In a conference call with investors, Rakuten Group’s chairman Mickey Mikitani said that Rakuten Mobile plans to invest over JPY200 million in fiscal 2026
In sum – what to know:
First full-year EBITDA profit – Rakuten Mobile posted JPY12.9 billion in EBITDA, improving JPY66.7 billion year-on-year.
Subscriber base tops 10 million – Total subscriptions reached 10.01 million, up 1.71 million year-on-year, with ARPU rising to JPY2,467 as data usage increased.
Capex to exceed JPY200 billion – FY2026 spending will rise by JPY62.9 billion year-on-year to expand base stations and improve network quality.
Japanese operator Rakuten Mobile, part of the Rakuten Group, recorded an EBITDA of JPY12.9 billion ($84.4 million) in fiscal year 2025, marking an improvement of JPY66.7 billion year-on-year and the first full-year EBITDA profit since entering the mobile carrier business.
The carrier recorded revenue of JPY374.7 billion in fiscal 2025, up 32% year-on-year, driven by expanding subscriber numbers and higher ARPU.
Non-GAAP operating losses were JPY166 billion in the period, an improvement of JPY50.3 billion year-on-year.
Total subscriptions stood at 10.01 million at the end of December 2025, a net increase of 1.71 million year-on-year. The company attributed growth to ecosystem-driven brand visibility, B2C acquisition and conversion of B2B pipeline contracts. Net ARPU rose to JPY2,467, up JPY59, with data usage continuing to support revenue growth.
In a conference call with investors, Rakuten Group’s chairman Mickey Mikitani said that Rakuten Mobile plans to invest over JPY200 million in fiscal 2026, an increase of JPY62.9 billion from the prior year.
“In 2026, we are not only building closer cooperation with construction companies, but also concentrating on our in-house human resources to accelerate base station construction. Specifically, we will focus on measures for downtown areas and subways, where we have received many requests from customers to make improvements. In downtown areas, we are installing 5G base stations to distribute traffic, and in subways, we are continuing to expand bandwidth,” Mikitani said.
“For subways, we are continuing to work on expanding bandwidth from 5 MHz to 20 MHz and are prioritizing measures using 5G Sub-6 and MIMO,” Mikitani added.
Last year, Rakuten Mobile had named Cisco, Nokia, and F5 as its lead technology partners for the deployment of its 5G Standalone (SA) network. The company says these alliances will “significantly enhance Rakuten Mobile’s network capabilities, simplify operations through AI-driven systems, and drive innovation” across Japan.
