Rakuten Mobile also confirmed it is paving the way to launch base station using the 700 MHz band
Japanese operator Rakuten Mobile said it started radio frequency testing for its 700 MHz spectrum, also known as the “platinum band”.
Rakuten Mobile also confirmed it is paving the way to launch base stations using the 700 MHz band. After completing radio frequency testing, the operator is aiming for the early roll out of commercial service using the 700 MHz spectrum band.
“Since the full-scale launch of its mobile carrier service in April 2020, Rakuten Mobile has continued to enhance network quality and coverage through the build-out of 4G and 5G base stations in addition to roaming agreements with its roaming partner,” Rakuten Mobile said in a release.
“Spectrum in the 700 MHz platinum band offers better indoor building penetration and enables better connectivity indoors and in underground locations. Rakuten Mobile plans to gradually deploy platinum band services using its existing network of base stations, starting with urban areas with a high volume of users and traffic,” the telco added.
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The carrier noted that this spectrum band was allocated by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in October 2023.
By using a next-generation Distributed Unit (DU) developed by Rakuten Mobile subsidiary Rakuten Symphony, the Japanese telco previously said it will be able to easily deploy the radio in its virtualized, Open RAN network. As a result, the newly deployed antenna compatible with 1.7 GHz band and 700 MHz band will be deployed alongside the existing 1.7 GHz radios, allowing the base stations to operate promptly via a software update.
Rakuten Mobile reached over 6 million subscribers as of the end of December 2023. The operator previously said it expected to reach 8-10 million mobile subscribers by the end of 2024.
Rakuten Mobile previously announced plans to start provide satellite-to-mobile service in Japan in 2026 in partnership with AST SpaceMobile. Rakuten Mobile said that the actual timing of the initiation of any such service and the scope of such service is uncertain.