TOKYO, Feb 27, 2026 - (JCN Newswire) - NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) has successfully demonstrated a technology in which Agentic AI autonomously manages the entire lifecycle of the User Plane Function (UPF)*, a primary function of 6G/5G core networks, from design, construction, and deployment through to operational monitoring. This research achievement was realized in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Based on NEC’s expertise and experience in communications service provider networks, this demonstration was achieved by leveraging "Kiro," an AWS agentic AI with an integrated development environment (IDE) and command-line interface (CLI). As a result, NEC confirmed that the time required from network design to initial service launch, which previously required several weeks with manual configuration by network operators, can be significantly reduced to just a few hours. In addition, automated anomaly detection and self-healing operations without human intervention were also verified using an AWS AI tool. These results demonstrate that automated orchestration of UPF utilizing an AWS AI tool contributes to reducing deployment burden for communications service providers (CSPs), improving operational efficiency, and accelerating service rollout.

Traditionally, building and deploying network functions required extensive manual configuration and advanced technical expertise, placing a heavy burden on network operators at CSPs. These manual processes also increased the risk of human error, which complicated fault isolation and recovery during network incidents. These issues contributed to longer service rollout timelines and rising operational costs.

Key Features

1. Autonomous UPF Deployment and Operation Enabled by AI

Drawing on expertise gained through designing, building, and operating commercial carrier networks, NEC embedded this knowledge into AI models capable of automatically generating and executing UPF deployment procedures. This enables not only automation of operational tasks but also supports truly autonomous network operations suitable for production environments.

2. Flexible Deployment Enabled by Cloud-Based Operational Models

By leveraging AWS, NEC can apply cloud-native operational models directly to CSP environments, enabling flexible deployment across networks, including edge locations and on premises systems.

Benefits / Value

• Reduces network function deployment time from weeks to hours—from network design to initial service launch (compared to traditional manual deployment methods at NEC)
• Minimizes human error and improves operational quality through automation
• Allows personnel without deep technical expertise to deploy and operate network functions, helping address labor shortages
• Supports CSPs with rapid service launches and maximizes revenue opportunities

This initiative represents an important achievement as a foundational technology for realizing autonomous network operations required in the future 6G era. Looking ahead, NEC will continue to take on new technological challenges based on its vision of being "AI Native," addressing the challenges that communications service providers may face both today and in the future as networks become increasingly complex.

A demonstration based on the verified environment will be showcased at the AWS booth during MWC Barcelona 2026 (March 2–5, 2026), the world’s largest mobile industry event.

"The telecommunications industry is at an inflection point where AI-driven automation is becoming essential to build a competitive advantage by serving the end-customers faster and reducing the operating costs. NEC's breakthrough in autonomous UPF orchestration demonstrates how AWS AI services can fundamentally transform network operations, enabling communications service providers to deploy complex 5G infrastructure in hours rather than weeks. This level of automation democratizes advanced network deployment capabilities, allowing operators to serve the ever-increasing capacity needs and focus their innovation efforts on service differentiation rather than manual configuration and operational tasks. This collaboration with NEC exemplifies the intelligent automation that will define the next generation of telecommunications infrastructure."
-Amir Rao, Global Director, GTM and Telco Solutions at Amazon Web Services

"Validating the automation of UPF deployment and operations using AI and GitOps in an AWS environment is an important accomplishment for NEC. This technology does more than just improve operational efficiency. By embedding the design and operational expertise that NEC has cultivated through commercial networks into AI, we aim to enable autonomous operations and achieve a significant improvement in end-to-end efficiency across UPF deployment and operations, including on-site activities. NEC will continue to contribute to the realization of autonomously operable mobile networks that are required for the 6G era, providing environments that allow communications service providers to focus on creating service value."
- Takashi Sato, Corporate Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Network Solutions Business Division of NEC Corporation

A portion of the technologies used in this project were obtained from a grant program (No. JPJ012368G50701) by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Japan.

(*) User Plane Function: The processing of user data traffic in the 5G Core Network (5GC).

About NEC

The NEC Group leverages technology to create social value and promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. NEC Corporation was established in 1899. Today, the NEC Group’s approximately 110,000 employees utilize world-leading AI, security, and communications technologies to solve the most pressing needs of customers and society. For more information, please visit https://www.nec.com, and follow us on LinkedIn and YouTube.

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