NTT DOCOMO has launched commercial 5G Core services on a hybrid cloud architecture built on Amazon Web Services, marking the first such deployment by a telecom operator in the Asia-Pacific region. The rollout combines AWS infrastructure with DOCOMO’s on-premises network function virtualization (NFV) platform and supports the operator’s base of more than 91 million subscribers, according to the Telecommunications Carriers Association.
The new architecture uses AWS Graviton processors to run 5G Core workloads in the cloud, while maintaining integration with DOCOMO’s existing NFV environment. Since 2022, DOCOMO, NEC, and AWS conducted a series of proofs-of-concept to validate carrier-grade performance. With the commercial launch, DOCOMO plans to continue migrating 5G services into the hybrid environment to improve resiliency and operational flexibility.
DOCOMO also introduced agentic AI systems to automate both network build-out and operations. Using Amazon Bedrock AgentCore with the open-source Strands Agents SDK, the company automated 5G Core design and deployment through Model Context Protocol and GitOps workflows, cutting deployment time by about 80%. A second AI system aggregates traffic and alarm data from more than one million network devices and uses AWS managed services, including Amazon Neptune, to automate anomaly detection and remediation planning. DOCOMO reports a 50% reduction in response time for complex network incidents.
- First commercial 5G Core deployment on AWS by an Asia-Pacific telecom operator
- Hybrid model integrates AWS cloud with DOCOMO’s on-premises NFV infrastructure
- Runs on AWS Graviton processors to improve energy efficiency
- Agentic AI reduces 5G Core deployment time by ~80%
- AI-driven operations reduce complex incident response time by ~50%
- System analyzes real-time data from 1+ million network devices
Nobuko Hiraguchi, executive officer and general manager of the Core Network Design Department at NTT DOCOMO, said: “Shortening the 5GC construction period on the cloud through AI automation will allow us to deliver services to customers more quickly. In the maintenance domain, leveraging AWS’s AI agent platform has enabled the development of AI agents that reduce service impact time.”
🌐 Analysis: DOCOMO’s commercial move builds on earlier proof-of-concept work with NEC and AWS and signals a shift toward AI-native core network operations in live carrier environments. As global operators test similar AI-driven automation strategies, this deployment positions DOCOMO among early adopters of hybrid cloud 5G Core architectures integrated with agentic AI tooling.
