Samsung Electronics supplies Open RAN-compliant 5G radios to Rakuten Mobile, Inc., powering the carrier’s nationwide mobile network throughout Japan. These solutions drive Rakuten Mobile’s growth of its fully virtualized, cloud-native Open RAN architecture, boosting connectivity for users across the country.
After rigorous testing and validation, commercial rollout starts this year. Rakuten Mobile’s choice highlights Samsung’s expertise in virtualized RAN (vRAN) and O-RAN, built from extensive global deployments. The radios integrate smoothly into Rakuten Mobile’s multi-vendor setup, proving O-RAN’s strength in diverse environments.
Comprehensive Radio Portfolio
Samsung delivers a complete lineup of O-RAN-compliant radios, covering low-band (700MHz), mid-band (1.7GHz), and Massive MIMO for the 3.8GHz spectrum. Compact and lightweight units mount easily on buildings and poles, simplifying deployments and expanding capacity in crowded urban zones.
Energy-efficient Massive MIMO technology ramps up network performance, ensuring fast 5G speeds and dependable service amid heavy usage.
Executive Perspectives
“Rakuten Mobile focuses on superior mobile services via 5G expansion and performance tweaks,” states Sharad Sriwastawa, co-CEO of Rakuten Mobile and President of Rakuten Symphony. “Our alliance with Samsung accelerates Japan’s 5G progress and advances global Open RAN adoption.”
“Samsung teams up with Rakuten Mobile to deliver next-gen connectivity through top solutions,” notes Angelo Jeongho Park, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “This collaboration strengthens our Open RAN position and leverages AI for worldwide gains.”
Driving 5G and Beyond
Samsung Networks excels in full 5G solutions, spanning chipsets, radios, and cores. Continuous innovation propels 5G evolution toward 6G, featuring purpose-built RAN, vRAN, Open RAN, AI-RAN, core networks, private setups, and AI-driven tools. Operators worldwide rely on Samsung for seamless connectivity to millions of subscribers.
