Rakuten Mobile Begins Testing for 700 MHz Spectrum, Signs Partnership With Stage X

Rakuten Mobile Begins Testing for 700 MHz Spectrum Expansion
Japanese mobile network operator Rakuten Mobile has commenced radio frequency testing for its 700 MHz spectrum, commonly referred to as the “platinum band.” The telco is preparing to launch base station operations using the 700 MHz band, drawing on its expertise gained from building its virtualized Open RAN cloud-native mobile network in the 1.7 GHz band.

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Also Read: Rakuten Mobile to Expand Network Using 700 MHz Spectrum

Spectrum Expansion and Testing

After completing radio frequency testing, the company aims for the early rollout of commercial services using the 700 MHz platinum band. This spectrum, allocated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, offers enhanced indoor connectivity, better indoor building penetration, and coverage in underground locations.

Rakuten Mobile plans to gradually deploy platinum band services using its existing network of base stations, starting with urban areas with a high volume of users and traffic, according to the official release.

Since the full-scale launch of mobile services in April 2020, Rakuten Mobile has continued to expand coverage through the build-out of 4G and 5G base stations, in addition to roaming agreements with its roaming partner, TelecomTalk reported.

Also Read: Rakuten Mobile 4G Coverage Reaches 98.4 Percent of Japan Population

Rakuten Mobile, Rakuten Symphony and Stage X Sign Partnership

In another development, Japan’s Rakuten Mobile, Rakuten Symphony, and South Korean mobile network operator Stage X announced today the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a comprehensive framework for strategic collaboration in technology and business exchange between the companies. Stage X is the new greenfield mobile network operator preparing to provide 5G services in the 28 GHz spectrum.