Amazon Web Services (AWS) said on Tuesday that Japan's mobile carrier NTT Docomo has launched a commercial 5G core network service in a hybrid cloud environment combining AWS and its on-premises network function virtualization (NFV) infrastructure, the first in the Asia-Pacific region.

AWS has supported a proof of concept since 2022 with Docomo and NEC Corporation to build carrier-grade infrastructure with high resilience, high agility and high flexibility.

NTT Docomo has cut deployment time by about 80 percent by automating 5G core design and deployment using AWS agentic AI capabilities, AWS said. Through the cooperation, it plans to lay the groundwork for stable services and rapid innovation and to continuously improve customer experience.

Nobuko Hiraguchi (히라구치 노부코), head and executive officer for core network design at NTT Docomo, said, "By integrating AWS scalable cloud services and NEC's highly reliable 5G core, we have built a foundation that can flexibly accommodate advanced technologies such as AI, and the combination of on-premises and cloud technologies has also increased network stability and responsiveness to demand." She added, "AI automation has shortened the time needed to build a cloud-based 5G core, enabling us to provide services to customers more quickly."