KDDI unveils three-year AI infrastructure strategy

According to KDDI's mid-term management strategy presentation dated May 12, 2026 and titled "Power-to-Connect 2028," the company sets out a medium-term plan covering fiscal years indicated as FY27-03 to FY29-03 (KDDI PDF). The presentation specifies an investment of 1.2 trillion yen over three years to develop a "nationwide low-latency network and AI computing infrastructure" that the slide deck describes as covering land, sea, and air (KDDI PDF). The document also lists priorities such as improving infrastructure operations through AI and automation, pursuing submarine cable and related technology succession, and cultivating next-generation talent (KDDI PDF).

Per the KDDI PDF, the plan emphasises three cross-domain "fusions" for differentiated value: HR Fusion, Infrastructure Fusion, and Real-Tech Fusion, supported by a so-called "Digital Belt" initiative to deliver low-latency networking and edge/AI compute across Japan (KDDI PDF). The deck frames operational efficiency gains as a near-term lever, calling out AI-driven automation of infrastructure operations and greater R&D and technology-application capabilities (KDDI PDF). Separately, industry coverage highlights operator-level automation pilots: TelecomTV reports KDDI working with Ericsson on automated uplink gains in the radio access network, illustrating parallel network automation efforts (TelecomTV).

Editorial analysis: Companies operating large telco estates frequently treat nationwide connectivity and edge compute as strategic infrastructure to support enterprise AI workloads and latency-sensitive services. Building physics-layer assets such as submarine cables and distributed compute often requires heavy capital investment and long lead times; the 1.2 trillion yen figure in the KDDI deck is a large capital figure, and in general a figure of that size typically corresponds to a multi-year infrastructure program rather than an incremental product launch. Operators globally are also piloting automation with RAN vendors to reduce operational cost and speed feature roll-out, matching the automation emphasis in KDDI's plan (TelecomTV).

Editorial analysis: Observers and practitioners should track:

• •concrete rollout timelines and site lists for the "Digital Belt" low-latency network
• •announcements on partnerships or vendor selections for AI compute and submarine-cable projects
• •technical outcomes from operator-vendor automation trials such as the KDDI-Ericsson tests cited by TelecomTV

KDDI's public filings and subsequent IR materials will be the primary sources for detailed budgets, timelines, and governance measures (KDDI PDF).