Rakuten Group CEO Details Open RAN Mobile Strategy

BARCELONA, Spain — Rakuten Group Chief Executive Mickey Mikitani said Monday that the company's telecommunications division has reached 10 million mobile subscribers since launching its fully virtualized, cloud-native network in 2020.

Speaking at Mobile World Congress, Mikitani said Rakuten deployed more than 100,000 radio stations in three years using an Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) architecture.

The company's mobile infrastructure is fully virtualized and incorporates proprietary cloud technology as well as operations and business support systems.

The software-based model is intended to automate network processes and reduce total deployment costs.

To extend network coverage, Rakuten has invested as a founding partner in AST SpaceMobile, a satellite communications company.

According to Mikitani, the company's objective is to achieve full geographic coverage across Japan using licensed spectrum.

Rakuten's mobile strategy focuses on linking its telecommunications service to 70 existing business lines in Japan, including e-commerce, banking, travel, and insurance.

Rakuten said it processes 45.6 million monthly user transactions and that its global gross transaction value is approaching $500 billion.

Company data presented by Mikitani indicated that Rakuten Mobile subscribers use 2.43 times as much of the group's services as non-subscribers.

According to the data, mobile customers increased marketplace purchases by 50%, credit card usage by 30%, and travel bookings by 20%.

The company connects subscribers to its broader services through Link, its Rich Communication Service application.

Rakuten said it uses approximately three trillion data points generated annually by its ecosystem to train proprietary large language models and personalize user experiences.

Mikitani said mobile data currently contributes approximately 250 million euros in advertising revenue.

Through its subsidiary Rakuten Symphony, Rakuten is offering its telecommunications model to other operators.

Rakuten Symphony provides end-to-end virtualized network software and ecosystem integration tools, including loyalty program platforms, content delivery systems, and the Viber messaging application.