Sudhakar Pandey, head of RAN at Rakuten Mobile, told RCR Wireless News that the telco is expecting around 7% throughput gain in high traffic areas with the wider coverage due to higher gain antennas
In sum – what to know:
3,000 radios in first phase – Rakuten Mobile is installing around 3,000 32T32R massive MIMO O-RAN radios as part of a broader rollout strategy.
7% throughput gain expected – The operator anticipates roughly 7% higher throughput in high-traffic areas due to wider coverage and higher gain antennas.
Smooth O-RAN integration – The 1Finity MIMO radios integrated without major challenges, with configurations largely aligned to O-RAN specifications.
Japanese carrier Rakuten Mobile plans to deploy around 3,000 32T32R massive MIMO O-RAN radios as part of the first phase of a broader rollout, the operator confirmed in an interview with RCR Wireless News.
Sudhakar Pandey, head of RAN at Rakuten Mobile, said: “Rakuten Mobile plans to deploy around 3,000 radios in the first phase of a larger deployment. We are expecting around 7% throughput gain in high traffic areas with the wider coverage due to higher gain antennas.”
The deployment uses 1Finity massive MIMO radios and is focused on improving performance in dense, high-traffic locations. According to Pandey, the integration with Rakuten’s existing O-RAN infrastructure has been straightforward.
“It was a very smooth integration. The 1finitiy MIMO integration didn’t face any challenge due to the majority of the configuration were already aligned with the O-RAN specifications,” he said, referring to alignment with O-RAN standards and Rakuten Symphony’s CU/DU architecture.
Pandey added that the rollout supports the operator’s broader 5G expansion strategy. “The deployment of 1Finity radios is part our 5G expansion across Japan, specifically in high density areas.”
Earlier this month, Rakuten Mobile and 1Finity, a Fujitsu company, had announced a collaboration to deploy 1Finity’s massive MIMO O-RAN radios across Rakuten Mobile’s nationwide 5G network in Japan.
The Japanese telco also noted that 1Finity massive MIMO radios are based on Qualcomm’s Dragonwing QRU100 platforms and are designed to meet O-RAN specifications. According to the companies, the passively cooled radio units are intended to support sustainable network expansion while maintaining high energy efficiency and long-term operational reliability.
Last year, the Japanese carrier had named Cisco, Nokia, and F5 as its lead technology partners for the deployment of its 5G Standalone (SA) network. The Japanese company noted that these alliances will “significantly enhance its network capabilities, simplify operations through AI-driven systems, and drive innovation” across Japan.
The initial phase centers on capacity enhancement in urban zones, where traffic loads are highest, with further deployment expected as part of the telco’s wider 5G network evolution.
