Rakuten Mobile – the fourth Mobile Operator in Japan - has successfully deployed and launched its fully virtualized Radio Access Network (vRAN) based on 4G and ‘5G Ready‘ technology. This deployment represents a major step on the path to Open RAN.

This insight evaluates the current deployment and what is still required to achieve the full promise of Open RAN in Rakuten’s future 5G network.

• Rakuten Mobile has Launched its Commercial 4G Network
• Rakuten set Aggressive Timeline for its 4G Network Deployment
• Rakuten Unlimited Access Pricing and Business Model
• Rakuten Network has seen a changing cast of Multiple Vendors
• Does Rakuten’s network actually cost less?
• Implications - Key Lessons from the initial Rakuten Mobile deployment