Japan's Rakuten Mobile has launched commercial services using the "platinum band" 700 MHz spectrum allocated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Leveraging the expertise gained from building its nationwide fully virtualised, cloud-native mobile network based on Open RAN standards in the 1.7 GHz band, Rakuten Mobile said it has been able to roll out commercial services in the 700 MHz band swiftly.
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Expanding 5G Coverage in the Kanto Region
In addition to deploying 700 MHz base stations, Rakuten Mobile plans to increase its 5G (Sub6) network coverage in the Kanto region by up to 60 percent compared to January 2024 by the end of the year. This expansion follows regulatory measures that relax interference constraints between mobile and satellite communications in shared bandwidths.
Improvements in 5G Network in Tokyo
Additionally, Rakuten Mobile has increased its 5G (Sub6) base station traffic capacity by approximately 130 percent per network cell, increased the number of 5G users by approximately 50 percent, and doubled its average network speed in Tokyo compared to its previous results for the region.
Enhancements in Nagoya and Osaka Regions
Rakuten Mobile is also rolling out network improvements across the Nagoya and Osaka regions. In the Nagoya region, 5G traffic capacity has grown by approximately 30 percent and the number of users by roughly 10 percent. In the Osaka region, 5G traffic capacity has grown by approximately 70 percent, the number of users by roughly 40 percent, and the average network speed has increased by approximately 60 percent, the company said.
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Nationwide Network Upgrades
Furthermore, the company is improving network speed and stability across its nationwide 5G (Sub6) base stations through software upgrades. These enhancements are expected to enable smoother transitions between 4G and 5G technologies, optimising the overall mobile experience for users.
Rakuten Mobile said it has built a fully virtualised, cloud-native mobile network based on Open RAN standards, deploying a total of 17,210 5G outdoor base stations as of the end of May 2024. Going forward, the operator will continue expanding platinum band services, starting with remaining coverage gaps.
