Rakuten Symphony is focused on validating open RAN and RIC technologies at scale
In sum – what to know:
RIC validation – Large-scale trials across seven countries aim to prove performance and reliability of Open RAN and RIC in real-world environments.
Cost, energy gains – AI-driven RIC capabilities could reduce operational costs and energy consumption, particularly in power-constrained regions.
Investment catalyst – Demonstrating results at scale is expected to unlock new infrastructure investment models and support commercialization.
Rakuten Symphony is positioning large-scale, government-backed trials as a catalyst for broader Open RAN adoption, targeting emerging markets where infrastructure gaps and cost pressures remain significant.
In an interview with RCR Wireless News, Puneet Handa, chief strategy officer at Rakuten Symphony, said the company’s initiative is focused on validating Open RAN and RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) technologies at scale.
“Rakuten Symphony’s project aims to accelerate Open RAN and RIC adoption across seven countries in the Global South, proving the effectiveness and reliability of these solutions,” the executive said.
The project, announced this week, will see deployments across Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, India, Kuwait, Bolivia, and Paraguay. Around 100 virtualized base stations will be deployed in each market as part of the demonstrations, supported by up to JPY8 billion ($50.2 million) in funding from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).
A key focus of the initiative is the role of RIC in improving network efficiency. Handa highlighted the impact of AI-driven automation in constrained environments: “Specifically, RIC’s AI capabilities enable improved automated resource management, which can reduce operational costs and energy consumption, a critical factor in regions with power infrastructure challenges.”
Rakuten Symphony aims to use these deployments to generate measurable performance data, helping operators transition away from legacy systems.
“By demonstrating these benefits at scale, we aim to provide operators with the empirical data and confidence needed to transition from legacy, proprietary systems to more flexible, open architectures,” he added.
Beyond technical validation, the company sees the trials as a way to unlock new financing pathways for telecom infrastructure. “We anticipate that this project will lead to new business models for attracting international investment in the mobile infrastructure sector. Proving the reliability and performance of RIC and Open RAN architecture across these regions will create a better environment for infrastructure investment, helping operators secure the necessary funds on the path to full commercialization,” Handa said.
The initiative will run from May 2026 through March 2029, with an initial phase focused on establishing technical baselines and validating performance across diverse commercial environments.
Rakuten Mobile will participate as a key partner in the demonstrations, which mark Rakuten Symphony’s first large-scale overseas Open RAN trial effort.
Rakuten Symphony recently said it is integrating Weezie’s fiber network design and planning software into its portfolio, aiming to accelerate fiber deployment timelines and reduce operational complexity for operators and enterprises.
The partnership, announced last week, will embed Weezie’s capabilities into Rakuten Symphony’s fiber network offering, enabling customers to plan, design, deploy and operate fiber infrastructure more efficiently, the company said.
