Rakuten Symphony at CCA 2025: Shaping the future of automated, cloud-native networks

Rakuten Symphony (booth #307) is on its way to meeting industry leaders and innovators at the Competitive Carrier Association (CCA) Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas, between September 15–17. The nation's premier conference for competitive carriers and regional operators, CCA brings together creators of the next generation of mobile networks—more open, smarter, and more cloud-native than before.

For Rakuten Symphony, the event this year represents an opportunity to showcase our vision for how automation, cloud-native architectures, and partner-assisted collaboration can transform network operations and economics for operators of all sizes. If you're an operator in the process of upgrading legacy systems, preparing for 5G rollout, or studying Open RAN deployment models, we invite you to stop by our booth and seminar session to find out what's achievable.

Spotlight on Our Booth

At the heart of our presence at CCA will be the Rakuten Symphony booth (#307), designed as a hub for conversation, demonstration, and collaboration. We’ll be showcasing how our portfolio of cloud-native solutions is helping carriers overcome today’s most pressing challenges:

• Cloud-Native Automation: Discover how software-driven operations streamline everything from provisioning to scaling, reducing the need for large operations teams while improving reliability.
• Built-In Intelligence: Learn how machine learning and AI can yield predictive insights, detect anomalies, and optimize network performance before problems hit users.
• Flexible and Open Architectures: See how an open ecosystem strategy provides operators with the freedom to implement best-of-breed solutions, reduce vendor lock-in, and free up new efficiencies.
• Real-World Deployments: Hear how Rakuten Symphony has worked with operators globally to design, build, and operate networks that are truly cloud-native in size.

Attendees will have the chance to see demos up close and learn more about how cloud-native methods can deliver real-world operational and financial returns.

Seminar: Automated Software-Driven Cloud-Native Networks

Wednesday, September 17 at 11:00 a.m.

One of the highlights of our CCA participation is going to be the seminar, “Automated software-driven cloud-native networks – real-world best practices.” Delegates will learn operators' best practices in embracing a cloud-native approach engineered to scale with automation in mind. Hear from the people who were on the ground to build these networks, with an open and cloud-native approach, and intelligence built-in, resulting in a bare minimum of operations staff and the path to an autonomous network.

We’ll go beyond theory to share practical insights from global operators who have already embraced automation at the heart of their network design. This isn’t just about deploying new technology. It’s about changing the way networks are built and operated, with software, cloud, and intelligence as the foundation.

Attendees can expect to hear:

• Firsthand operator experiences with cloud-native deployments, including challenges, lessons learned, and measurable outcomes.
• How automation streamlines processes, allowing leaner organizations to accomplish more with less.
• The role of open ecosystems to offer choice, flexibility, and innovation.
• Embracing autonomy, and what carriers need to do today to prepare for networks that are more self-healing and self-optimizing.

This session is geared towards carriers in any stage of cloud development, just embarking on the journey to cloud-native or already far along on deployment and looking to optimize ROI.  Panelists will include a cross section of Rakuten Symphony and operator perspectives:

• Sandeep Panthula, Head of Technical Sales, Americas, Rakuten Symphony (moderator) 
• Anshul     Bhatt, Head of Business, OSS, Americas, Rakuten Symphony 
• Vinay Vij, Chief Architect, RAN, Rakuten Mobile 
• Dr. Femi Adeyemi, VP Strategic Product Management, 1Finity, a Fujitsu company
• Wes Burnett, CTO, Viaero

‍Why Cloud-Native and Automated Networks Matter Now

The wireless business is at a turning point. With carriers positioning to build out 5G, enhance rural coverage, and establish the foundation for whatever follows, legacy models of network operating are not sustainable. Legacy systems consume massive operations staff, are slow to innovate, and have a tendency to tie operators up in rigid vendor locks.

Cloud-native networks built on software and automation offer a fundamentally different model:

• Efficiency at scale: Small operations teams can manage large and intricate networks, freeing up resources for innovation.
• Resilience and agility: Networks become more agile, capable of scaling and healing themselves in times of demand or disruption.
• Innovation through openness: Open architectures allow carriers to select partners and solutions best fit for their business model without compromise.
• Lower total cost of ownership: Automating mundane processes reduces operational overhead and long-term cost.

Rakuten Symphony has seen this transformation firsthand. By pioneering a fully cloud-native, automated network in Japan and supporting operators globally, we’ve proven that this model works in the real world—not just in labs or slide decks.

Building Together: The Power of Ecosystem

No single operator alone accomplishes this transformation. Transformation takes a thriving ecosystem of partners, technologies, and innovators in collaboration. CCA will spotlight how Rakuten Symphony works together with ecosystem partners to provide end-to-end, integrated solutions that minimize complexity and speed time-to-market for carriers.

Such a culture of collaboration and openness is especially crucial for regional and competitive operators, who often need to address the resource allocation, spectrum use, and scale of operation issues that differentiate them from other operators. By coming together, the industry can align its efforts to bring cloud-native and automated networks available and viable for carriers of all sizes.

Meet Us in San Antonio

Rakuten Symphony is honored to be at CCA 2025 and to join the conversation on how networks need to change to serve the needs of the future. We're excited to connect with carriers, partners, and innovators who share our vision for the potential of automation, openness, and intelligence.

With you, we can set a path towards networks that are simpler to manage, more intelligent in design, and future-ready.