Samsung Electronics Supplies 5G Open RAN Equipment to Japan's Rakuten Mobile, Accelerating Network Deployment

South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics has recently secured an order for 5G radio equipment from Japan's Rakuten Mobile, providing a full suite of Open RAN-compliant equipment. This batch of equipment covers solutions for the low-band 700MHz and mid-band 1.7GHz frequencies, as well as massive MIMO radio units for the 3.8GHz band, offering comprehensive support for Rakuten Mobile's 5G network expansion.

Product Highlight: Compact Design Empowers Dense Urban Deployment

Samsung emphasizes that its equipment features a compact and lightweight design, facilitating installation on buildings and poles, which aids in rapid deployment and network capacity enhancement in dense urban environments. Samsung's energy-efficient massive MIMO solution is expected to accelerate the increase of Rakuten Mobile's network capacity in Japan, ensuring high-speed 5G connectivity and a more reliable mobile experience, even in high-traffic areas.

Rakuten Mobile: A Pioneer in Open RAN Secures Another Milestone

As an early adopter of open and virtualized RAN, Rakuten Mobile's collaboration further demonstrates the reliability of the Open RAN architecture in a multi-vendor environment. Sharad Sriwastawa, Co-CEO of Rakuten Mobile and President of Rakuten Symphony, stated, "Rakuten Mobile remains committed to providing first-class mobile services to our customers through multiple efforts, such as expanding 5G coverage and optimizing network performance. By collaborating with leading Open RAN partner Samsung, we look forward to continuing our work to expand Open RAN deployments globally, building upon the accelerated 5G deployment in Japan."

Samsung's Statement: Solidifying Open RAN Leadership, Embracing AI and Openness

Angelo Jeongho Park, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics, added, "Samsung is proud to partner with Rakuten Mobile to leverage our collective capabilities in driving next-generation connectivity through industry-leading solutions. This underscores Samsung's successful entry into new customer partnerships and further solidifies our leadership in the Open RAN space. We look forward to strengthening our joint efforts with Rakuten Mobile to make greater strides on the global stage by embracing AI and openness."

Timeline: Commercial Deployment to Commence This Year After Testing and Verification

Both parties plan to commence commercial deployment this year following comprehensive testing and verification, to support the expansion and optimization of Japan's 5G network. This collaboration not only strengthens Samsung's customer portfolio in the Open RAN market but also provides significant support for enhancing Rakuten Mobile's 5G network performance and optimizing costs.