IOWN
Vision
What is IOWN?
IOWN is a concept and initiative aimed at realizing a world of well-being in which everyone can live smarter
in their way, based on next-generation information and communications infrastructure centered on optical
technology.
It aims to contribute to humanity and achieve an environment-friendly and sustainable society. Innovative
Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN), the next-generation information and communications infrastructure
features high capacity, low latency, and low power consumption. In addition to the use of end-end optical
fiber networks, we are working to realize a highly energy-efficient infrastructure by innovating the system
by delivering light to the inside of computers.
What is IOWN? We introduce IOWN's vision and values in an easy-to-understand manner.
Why IOWN?
Realizing a world where people can achieve well-being
The world faces numerous risks that threaten the well-being of humankind, such as natural
disasters, deepening divisions, wars and conflicts, and climate change, which is attributed to the increase
in greenhouse gas emissions.
When we look at our daily lives, the breakthrough development of ICT
has led to greater efficiency and the personalization of information, and the pursuit of convenience and
comfort for individuals. However, in exchange for such great benefits, people are pressed for information
and time, or the social divisions have deepened and have affected people’s peace of mind.
Whether
it is a global problem or a daily life issue, to solve the problem and realize a world of well-being, it is
necessary to gain a deeper understanding of the world and society. For this to happen, we need technologies
and mechanisms that can observe, collect, and analyze various information in detail and predict the
future.
This idea led to the IOWN concept of realizing a world of well-being based on
next-generation information and communications infrastructure.
Sustainability crisis
The rapid development of the ICT sector has produced a massive amount of data. The amount
of data is expected to continue to grow exponentially. Handling the amount of data requires a large number
of computers. As a result, an enormous amount of electricity is being consumed, and this amount is expected
to grow rapidly in the future.
Figure 1 shows the outlook for data volume and power consumption
in data centers worldwide. Data and power consumption are expected to increase significantly. However, the
2030 figures are based on the assumption that there will be no major technological progress, so it is still
expected that ICT-related equipment will consume the majority of the energy produced in the world, even if
it does not consume such a huge amount of electricity.
Figure 1 Data and Power Consumption of Data Centers Worldwide
Many people may expect the further development of ICT, but in reality, we are also facing a sustainability crisis. Further development of humankind requires a mechanism to realize a sustainable society, and IOWN is challenging this issue.
