Japan: Rakuten launches mobile services using 700 MHz band

Japan's Rakuten Mobile has confirmed the launch of commercial services via the 700 MHz spectrum called the “platinum band” which was allocated by the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

In a recent announcement, the company noted that it has rolled out commercial services in the band while leveraging "the expertise gained by building its nationwide fully virtualized, cloud-native mobile network based on Open RAN standards in the 1.7 GHz band." The company also plans to  increase its 5G (Sub6) network coverage in the Kanto region by up to 60 percent compared to January 2024, owing to more relaxed measures preventing interference between mobile and satellite communications in shared bandwidth.

"Rakuten Mobile continues to enhance the quality of its network through a range of initiatives. These include expanding and optimizing roaming areas in cooperation with its domestic roaming partner, developing shared base stations for subways, railway lines, railway tunnels, and underground shopping centers, and continuing to expand its own 4G and 5G base station network," said Rakuten.