Initiating Demonstration of Next-Generation Remote O&M Using IOWN

NTT East Japan Corporation (President: Naoki Shibuya, hereinafter "NTT East Japan") and Chiyoda Corporation (President: Koji Ohata, hereinafter "Chiyoda") have been selected for the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' FY2026 "Regional Society DX Promotion Package*1 (Advanced Communication System Utilization Type)." In this demonstration, the two companies will collaborate with Siemens K.K. (hereinafter "Siemens") and Emerson Japan Group (hereinafter "Emerson") to conduct a trial toward establishing a "Next-Generation Remote O&M (Operation & Maintenance) Model" utilizing the APN*3 of IOWN*2. This initiative aims to realize sustainable and highly advanced remote operation and maintenance models in the industrial sector.

*Explanation of terms in the figure: DCS (Distributed Control System), PLC (Programmable Logic Controller: a device that individually controls equipment), UL (Upload: data upload), HMI (Human Machine Interface: screen for operating and monitoring equipment)

1. Background

In recent years, the environment surrounding existing plant facilities operated in local regions has seen a severe shortage of personnel responsible for operation and maintenance due to labor shortages and the aging and retirement of skilled technicians. Additionally, on-site burdens are increasing annually due to aging infrastructure management and the need for rapid recovery during disasters, making it increasingly difficult to continue traditional operation models based on on-site staffing. While remote monitoring, control, and data-driven maintenance are in demand to address these issues, they have been difficult to achieve with conventional communication technologies due to limitations such as latency.

Chiyoda has previously leveraged its extensive experience in EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) and O&M for plant facilities to advance plant control and operations through digital technologies. NTT East Japan has been promoting the development of factory network infrastructure as a foundation for manufacturing DX and is actively working on network enhancement and operational efficiency using IOWN APN as an advanced communication solution. In this demonstration project, the two companies will integrate their solutions with Siemens' Virtual PLC*4 and Emerson's Ethernet-APL*5 products—cutting-edge communication infrastructure and plant OT technologies—to verify a new O&M model that enables remote operation and maintenance equivalent to on-site performance.

2. Demonstration Content

The demonstration will evaluate the feasibility of remote monitoring and control for managing and operating plant facilities across multiple sites with fewer personnel, leveraging IOWN APN's high-speed, high-capacity, low-latency, and zero-jitter communication characteristics. Specifically, the network between Chiyoda's Koyane Office & Research Park (Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture) and NTT East Japan's NTT Central Training Center (Chofu City, Tokyo) will be connected via IOWN APN. Through real-time remote equipment monitoring, control operations, and anomaly detection, the project will verify operational quality, safety, response speed, and aim to realize an on-site absence operation model.

Additionally, by utilizing IOWN APN, the demonstration will confirm whether equipment anomalies—previously detectable only by skilled technicians through subtle differences in sound or vibration—can be accurately detected remotely by transmitting large volumes of sensor data in real time. Furthermore, under the premise of ensuring the high safety and reliability required in plant operations, the project will verify whether stable operations and control equivalent to on-site performance can be achieved remotely using IOWN's low-latency, jitter-free communication.

In the future, the results of this demonstration will be integrated with Chiyoda's existing solution, plantOS®*6, contributing to improved safety and efficiency of local plants and addressing social challenges such as labor shortages and disaster response.

3. Roles of Participating Companies

NTT East Japan

● Overall project management and promotion

● Provider of IOWN APN

● Demonstrator of communication systems

Chiyoda Corporation

● Builder of simulated plant environment

● Demonstrator of plant systems

Siemens

● Provider of Virtual PLC

Emerson

● Provider of Ethernet-APL compatible devices

4. Demonstration Period

July 2026 – February 2027 (planned)

5. Future Outlook

Based on this demonstration and its effectiveness verification, in FY2027, the project will evaluate implementation environments at candidate plants for safe operability, maintainability, and stability. From FY2028 onward, the goal is to contribute to sustainable growth in the industrial infrastructure sector by establishing a practical and sustainable O&M model enabling remote operation and maintenance.

*1 Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Regional Society DX Promotion Package https://www.soumu.go.jp/menu_seisaku/ictseisaku/ictriyou/digital_kiban/index.html

*2 IOWN (Innovative Optical and Wireless Network) is a conceptual network and information processing infrastructure, including terminals, that uses light-centered innovative technologies to optimize individual and overall systems based on all information, enabling high-speed, high-capacity communications and vast computing resources. https://www.rd.ntt/iown/

*3 APN (All-Photonics Network) is a communication service that exclusively uses optical wavelengths across the entire communication network. NTT East Japan launched APN IOWN1.0, an All-Photonics Network, in March 2023, and in December 2024, began offering "All-Photonics Connect powered by IOWN" with a maximum capacity of 800 Gbps. https://www.ntt-east.co.jp/release/detail/20230302_01.html https://www.ntt-east.co.jp/release/detail/20241118_01.html

*4 Virtual PLC https://www.siemens.com/ja-jp/products/simatic/s7-1500v/

*5 Ethernet-APL https://www.ethernet-apl.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/8/Ethernet-APLEthernet-To-The-FieldJPFINALSeptember-2020_1.0.pdf

*6 plantOS® is a registered trademark of Chiyoda Corporation. It is a service that supports maintenance and operations by hybridizing on-site physical support with advanced analysis, diagnostic services, IoT, cloud, AI, and other latest digital technologies cultivated over many years, specifically for industrial equipment and plants.