NTT DOCOMO and NTT Test AI Control for Base Station Energy Use

NTT DOCOMO and NTT said in a press release that they began a demonstration of AI coordinated control for communications workloads and energy resources at radio base stations on October 20. The companies describe it as the first demonstration to combine workload shifting with the management of solar generation and battery storage at base stations.

AI will calculate operating plans that account for communications demand and available energy. NTT will control how communications processing moves between sites, while NTT DOCOMO will manage battery charging and discharging. An open source environment will simulate processing by a virtualized radio access network connected to NTT DOCOMO base stations.

The test covers normal operations, periods of tight electricity supply and demand, and power outages. During outages, workloads can move away from affected sites to reduce power use and extend battery backup time. The companies plan to complete the demonstration by the end of December 2026.