the long-term security challenges that come with it.