BARCELONA, February 26, 2024 - Rakuten Symphony announces the launch of its "Real Open RAN Licensing Program," a ground-breaking initiative designed to democratize Radio Access Network (RAN) technology worldwide.
With an open community subscription model, Rakuten Symphony gives commercial access to its Open RAN Central Unit (CU) and Open RAN Distributed Unit (DU) software1, which has already been deployed in Japan to provide total nationwide coverage, with the same now underway in Germany.
This will lower the barrier of entry and shorten the time-to-market for all telecom ecosystem players to accelerate and simplify access to the most critical software stack workloads required in the open Radio Access Network, setting a new standard for innovation and performance in the telecom industry.
The software, distinguished by numerous awards from Opensignal (https://www.opensignal.com) for Rakuten Mobile's exceptional network performance and user experience, demonstrates its capability to deliver superior quality and performance compared to traditional RAN solutions. This initiative represents a significant departure from conventional telecom infrastructure models, offering a more flexible and efficient approach to network deployment and management.
Rakuten Symphony's "Real Open RAN Licensing Program" enables companies within the Open RAN ecosystem to leverage Rakuten’s market-proven advancements, fostering innovation and facilitating the transition towards more adaptable and scalable network solutions. This move is aimed at challenging the status quo, encouraging collaboration, and improving efficiency across the telecom industry.
Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO of Rakuten Group, expressed his enthusiasm for the program: "For too long, the RAN sector has been dominated by legacy systems that stifle innovation and inflate costs. By introducing our 'Real Open RAN Licensing Program,' we are breaking down these barriers, making our award-winning Open RAN software available to drive industry transformation. This is more than an initiative; it's a call to action for the industry to embrace open collaboration and innovation, paving the way for better, more efficient telecom outcomes."
The program encompasses the complete Open RAN Central Unit (CU) and Distributed Unit (DU) codebases, which have been integral to the deployment of millions of radio sites across the globe. These codebases are designed to support a wide range of technologies across 4G and 5G networks, including LTE eMTC (enhanced Machine Type Communication), 5G FWA (Fixed Wireless Access), 5G SA (Standalone), 5G NSA (Non-Standalone), and 5G Private Networks. The success and widespread adoption of these codebases, as evidenced by Rakuten Mobile's recognition by Opensignal, attest to the software's leading-edge capabilities in the telecom sector. The company plans to share the details and conditions of this program after discussions with the relevant stakeholders have been completed.
Note:
Layer 1 physical layer software deliverables will be offered in binary form that can be run on Intel products.
About Rakuten Symphony
Rakuten Symphony is at the forefront of redefining the telecommunications landscape, challenging entrenched norms, and promoting a culture of rapid innovation and growth. Utilizing modern infrastructure practices and open interface platforms, Rakuten Symphony enables the swift and cost-effective launch and operation of advanced mobile services, revolutionizing the industry without compromising on network quality or security. With operations across Japan, the United States, Singapore, India, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa, Rakuten Symphony is committed to driving the future of telecom for a globally connected society.
For more information, visit: https://symphony.rakuten.com.
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