SoftBank Completes Key Connection Tests For NIDD Technology

The new technology enables users to transmit data to IoT devices without the need of an IP address.

Japanese carrier SoftBank announced that it has successfully completed what it claims to be the world’s first connection test in a commercial environment for Non-IP Data Delivery (NIDD).

NIDD enables users to transmit data to internet of things devices without allocating an IP address. The carrier said that this technology reduces the risk of malicious attacks targeting IoT devices, as NIDD does not require an internet protocol address in transmission.

Through the elimination of the data such as header information typically required in conventional data communications, the electric power needed for communication is reduced and, in addition to extending battery life, a broader area can be covered, SoftBank said.

SoftBank said it plans to launch experimental services of NIDD in a commercial environment.

With the introduction of NIDD technology, in addition to the conventional NB-IoT and Category M1 services it currently provides, for which an IP address is allocated, SoftBank aims to introduce and commercialize devices tailored to various businesses and fields such as crime prevention, social infrastructure and agriculture, making full use of its distinctive features of high security, low power consumption, and high area coverage.

“We expect that NIDD technology to reduce communication load for IoT devices and enables to accelerate utilization in IoT field especially for those who had difficulty in conventional condition. As NIDD technology corresponds to open standards, it can easily connects to the Microsoft Azure IoT platform and enable to implement data management, view and AI features. SoftBank and Microsoft Japan will continuously contribute to accelerate IoT technology utilization in every industry,” said Akira Sakakibara, CTO at Microsoft Japan.

“Along with the popularization and growth of IoT technology, absolute security for IoT devices itself is strongly in demand. With the implementation of NIDD technology which securely connects the AWS IoT platform and peripheral [devices], we expect to accelerate the popularization of IoT technology. Low power consumption is one of the characteristics of NIDD technology. Therefore, we hope to solve [the] long-discussed controversy of IoT devices’ high power consumption,” said Tadashi Okazaki, head of solution architect, Amazon Web Services Japan. – Enterprise IoT Insights