Digital superconductor electronics has been experiencing rapid maturation with the emergence of smaller-scale, lower-cost communications applications which became the major technology drivers. These applications are primarily in the area of wireless communications, radar, and surveillance as well as in imaging and sensor systems. In these areas, the fundamental advantages of superconductivity translate into system benefits through novel Digital-RF architectures with direct digitization of wide band, high frequency radio frequency (RF) signals. At the same time the availability of relatively small 4 K cryocoolers has lowered the foremost market barrier for cryogenically-cooled digital electronic systems. Recently, we have achieved a major breakthrough in the development, demonstration, and successful delivery of the cryocooled superconductor digital-RF receivers directly digitizing signals in a broad range from kilohertz to gigahertz. These essentially hybrid-technology systems combine a variety of superconductor and semiconductor technologies packaged with two-stage commercial cryocoolers: cryogenic Nb mixed-signal and digital circuits based on Rapid Single Flux Quantum (RSFQ) technology, room-temperature amplifiers, FPGA processing and control circuitry. The demonstrated cryocooled digital-RF systems are the world's first and fastest directly digitizing receivers operating with live satellite signals in X-band and performing signal acquisition in HF to L-band at ~30 GHz clock frequencies.

In pursuing its vision that digital signals will come to dominate not only voice communications but also various services on an integrated basis in future telecommunications, NTT has successfully completed a major part of telephone network preparations by digitizing all of its networks by the end of 1997. Accompanying digitization, it has also started providing various new services including the initiation of best-effort services through OCN. At the same time, the steady progress in Internet diffusion, the globalization of enterprise networks and inter-company electronic transactions are leading to the full scale usage of IP network communications. Because IP networks are still faced with pressing demand and unresolved issues, NTT believes it is also necessary to structure and provide computer-compatible networks suitable for IP communications by shifting from telephone-focused architecture in order to respond better to these growing needs. This paper overviews the digital network assets including ISDN that NTT has accumulated as a carrier as well as the IP networks such as the Internet that have spread throughout our societies. It also outlines new access services and network offerings based on optical and other technologies and the ATM networks that serve as the infrastructure for highly reliable and economical IP networks, and presents our thinking behind how such networks will be organically combined.