TOKYO—March 2, 2026—Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com Inc. company (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced that NTT DOCOMO, INC. (DOCOMO), Japan's leading mobile operator, has become the first telecommunications provider in the Asia-Pacific region to launch commercial 5G Core network (5G Core) services on a hybrid environment leveraging AWS and the operator's on-premises network function virtualization (NFV) infrastructure. Since 2022, AWS has supported DOCOMO and NEC Corporation (NEC) in conducting proofs-of-concept to build carrier-grade infrastructure with enhanced resiliency, agility, and flexibility. DOCOMO now uses AWS's agentic AI capabilities to automate 5G Core design and deployment, reducing deployment time by approximately 80%. This collaboration establishes a foundation for stable services and rapid innovation, continuously improving customer experiences.

Next-generation infrastructure supporting service delivery to 91 million* subscribers
With this commercial launch, DOCOMO will continue migrating its 5G services to a hybrid environment with AWS. By combining its reliable and cost-effective NFV infrastructure with the comprehensive AI capabilities and proven cloud infrastructure of AWS, DOCOMO enhances network resiliency while achieving greater agility and flexibility. On AWS, DOCOMO builds 5G Core using AWS Graviton processors, custom-designed with proven energy efficiency, reducing environmental impact. This commercial deployment of 5G Core on AWS represents a milestone for the Asia-Pacific region.

AI agents transform network design, deployment, and operations
As networks grow more complex, telecommunications operators are adopting AI agents to improve service quality and operational efficiency. DOCOMO built an agentic AI system using Amazon Bedrock AgentCore with the Strands Agents open-source framework AI agent software development kit from AWS. Using Model Context Protocol and GitOps, the system automates 5G Core deployment on AWS, reducing deployment time by approximately 80%. DOCOMO plans to extend this capability to its NFV infrastructure, accelerating 5G network expansion.

DOCOMO also launched an agentic AI system for end-to-end mobile network operations using AgentCore and Strands Agents. The system aggregates and analyzes traffic and alarm data in real time from more than 1 million network devices across the entire mobile network—from base stations to core networks—using AWS's fully managed database services including Amazon Neptune. By automating anomaly detection through remediation planning, the system reduces response time for complex network incidents by approximately 50%, maintaining stable mobile network services.

Nobuko Hiraguchi, executive officer, general manager of Core Network Design Department at NTT DOCOMO, said, "This initiative is a major step forward in DOCOMO’s ongoing effort to advance networks. We have integrated AWS’s scalable cloud services, which flexibly supports advanced initiatives, including AI, with NEC’s highly reliable 5GC. Also, combining on-premises and cloud technologies enhances network reliability and the ability to respond to demand. Furthermore, 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. I believe our proactive approach to embracing AI has led to this world-first achievement. DOCOMO will continue to take on new challenges to provide communication services that our customers will choose."

Takashi Sato, corporate senior vice president and managing director, Network Solutions Business Division at NEC Corporation, said, "NEC is proud to contribute to telecommunications infrastructure transformation together with NTT DOCOMO and AWS with our 5G Core software. Through a series of proofs-of-concept since 2022, we have worked on the challenge of realizing carrier-grade 5G core networks on AWS. This commercial launch represents the achievement of world-leading telecommunications infrastructure by combining Japan's telecommunications technology with AWS. NEC will continue to contribute to the network evolution of telecommunications operators."

Mikihiko Tsunematsu, director, Telecom, Media, Entertainment, Game & Sports, Strategic Business Unit at Amazon Web Services Japan, said, " NTT DOCOMO has led the telecommunications industry as a technology leader and has driven various innovations through its longstanding partnership with AWS. Applying AI and cloud to telecommunications unlocks new possibilities for operators to respond to customer needs more quickly and flexibly while delivering stable communication services. AWS will continue to collaborate with DOCOMO and NEC toward the evolution of telecommunications infrastructure that supports people's lives and industrial development."

AWS is exhibiting at Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2026, taking place March 2-5 in Barcelona, Spain, demonstrating Agentic AI-powered network build and operation. For more information, visit the AWS MWC Barcelona 2026 website.

*Source: Telecommunications Carriers Association (TCA)

About NTT DOCOMO
NTT DOCOMO, Japan's leading mobile operator with over 91 million subscribers, is one of the global leaders in 3G, 4G and 5G mobile network technologies. Under the slogan “Bridging Worlds for Wonder & Happiness,” DOCOMO is actively collaborating with global partners to expand its business scope from mobile services to comprehensive solutions, aiming to deliver unsurpassed value and drive innovation in technology and communications, ultimately to support positive change and advancement in global society.
https://www.docomo.ne.jp/english/

About NEC
The NEC Group leverages technology to create social value and promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. NEC Corporation was established in 1899. Today, the NEC Group’s approximately 110,000 employees utilize world-leading AI, security, and communications technologies to solve the most pressing needs of customers and society.
For more information, please visit https://www.nec.com, and follow us on new LinkedIn and YouTube.