Rakuten Mobile aims to reach 8-10 million mobile subscribers by the end of 2024

Japanese operator Rakuten Mobile, which is part of e-commerce giant Rakuten Group, has reached over 6.8 million subscribers as of the end of March, the carrier said in a release.

The operator also confirmed it expected to reach 8-10 million mobile subscribers by the end of 2024.

Rakuten Mobile as an individual business recorded non-consolidated revenue of JPY62 billion ($396.3 million) in the first quarter of the year, up 7.1% year-on-year.

The telco’s mobile service sales surged 36% year-on-year to JPY36.1 billion. Its operating loss was JPY66 billion compared to JPY92 billion a year earlier.

The telco said it is on track to start offering commercial services using spectrum in the 700 MHz band in June. The carrier also said it aims 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.

Rakuten Mobile also highlighted that it plans to continue to expand 4G and 5G infrastructure, expand densification of its network and improve connectivity in subways and indoor areas using own infrastructure.

In April, Rakuten Mobile said it started radio frequency testing for its 700 MHz spectrum, also known as the “platinum band”.

The telco noted that the spectrum in the 700 MHz platinum band offers better indoor building penetration and enables better connectivity indoors and in underground locations.

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 also recently adopted compatriot telecom infrastructure company JTower’s indoor infrastructure-sharing solutions for its network in more than 100 facilities and buildings across Japan.

Rakuten Mobile noted that JTower’s infrastructure-sharing solutions enable mobile carriers to build out their networks in a shorter period of time and with lower costs than if they were to set up their own facilities. Rakuten Mobile said it is utilizing these solutions inside shopping facilities, office buildings and other indoor locations across Japan.

Rakuten Mobile started using JTower’s solutions in January 2020. In October 2021, JTower and Rakuten Mobile formed a capital alliance and have been strengthening their collaboration centered on shared infrastructure usage, according to Rakuten Mobile.