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NTT DOCOMO Deploys Second D-Wave Production Quantum Application to Optimize Telecom Network Signaling

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Japanese telecommunications operator NTT DOCOMO has deployed its second commercial, production-grade quantum application powered by D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NASDAQ: QBTS). Operating on D-Wave’s hybrid quantum annealing platform via the Leap™ cloud service, the application optimizes Tracking Area Lists (TA-Lists) across mobile networks, reducing daily peak location registration signaling by 65.3% and paging signaling load by 7.0%.

                [ NTT DOCOMO Network Signaling Optimization Pipeline ]
                                          │
     ┌────────────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────────┐
     ▼                                                                         ▼
  Production App 1: Single Tracking Area Paging              Production App 2: Multi-Tracking Area TA-Lists
  • In-Zone Paging Signal Optimization.                     • Multi-Base-Station Boundary Optimization.
  • 15% Reduction in Paging Load.                           • 65.3% Peak Location Registration Reduction.
  • Hybrid Annealing Execution via Leap™.                    • 7.0% Paging Signal Reduction (333 Base Stations).

Multi-Objective Network Optimization

Telecommunication networks organize geographic base stations into Tracking Area Lists (TA-Lists) to manage device handoffs and call routing. Optimizing TA-Lists presents a complex combinatorial challenge because location registration signals (triggered when a device crosses tracking boundaries) and paging signals (broadcast to locate devices for incoming connections) move in opposite directions—reducing one typically increases the other.

  • Benchmark Problem Size: In a operational benchmark spanning 333 base stations, three TA-Lists, and nine tracking areas, D-Wave’s hybrid quantum-classical solver executed the multi-objective optimization in approximately five minutes.
  • Operational Integration: NTT DOCOMO has integrated the generated network configurations directly into its day-to-day network planning and live operational infrastructure, supporting over 93 million mobile subscriptions across Japan.
  • Expanding Production Use Cases: This deployment builds on DOCOMO’s initial D-Wave production application, which targeted paging efficiency within individual tracking areas, expanding quantum annealing from isolated use cases to network-wide infrastructure optimization.

Review the announcement on the D-Wave Press Room here, and examine our previous coverage of NTT DOCOMO and D-Wave Reporting 15% Mobile Network Performance Improvement here.

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