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SoftBank and NVIDIA to Establish Industry Group for Practical AI Technology

TOKYO, Feb 14 (News On Japan) - SoftBank, a leading mobile operator in Japan, and Nvidia, a major American semiconductor company, are poised to establish a new industry group aimed at commercializing technology that distributes AI processing using mobile phone base stations. Approximately 10 companies worldwide, including telecommunications giants Ericsson and Nokia, are set to participate, with the goal of standardizing the technology globally.

According to insiders, SoftBank and Nvidia are soon to establish the new industry group, aiming to harness mobile phone base stations to distribute AI processing. This decentralization would enable AI processing without the need for large-scale data centers, providing advanced AI services on smartphones. The new industry group will be named "AI-RAN Alliance," with the intention of standardizing the technology on a global scale, joined by about 10 companies from around the world, including major players like Ericsson and Nokia.

Moreover, by incorporating AI functions into base stations, the new technology could automate the control of multiple base stations, potentially resolving issues of connectivity difficulties caused by calls and data traffic concentrating on specific base stations. With approximately 200,000 base station sites nationwide, SoftBank's infrastructure alone highlights the significant potential for new applications of this technology.

Source: NHK

Japan Troops Begin Bear Countermeasures

The worsening string of bear incidents across Akita Prefecture has prompted the deployment of the Ground Self-Defense Force to assist in countermeasures. On November 5th, fifteen members of the 21st Infantry Regiment based at the Akita garrison were sent to Kazuno City, where they began support activities such as transporting box traps for capturing bears.

What Is Sanaenomics?

The economic policy bannered by Prime Minister Takaichi as “Sanaenomics” is beginning to take shape, with expectations centering on lower gasoline prices and the restart of electricity and gas subsidies even as critics say the program’s substance remains unclear and insufficiently developed.

Typhoon No. 26 Forming, May Impact Japan

As of 3 p.m. on November 5th, a tropical depression over the sea near the Caroline Islands was slowly moving northward, with the Japan Meteorological Agency forecasting that it would develop into a typhoon within the next 24 hours. Once it forms, it will be designated as Typhoon No. 26.

Morning-After Pill to Be Sold Over the Counter by Year-End

Emergency contraceptive pills, used to prevent unintended pregnancies, are set to become available over the counter in Japan as early as by the end of this fiscal year, marking a major shift after nearly a decade of debate.

Crimes by U.S. Military Personnel Hit Record High in Okinawa

The number of U.S. military personnel arrested for criminal offenses in Okinawa has reached 77 so far this year, already surpassing the record total for all of 2024 as of the end of September.

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