Inside NTT’s vision for intelligent, photonic, and zero-compromise networking

In this Cloud and Infrastructure Edge interview, NTT’s Binh Lam, Senior Director of Enterprise Internet Services, explains how AI-native and photonic networks are reshaping security and performance.

Unlike manual, reactive legacy systems, AI-ready networks are intelligent, adaptive and software-defined.

They rely on telemetry, machine learning and real-time analytics to optimise traffic, detect anomalies and allocate resources dynamically.

These capabilities are essential for meeting the low-latency, high-throughput demands of generative AI. As AI adoption accelerates across Australia and the APAC region, networks must be designed to be resilient, secure and agile from the outset.

To combat rising cyber threats, particularly DDoS attacks, NTT Data offers a globally distributed, network-based mitigation solution.

This approach neutralises threats close to their source, protecting Australian infrastructure while minimising performance impact.

With 25 percent of organisations repatriating workloads due to control and compliance concerns, network reliability and security have become even more critical.

Binh highlights the importance of strategic local and global partnerships, including collaborations with hyperscalers, ISPs and NTT Research, to ensure high-performance, secure connectivity.

Open-source engagement and community participation also support NTT’s mission to build a safer, more transparent internet ecosystem.

Looking ahead, Binh sees a transition from electronic to photonic networking.

Through innovations like NTT’s Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN), data is transmitted using light, enabling dramatically lower latency and power consumption, while significantly increasing capacity.

This leap is necessary to support AI workloads at scale.

As 82% of organisations struggle to attract or retain tech talent, and only 36% effectively link cloud investment to business value, networks must also become easier to manage and scale.

NTT’s continued investment in optical infrastructure, including the recently deployed submarine cable between Osaka and Taiwan, reflects its commitment to building smarter, greener and AI-ready infrastructure.

Key takeaways:

• AI-native networks are essential for future readiness: Real-time optimisation, anomaly detection and adaptive performance are now required to meet AI’s bandwidth and latency needs.
• Security and resilience must be embedded into infrastructure: NTT Data’s distributed DDoS mitigation, combined with strong partnerships, ensures scalable protection as more organisations seek control through repatriation.
• Photonic networking is the next frontier: It delivers ultra-low latency and energy efficiency to support AI growth while addressing talent shortages and improving alignment between cloud and network investment.