Japan and the United States have signed an agreement to develop and promote a new communications network that does not rely on specific companies' infrastructure, the government said Wednesday, amid China's increasing presence in the sector.
The memorandum concerns Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) technology that enables interoperability between multiple vendors' equipment for cellular wireless networks. Under the agreement, the two countries will share data and cooperate in spreading the technology internationally.
Adopting Open RAN would reduce economic security issues for countries including Japan by weakening the grip that foreign companies such as China's Huawei Technologies have on important communications infrastructure and the flow of information.