Rakuten Mobile: No ordinary telco

Rakuten Group is a Japanese internet services company that has been dubbed “the Amazon of Japan”. It offers a huge range of services from banking and credit cards to e-commerce, travel and video entertainment, with 1.4 billion “members” worldwide.

Why did a retail giant decide to become a mobile operator? Does Rakuten see this as a genuine opportunity to run a profitable fourth mobile network in Japan, or is diversification part of a bigger picture? To answer these questions, TM Forum analysts draw on extensive interviews with Rakuten executives and the company’s suppliers, along with in-depth research about the markets the company is targeting. Understanding the company’s approach is important in assessing the prospects for its new mobile network business, where Rakuten Mobile fits within the larger organization and how the company will roll out 5G services.

Read the report to understand:
• How Rakuten is structured, how its partner ecosystem operates and the role Rakuten Mobile plays in its strategy
• The prospects for Rakuten in the mobile market with comparisons to new operators in other countries
• The unique cloud-based approach Rakuten has taken to develop its network and IT support systems
• How Rakuten is changing the relationship between CSPs and technology partners
• What other operators can learn from Rakuten’s experience