For the second year in a row, Rakuten Mobile has been honored at the GLOMO awards at MWC Barcelona (see video of Rakuten Symphony CEO Tareq Amin accepting the award starting at 24:29). The GLOMO (Global Mobile) Awards are designed to honor outstanding innovations that are changing the way networks function.
The awards are very competitive; winning one is significant, winning them in consecutive years however shows just how much Rakuten Mobile is leading the industry into open and cloud-native 5G networks.
Rakuten Mobile’s entry was for the “Best Network Software Breakthrough” category and was based on its use of Open RAN architecture in its nationwide 5G network in Japan.
The Open RAN platform provides flexibility and elasticity for architecting, deploying, and scaling 5G network rollouts. It enables advanced life cycle management, fewer onsite RAN elements, and, together with the use of COTS hardware and automation, faster site installations and maintenance. All of these benefits support diverse 5G use cases with lower TCO.
Rakuten Mobile’s 5G network was built from the ground up on this Open RAN system – and it dictated the entire network architecture and all the benefits for customers (higher performance) and for Rakuten Mobile (more network agility, lower costs).
Much of the 5G network was built by upgrading the existing Rakuten Mobile 4G infrastructure, which meant that server hardware and virtualization software infrastructure was in place to support the move to 5G.
This built-in infrastructure allowed Rakuten Mobile to decrease CapEx costs by up to 40% with lower unit deployment costs and higher operational utilization.
These innovations have allowed Rakuten Mobile to substantially reduce capital and operational costs and pass these savings on to subscribers. The network’s coverage and service offerings are set to expand, leveraging cutting-edge technology and a nationwide ecosystem of vendors.
Commenting on the award, Tareq Amin said, “Winning this award from such an esteemed industry body is a great honor. This is the year that real 5G services take off and the experience that Rakuten Mobile has gained can help show other mobile network operators how to realize the same benefits as they build their network.”
Rakuten Symphony is committed to Open RAN and to spreading the Rakuten Mobile model throughout the telecom industry. This GLOMO award is a meaningful recognition of this commitment to a new future for the telecom industry.
