Rakuten wesentlich besser als Rocket

Rakuten Mobile grabs stake in JTOWER as losses increase

By Harry Baldock, Total Telecom
Monday 18 October 21

Japan’s newest mobile operator said that the new deal will serve to lower the cost of deploying its 4G and 5G networks.

Rakuten Mobile has reportedly purchased a minority share in Japanese tower infrastructure specialist JTOWER, hoping to lower their network deployment costs in the face of rising debt.

The operator launched its commercial 4G services back in April 2020 and since then has expanded.

But building mobile network infrastructure is not cheap and the process so far has already seen Rakuten Mobile slip into considerable debt. In the first half of 2021, the company reported losses of around $1.73 billion, up from around $780 million one year earlier.

Naturally, the largest part of Rakuten’s losses comes from the expensive process of deploying a 4G and 5G network from scratch. There are other factors too, however, such as the enormous deal that Rakuten offered at the time of its commercial launch, giving new customers one year’s free, unlimited data plans. These plans have begun to expire as of April 2021.

By late August 2021, Rakuten had managed to attract around five million mobile subscribers, with the company estimating that they would break even when subscribers reached seven million, something they expect to reach in 2023.

Now, it is hoped that the deal with JTOWER, for an undisclosed sum, will help alleviate some of the financial pressure of the Rakuten’s network rollout.

www.totaltele.com/511359/...take-in-JTOWER-as-losses-increase

‘By utilising infrastructure sharing, it is possible to develop a network in a short period of time and at low cost compared to the case where equipment is installed by a mobile carrier alone,’ JTOWER said in an exchange filing, as reported by Capital.com, adding: ‘JTOWER and Rakuten Mobile will deepen their cooperation with this capital tie-up, promote infrastructure sharing with shared facilities and towers for indoor and outdoor use in network development related to 4G and 5G, and build a more comfortable communication environment at an early stage’.

In late-August this year Rakuten Mobile reported that its subscriber base (including MVNO) had reached the five million-mark. However, with the company itself estimating that it will need at least seven million users to reach a break-even point, and with some analysts warning that its required customer base is ‘becoming implausibly high, given the pace of cost growth vs customer adds’, the newcomer’s entry into the Japanese market is looking increasingly challenging.

www.commsupdate.com/articles/2021/10/18/...-5g-network-costs/

Last year, Rakuten Mobile and NEC announced that the two companies had entered into an agreement to jointly develop the containerized standalone (SA) 5G core network (5GC) to be used in Rakuten Mobile’s fully virtualized cloud native 5G network.

Under the agreement, Rakuten Mobile and NEC said they will develop the containerized SA 5G mobile core to be made available on the Rakuten Communications Platform (RCP).

Rakuten’s platform contains all the elements of the Rakuten Mobile network, including telco applications and multi-vendor software, OSS and BSS systems that handle customer billing and activation systems, in addition to edge computing and virtual network management features.
RCP aims to offer solutions and services for the implementation of virtualized networks at high speed and low cost from telecommunications companies, companies and governments around the world, said the telecommunications.

macprotricks.com/...er-stake-to-reduce-network-rollout-costs/

THE TRIALS AND TRIUMPHS OF THE RISING NETWORK
Rakuten and Accenture Fireside Chat with Tareq Amin, Francesco Venturini and Tunc Yorulmaz

VIDEOTRANSCRIPT

In 2020, Rakuten collaborated with Accenture to launch the world's first fully virtualized, cloud-native mobile network. A year on from the launch, what have been the key challenges and achievements, and what now lies ahead for their partnership? I'm Guy Daniels, Director of Content at TelecomTV, And we're going to discover more about this ambitious project from those instrumental to its success. So let me now introduce Tareq Amin, who is Group Chief Technology Officer of Rakuten, Francesco Venturini, who is Senior Managing Director of Strategy and Consulting, Communications and Media Global at Accenture, and Tunc Yorulmaz, who is Managing Director with Accenture. Hello everyone, thank you all for joining us today. Now, I'm going to hand over to Francesco and Tunc for our conversation with Tareq.

www.accenture.com/_acnmedia/PDF-159/...ranscript-Final-SB.pdf

rakuten.today/blog/...r-practicing-conscious-consumption.html

Rakuten Mobile expands its own line at once, switches sequentially from au line in 23 prefectures –Engadget Japan version

written by News Dir October 4, 2021

Rakuten Mobile announced that it has started switching from partner lines (au lines) to Rakuten lines in some areas of 23 prefectures nationwide from October 1st.

As a result, the number of partner lines has begun to shrink in 39 prefectures, excluding eight prefectures (Iwate, Yamagata, Yamanashi, Wakayama, Shimane, Kochi, Nagasaki, and Kagoshima).

Of these, Tokyo has already switched to Rakuten lines at the end of March 2021 in principle. By the end of March 2022 in Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures, and by the end of March 2023 in Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Toyama, Ishikawa, Aichi, Shiga, Osaka and Hyogo prefectures. As a general rule, switch to the Rakuten line.

Even in the above areas, there are places where you can continue to use partner lines indoors, underground malls, subways, etc.

For users who live in areas that may be affected, individual guidance has started from mid-September 2021. In addition, if inconveniences such as difficulty in connecting radio waves occur after October, we will take measures such as temporarily renting out alternative smartphones.

Rakuten Mobile has a huge roaming fee paid to KDDI, which provides partner lines, and aims to reduce this by switching to its own line.

www.newsdirectory3.com/...nwide%2520from%2520October%25201st.

No. 1 on Dish‘s list is working with ORAN vendors Mavenir and Altiostar

Dave Mayo, Dish Network’s EVP of network development, outlined the company’s 2021 buildout goals, and discussed some of the steps Dish is taking to create a startup business mentality for its 5G network even though it is a mature company with a successful legacy direct broadcast satellite (DBS) business.
Mayo, who spoke last week at Connect (X), the Wireless Infrastructure Association’s annual event that was held in Orlando, Florida, outlined key areas of focus for his team for 2021. No. 1 on the list is working closely with its open radio access network (open RAN) vendors Mavenir Systems and Altiostar to make sure that their open RAN solutions are integrated with Nokia’s virtualized core network.
Mayo said that it is important for Dish to use open RAN because by disaggregating the software that controls the radios from the physical radio itself, the operator will be able to have more control over the features and functionality of its network. “This is a great opportunity to do something very different from the other guys,” Mayo said.

www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/...-talks-2021-buildout-goals

“Earth Mall with Rakuten”, an online shopping mall to mainstream sustainable production and consumption practices (SDG 12)

Open inside Japan’s largest e-commerce platform “Rakuten Ichiba”, the “Earth Mall with Rakuten” is an online shopping mall gathering sustainable products, notably products with internationally recognized certifications such as MSC (sustainable fishery), FSC (sustainable forest management) or Fairtrade. A significant focus is also placed on education, with in-depth articles that detail the stories behind the products on offer.

sustainabledevelopment.un.org/partnership/?p=30633

by FierceWireless Staff |
Oct 18, 2021 7:00pm

Rahul Atri is managing director of Rakuten Symphony. He was interviewed by Fierce Wireless’ Editor Bevin Fletcher on September 28, 2021 at Fierce’s Network Automation Week virtual event. Atri talked about network slicing and automation

www.fiercewireless.com/operators/...ten-symphony-s-rahul-atri

Fierce: Hi, Raul.Thanks for joining us. I'm looking forward to getting into some topics on automation and networks, and I know you played a key role in end-to-end automation with Rakuten. And now you're at Symphony, which launched earlier this year, and it kind of houses different elements of the Rakuten Communications Platform. So where does network slicing and automation specifically fit in there, and what market opportunity does it present?

Atri: Short answer. We pride ourselves with automation, and network slicing and automation are an inherent part of the platform. We have different layers of RCP Symphony as a platform. Orchestration, OSS and slice management comes together on the most important layer. For us, it's been in our DNA and from day zero, we have taken automation very seriously. And there's this specific Center of Excellence in Rakuten Mobile. And we're taking all the learnings and experience in Rakuten Mobile Japan and plan to offer the same learnings and experience to operators around the world.

Source: start-posting

In July 2021, Rakuten Viber added an exciting new feature to its app through a partnership with Snap Inc., the company behind Snapchat. “Viber Lenses powered by Snapchat” utilizes Snap’s augmented reality (AR) tech to enable AR-video messaging and photos on Viber for the first time. We can’t wait to see how the Viber app continues to evolve through more new additions like this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZucArIGgGY

Cabify Argentina - The Juju - Seamos Neutros

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGZMkqPcScw

Rakuten Medical and Karkinos Healthcare Announce Strategic Partnership to Expand the Reach of Novel Cancer Care in India

SAN MATEO, Calif. and MUMBAI, India, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Rakuten Medical Inc, and Karkinos Healthcare Private Limited announced a strategic collaboration to expand the reach of novel cancer care to India. This includes a minority stake acquisition in Karkinos Healthcare by Rakuten Medical. Rakuten Medical's investment marks Karkinos Healthcare's first international investor.

Rakuten Medical is focused on developing and commercializing innovative cancer treatments for multiple indications based on its Illuminox platform. Karkinos is a healthcare technology platform focused on delivering quality healthcare by providing access to, and availability of, cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment options. This strategic collaboration will enable continued innovation in cancer care with the goal of transforming cancer care in India and abroad.

Rakuten Medical's first pipeline drug developed on its Illumino platform, ASP-1929, has received approval from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, and is currently the subject of a global phase 3 clinical trial for recurrent head and neck cancer. Karkinos Healthcare is pioneering the Distributed Cancer Care Network model in India addressing clinical needs that will bring quality care closer to patients. Karkinos already offers its services in Kothamangalam, Chottanikkara, Thodupuzha, Munnar locations across Ernakulam and Idukki Districts, in Kerala and is planning to ramp up its operations across India.

www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/...e-in-india-301406335.html

asia.nikkei.com/Business/...s-Rakuten-s-Japan-mobile-coverage

Viber has always been popular for its features that engage and entertain its users during all of the hottest events. So it isn’t a surprise that the messaging platform is taking it a few notches higher with the release of Viber’s latest feature Augmented Reality (AR) Lenses customised exclusively for the Cricket World Cup too. Users will be able to bring the stadium vibes to their phones and show up to support their team of choice virtually with a range of fun Lens choices such as digital face painting and customised cricket jerseys.

Join in the fun of South Asia’s most-followed and popular sports this season with Viber’s Cricket Bot and get access to more insight, more interaction, and exclusive experiences.

bizenglish.adaderana.lk/...tches-higher-this-world-cup-season/

Long-term Investing

We’ve all heard of Alibaba and Tencent and we’ve also all heard that we should reconsider investing in China due to regulation fears. So what if we told you that there’s a company in the same e-commerce space, in an under-appreciated market, growing at a rapid rate and you had never heard of it. Well, Marco Anselmi, Partner and Senior Analyst at VGI Partners says he would like to introduce you to a Japanese e-commerce and online retailing company giving its Asian peers a run for their money. In this extended interview, Anselmi provides his thesis on this relatively unknown company, walks through the business model, and explains why its three-pillar approach to innovation sets them apart from other e-commerce companies. He also explains the reasoning behind the company’s recent share price hike and why the management can take this company all the way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4hCVJ5tA3Q

sqy7rm.media.zestyio.com/...-Oak-Press-Release_5_27_Final.pdf

Singapore’s Carousell Acquires Sneaker Marketplace

02BY ZOE SUENOCTOBER 18, 2021 09:16

Carousell Group, which includes C2C marketplace Carousell, Vietnam’s Chotot and Malaysia’s Mudah, has added to its fashion resale arsenal by buying Ox Street, one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing managed marketplaces for authenticated streetwear, according to Inside Retail. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Ox Street will retain its name, team and separate operations. The move, which is aimed at helping Carousell cater to the region’s increasingly lucrative Gen Z shopper, will also allow Ox Street to leverage Carousell’s reach and technology to attract more users.

www.businessoffashion.com/news/...cquires-sneaker-marketplace

Carousell Group, which includes C2C marketplace Carousell, Vietnam’s Chotot and Malaysia’s Mudah, secured $100 million in a funding round led by South Korean private equity firm STIC, bringing its valuation to $1.1 billion, Inside Retail reports.

The investment will be used to ramp up Carousell’s expansion across Southeast Asia. It is currently active in eight markets across the region, as well as Taiwan and Hong Kong.

www.businessoffashion.com/news/...lion-for-regional-expansion

Since launching in July 2005, Rakuten Card has conducted a variety of initiatives to promote cross-use between Rakuten Group services and accelerate the adoption of cashless payments. As a result, Rakuten Card is widely used by many customers across Japan, and the number of cards issued has exceeded 23 million as of June 2021, with annual credit shopping transaction volume reaching 11.6 trillion yen in 2020. Rakuten Card has become one of the top service providers in the credit card industry in Japan, and continues to deliver strong growth.

Rakuten Card will continue working to enhance its credit card service and expand its lineup of features, making financial services more convenient, easier to use and more accessible to customers as it actively seeks to strengthen its organization and secure global talent in order to provide even greater levels of satisfaction to customers.

*1 System development will be conducted in a test environment. Personal information from users in Japan will not be accessed by or transferred to the new subsidiary in Vietnam.

Overview of Rakuten Fintech Vietnam
(1) Company Name Rakuten Fintech Vietnam Co., Ltd.
(2) Head Office Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
(3) Representative Takao Shiono, General Director
(4) Business System development for Rakuten Card Co., Ltd. and Rakuten Group's FinTech business
(5) Date of Establishment October 12, 2021
(6) Date of Operation Spring 2022 (planned)
(7) Capital 5,200,000 USD (as of October 2021)
(8) Ownership Wholly-owned subsidiary of Rakuten Card (100%)

global.rakuten.com/corp/news/update/2021/1022_01.html

"Es besteht jedoch kein Zweifel daran, dass OpenRAN ein entscheidender Bestandteil zukünftiger Netzwerke sein wird. Die Marktforscher von ABI Research gehen davon aus, dass die Ausgaben für OpenRAN in öffentlichen Mobilfunknetzen bis 2026/27 weltweit 10 Milliarden US-Dollar erreichen um bis 2030 mit 30 Milliarden US-Dollar die Ausgaben für traditionelle Funkzugangsnetze übertreffen (Bild 1). Die Analysten erwarten außerdem, dass die Ausgaben für OpenRAN in Unternehmens-, Industrie- und privaten Netzen im Jahr 2030 weitere 10 Milliarden US-Dollar generiere."

www.all-electronics.de/...5g-maerkte-zu-erschliessen-244.html

Nonetheless, VMware, like most companies supporting open radio access network (RAN) architecture, wants to bypass those challenges and focus on the objectives a disaggregated RAN could achieve.
“I think that the trend is irreversible. It’s going to happen. It’s happening in most other places in the IT industry, and it’s going to happen here as well,” Uppal said. “There’s just a lot of benefit in terms of this disaggregation, that it’s very difficult to put the genie back into the bottle. That’s not going to happen. Now you might see some fits and starts though.”

www.sdxcentral.com/articles/news/...-is-irreversible/2021/10/

The Power of Automation in Open RAN Networks

www.pipelinepub.com/...n-2021/automation-in-open-ran-networks

Ryan Son, Chief Marketing Officer of Estmob, will join Rakuten Symphony as President of Internet and Ecosystem services. The Rakuten Symphony Internet and Ecosystem service business group will work with software development teams across Rakuten Group to develop a mediation layer to integrate all standalone products from membership, loyalty, payment, media, gaming and cloud storage platforms into a unified Rakuten Symphony portfolio. The group will also develop unified design guidelines and act as a department to unify the product user interface across all products by guiding and verifying the execution of design guidelines.

Based in Seoul, Estmob started in 2012 to tackle the problem of how to most efficiently send files between two devices. The company developed Send Anywhere, a peer-to-peer real time file transfer service with more than 43 million users around the world. Popular among users in Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, the United States and the United Kingdom, users utilize the service to collaborate and share digital content in a secure way on any platform through a mobile application or web interface. In 2019, Estmob launched a cloud service, Sendy, that has evolved into a collaborative tool by adding cloud functions on Send Anywhere's powerful technology. Sendy is expanding its range of users mainly around Japan, followed by Korea and the United States. Its monthly active users are rapidly growing to YoY 245% and app downloads to YoY 623%.

Rakuten investment arm Rakuten Capital, through its early stage investment fund Rakuten Ventures, has been supporting Estmob from its first seed round in 2014.

About Rakuten Mobile
Rakuten Mobile, Inc. is a Rakuten Group company responsible for mobile communications, including mobile network operator (MNO) and mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) businesses, as well as ICT. Through continuous innovation and the deployment of advanced technology, Rakuten Mobile aims to redefine expectations in the mobile communications industry in order to provide appealing and convenient services that respond to diverse customer needs.

About Rakuten Symphony
Rakuten Symphony, a Rakuten Group business organization with operations across Japan, the United States, Singapore, India, Europe and the MEA region, develops and brings to the global marketplace cloud-native, open RAN telco infrastructure platforms, services and solutions, including the Rakuten Communications Platform.

About Estmob
Founded in Seoul, Estmob started its first move by creating a revolutionized file transfer service called Send Anywhere, allowing files to be transferred anywhere with the 6-digit key that completely eliminates the complicated process of the existing file transfer in 2012 when the need for file transmission between devices was soaring. Until now, the Estmob team has been making the most efforts to innovate data transmission methods, and in 2019, a new cloud service, Sendy, successfully launched. As a result, the Estmob services are receiving favorable reviews from users worldwide.

global.rakuten.com/corp/news/press/2021/1025_01.html

news-mynavi-jp.translate.goog/article/...amp;_x_tr_pto=nui,sc