Tokyo, Japan – Nov 1-2, 2023 – The Japan-ASEAN Open RAN Symposium, hosted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan (MIC), marked a significant milestone this year, celebrating the golden jubilee of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation. Held at the New Otani Hotel in Tokyo, the event was a keystone in acknowledging the importance of digital connectivity for the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) initiative.
The symposium was also attended by delegates from the Philippines and Japan (from left to right) – Dr. Franz De Leon (DOST-ASTI), Mahesh Kasar (Rakuten Symphony and AORA), John Garrity (BEACON), Philip Varilla (DICT) and Loren Angelou Cruz (University of the Philippines).
The symposium witnessed an impressive turnout of high-profile attendees from across the globe, signifying the weight of collaborative efforts in shaping the future of telecommunications. Key ASEAN member states were represented by Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, with director-general level officials from the ASEAN Secretariat in attendance. The United States contributed insights through representatives from the Department of State and the Agency for International Development.
Japan’s private sector was robustly represented by industry giants such as NTT DoCoMo, Inc., Olympus Corporation, JTOWER Corporation, Soramitsu Corporation, TradeWaltz Co., Ltd., Japan Electric Limited, Fujitsu Limited, Rakuten Symphony Limited, and Ryobi Systems Co., Ltd. These entities illustrated Japan’s commitment to innovation and the supportive role of private enterprises in technological advancement.
A significant highlight of the event was the composition of the symposium, which included enlightening opening remarks by State Minister Watanabe and other esteemed dignitaries. Their messages set a positive and forward-thinking tone, emphasizing the importance of cooperation in deploying Open RAN technologies and their benefits for the region.
The symposium’s discussions illuminated the potential of Open RAN to revolutionize telecommunications, providing ASEAN countries with a scalable, adaptable, and economically efficient network infrastructure. Moreover, the collaborative atmosphere of the symposium fostered dialogue on how these nations can align their digital infrastructure policies with the transformative capabilities of Open RAN.
This year’s symposium not only served as a catalyst for technological cooperation but also reinforced the foundations of a lasting partnership between ASEAN countries and Japan. As the MIC continues to champion such integral initiatives, the outcomes of this event are poised to spearhead a new era of digital connectivity in the Indo-Pacific region.
