“The 5G to 6G shift will happen in steps”

As per NTT’s 2020 Global Managed Services Report, organizations indicated that MSPs will provide maximum value during the next 3-5 years through their security capabilities (44%), financial stability, trust and reputation (43%), and automation (43%). Murtaza Bhatia, National Manager – Vertical Solutions, NTT Ltd. India, in an interaction with Pratima Harigunani gives a quick peek into what transpires as the global behemoth undergoes a big internal redesign. He also points out the state of cloud, low-power innovations, photonics, industry collaboration and 5G from a practical and poised lens.

- Pratima Harigunani

A lot of internal transformation has been happening at nTT recently. What opportunities and challenges emerge as things reshuffle in such a big way?

We are a company with a 150+years’ heritage, present in over 80 regions and countries with over 190 network coverage regions. After 2019, a large consolidation drive began between group companies. We are combining forces and galvanising strengths across the spectrum. We are offering digital transformation, customer experience, omni-channel connectivity, intelligent workplaces – everything.

Earlier, every company within the group had a different play in the IT space. Now, combined in a new way, they have an end-to-end advantage. With NTT and NTT Data, there is nothing in the ICT landscape that we cannot handle. Our joint GTM advantage is now bigger and better.

With about USD 3.6 billion in R&D, you clearly have a big focus on the future. can you share more on the exciting work that is on its way?

We are enabling the future for our clients. That is what our R&D does. We focus on digital transformation, flexibility and outcome-based services. To bring about and deploy 5G service, we have expanded initiatives in the DOCOMO 5G Open Partner Program aimed at creating new usage scenarios with a broad range of partners. Also, in our 5G field tests we are advancing initiatives aimed at realizing 5G usage in a broad range of environments, and achievements include becoming the first in the world to successfully realize a data transfer speed of 27Gbps to mobile terminals, exceeding the 20Gbps required by 5G.