Fujitsu unveils Japan’s first commercial private 5G network

Fujitsu is celebrating switching on Japan’s first commercial private 5G network at its Shin-Kawasaki Technology Square office in Kawasaki City, in the Kanagawa prefecture.

Fujitsu was the first company in Japan to obtain a private 5G radio station provisional licence from the Kanto Bureau of Telecommunications on 18 February 2020 and, under the licence, it has spent its time verifying the registration and connectivity of base stations and land mobile stations (data communication terminals), as well as coverage area, in accordance with Japan’s Radio Law, in order to obtain a full commercial licence.

As a result, Fujitsu’s private 5G radio stations were found to be in compliance with the standards set by the Radio Law, and the company obtained the first commercial licence in Japan. The Fujitsu network’s operational debut comes just days after KDDI became the third operator in Japan to offer 5G services, after NTT DoCoMo and SoftBank.

The new Fujitsu 5G network is based on non-standalone 5G technology for data transmission, using LTE connectivity for connection control between base stations and land mobile stations. It will use frequency in the 28.2GHz to 28.3GHz spectrum for 5G services and 2.575GHz to 2.595GHz for LTE in an area of about 28,000m² in the grounds of Fujitsu Shin-Kawasaki Technology Square.

Fujitsu said it will strengthen crime prevention measures in the building by leveraging its private 5G technology for data transmission of high-definition images collected by multi-point cameras, creating an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered security system designed to detect suspicious behaviour through motion analysis.

Through its newly established private 5G co-creation space, Fujitsu Collaboration Lab, the company will also offer customers and partners the chance to workshop various use cases for private 5G to deliver business innovation and help resolve regional issues. Fujitsu technologists will also provide support with on-site implementation for customers at the location.

With the aim of creating a smart factory, Fujitsu will also obtain a licence for private 5G at its Oyama plant in Tochigi prefecture, which manufactures network equipment.