by Richard Handford
The assignment by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) of 700 MHz frequencies to Rakuten Mobile, the country’s newest mobile network operator (MNO), might turn out to be its most significant recent award. Read more...
by Dugie Standeford
Japanese mobile operator SoftBank is part of the SoftBank Group. It says it is "embarking on a new stage of the Information Revolution with a 'Beyond Carrier' strategy" and that it is determined to position itself at the forefront of a society that co-exists with AI. Read more...
by Richard Handford
Historically associated with using beauty contests to allocate mobile spectrum, Japan took a major step towards staging its first auction in 2022. Read more...
by Dugie Standeford
Japanese operator SoftBank is a segment of the SoftBank Group, which describes itself as a "capital provider driving the Information Revolution". It says it has been at the forefront of key technical shifts, from computers to the internet and from broadband to smartphones. Its focus now is on the "next… Read more...
by Richard Handford
Japan’s policy is to release new spectrum and reorganise existing allocations in anticipation of strong demand in the future from 5G/Beyond 5G, satellite, IoT/Wi-Fi and next generation mobility systems such as V2X. Read more...
by Dugie Standeford
Japanese operator SoftBank is part of the SoftBank Group, which describes itself as "a capital provider driving the Information Revolution." It is strongly focused 5G and 6G. Read more...
by Richard Handford
The country’s three established operators – NTT Docomo, KDDI and SoftBank – all launched commercial 5G service in March 2020, while newcomer Rakuten Mobile arrived on the scene six months later. Read more...
by Dugie Standeford
Japanese operator SoftBank's priorities revolve around creating a "world where all things, information and minds are connected." It remains focused on high-altitude platforms for the Internet of Things and 5G, but is also investing in artificial intelligence (AI), augmented and virtual reality, robots and other cutting-edge technologies. Read more...
by Dianne Northfield
High Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS) are currently positioned as a complement to both terrestrial and satellite networks, but will they ultimately compete more directly with traditional operators? For at least one player in the market this will not be the case, as Alphabet’s Loon solar-powered balloons prove to be unviable. Read more...
by Richard Handford
Japan has a tradition of close cooperation between industry and government in the mobile industry that, while not fractured, is undergoing some creative tension. Read more...