Rakuten wesentlich besser als Rocket
February 26, 2024
Rakuten welcomed 2024 with a series of customary New Year events, starting with a speech by Mickey where he shared his vision of utilizing AI (artificial intelligence), the hot topic of the new year, and educating all Rakutenians in order to promote AI-nization within the Group. Watch the video to hear from executives their focus areas for 2024 as well as their tips on using AI .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CZVYvSlA7g
As of 05.02.2024, our partners and business clients can apply to create chatbots on Rakuten Viber by reaching out directly to our team. Once the application is qualified, the business client can proceed to sign the contract and agree to the Terms & Conditions.
Applying to create and publish a chatbot on Rakuten Viber is easy. Here are two ways to apply for a chatbot:
The easiest and speediest option is to reach out to one of Rakuten Viber's verified official partners. Our trusted partners will not only help you apply for a chatbot but also offer their extensive expertise, counsel, and management.
Alternatively, you can also reach out directly to our team here. We will manually review the application and advise you on next steps, as well as answer any questions about other Viber for Business solutions that might fit your goals and work well with your chatbot.
https://help.viber.com/hc/en-us/articles/...8525-Bot-Commercial-Model
- Collaboration to design and develop AI solutions tailored to the telecommunications industry.
- Combines Rakuten's industry-leading expertise in Open RAN technology with OpenAI's unparalleled capabilities in AI.
Tokyo & San Francisco, February 26, 2024 - Rakuten Group, Inc. and OpenAI, L.L.C. today announced that the two companies are partnering to develop and deliver cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) tools designed for the telecommunications industry.
Rakuten will collaborate with OpenAI to create solutions to address the unique needs and challenges of telecommunications operators when planning, building and managing mobile networks. The Rakuten AI platform will be expanded to include solutions for customer service, network optimization and predictive maintenance of telecom networks. Rakuten AI will enhance operators' ability to detect and resolve network issues in near real-time, enabling more responsive and adaptive network operations while improving service reliability and performance for customers.
This collaboration builds on the strategic partnership between Rakuten and OpenAI launched in November 2023, combining Rakuten's industry-leading expertise in Open RAN technology with OpenAI's unparalleled capabilities in AI. The Rakuten AI platform aims to revolutionize the way AI is used in the telecommunications industry.
https://global.rakuten.com/corp/news/press/2024/...&category=corp
https://global.rakuten.com/corp/news/press/2024/0227_04.html
Nokia Oyj
Tue, February 27, 2024
Nokia to supply equipment from its high-performance AirScale portfolio supporting the low 700MHz spectrum band to enhance the capacity and coverage of Rakuten Mobile’s nationwide network in Japan
Rakuten Symphony intend to supply AirScale RAN equipment to its global customers
Espoo, Finland – Nokia today announced that it has been selected by Rakuten Mobile, Inc. (Rakuten Mobile) to supply Radio Access Network (RAN) solutions from its comprehensive energy-efficient AirScale portfolio supporting the low 700MHz spectrum band. The move will see Rakuten Mobile deliver enhanced coverage, capacity, and network performance to its customers across its end-to-end fully virtualized, cloud native OpenRAN mobile network in Japan.
Under the Rakuten Mobile deal, Nokia will supply equipment from its next generation AirScale radio access product portfolio powered by its ReefShark System-on-Chip (SoC) technology. Low band 4G spectrum enables wider area coverage and reaches deeper into buildings than higher frequencies and will allow Rakuten Mobile to bring 4G to even more customers.
In a separate negotiation, Nokia and Rakuten Mobile subsidiary, Rakuten Symphony, have signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to provide AirScale RAN equipment to its customers in selected markets. Rakuten Symphony is a Rakuten Group company providing end-to-end integration B2B services for the global mobile telecom industry and enabling next-generation, cloud-based, international mobile services.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/...-deal-rakuten-mobile-070000721.html
- Companies intend to take the first steps in implementation in 2024
Barcelona, February 26, 2024 - Rakuten Symphony, a subsidiary of the leading internet services company, Rakuten Group, and Kyivstar, Ukraine’s largest telecommunications operator and VEON Group’s wholly owned subsidiary, have announced the signing of a Letter of Intent (LoI) that confirms Kyivstar’s interest in procuring and deploying Rakuten Symphony's Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) technology in its network.
The LoI confirms Kyivstar’s intent to use Rakuten’s Open RAN and 5G technologies to help rebuild Ukraine's digital infrastructure, reinforcing both companies’ commitment to supporting Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction. The companies intend to take first steps for the deployment within 2024. Kyivstar and Rakuten Symphony are currently collaborating to define the scope of their initiative, which will involve both 4G and 5G Open RAN technology.
https://global.rakuten.com/corp/news/press/2024/...mp;category=mobile
Of the approximately 57,000 merchants on Rakuten Ichiba, 134 were chosen to attend the “Rakuten SHOP OF THE YEAR 2023” awards ceremony. Check out the video to feel the happiness and excitement of the day and hear exclusive interviews where winning merchants speak about the "Rakuten Dream" alongside their ECCs (E-commerce Consultants).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq39ifLwNXY
January 29, 2024
RNN brings you highlights from the Rakuten Travel Awards 2023! This big annual event recognizes hotels that have achieved outstanding results and high ratings on Rakuten Travel. In addition to a wide range of recognitions, hotels which were rated particularly highly among the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards were additionally celebrated with the Hotel and Ryokan of the Year award.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRVG3BTZhr8
Barcelona, Spain, February 28, 2024 - Rakuten Mobile and Rakuten Symphony today announced the successful demonstration of an Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning model that enables energy savings of up to 25% via an interface to RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) that configures antenna use.
In a pioneering initiative for the industry, Rakuten Symphony’s implemented RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) is now able to set a policy via an intelligent interface that allows communication between rApps and xApps, providing insights on the usage of specific cell sites, allowing the reduced usage of specific elements and consequently making significant energy savings.
The organizations demonstrated results of the trial - as part of a project commissioned by the Japan National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) - at MWC Barcelona 2024, the largest gathering of mobile connectivity operators, vendors, and research and academic institutions worldwide.
Sharad Sriwastawa, Co-CEO, Rakuten Mobile, and President, Rakuten Symphony, said, “We would like to thank the Japan National Institute of Information and Communications Technology for their commitment to innovation in telecom and to pushing the boundaries of research in automation and Open RAN. From day one of their existence, Rakuten Mobile and Rakuten Symphony have been committed to building automated, intelligent and open networks that are powered by software and run in the cloud. This research reinforces the commitment of both organizations to sustainable, automated networks that can be made more sophisticated through artificial intelligence.”
rApps and xApps are used to control the radio access base stations to quickly change relevant parameters. xApps - software delivering response times of sub-one-second, running on a near-real time RIC - used in the trial have been able to monitor a cell’s traffic in near-real-time. Through machine learning models, they can intelligently interpret historical traffic patterns to modify the configuration of antennas without impacting the subscriber experience, saving energy in the process. rApps run on a non-Real Time RAN Intelligent Controller, with control loops on a time scale of one second and longer, making updates that do not require immediate responses.
The organizations have developed a machine learning model which has been trained to interpret network traffic patterns and subsequently determine energy-saving policies. These policies are communicated via an intelligent interface from an rApp to an xApp. The xApp subsequently adjusts antenna configurations to conserve energy, leading to enhanced Open RAN performance and more efficient, energy-saving network operations.
The demonstration proves that applications on the RIC Platform can effectively manage RAN efficiency and reduce network power consumption, benefiting both 5G and 4G Open RAN networks. Power savings of almost 25% have been observed when the feature is activated under optimal conditions.
Rakuten Mobile and Rakuten Symphony began collaborating on the RIC Platform and Applications development in February 2023, and the project has been a significant step towards advancing wireless communication technologies, specifically in the area of Open RAN.
Rakuten's RIC platform includes both Non-Real-Time (Non-RT RIC) and Near-Real-Time (Near-RT RIC) components, developed in accordance with O-RAN ALLIANCE specifications. The AI/ML model for the rApp is defined and trained using Rakuten Symphony's AI Platform product. Rakuten’s RIC platform supports Non-RT-RIC and Near-RT-RIC capabilities independently. It integrates seamlessly with 5G as well as 4G Open RAN, is compliant with O-RAN specification and interfaces (can work with any O-RAN compliant O-CU/O-DU), provides seamless support for onboarding RIC applications (rApps and xApps) and is a highly scalable platform that employs a micro-services/container-based architecture with flexible deployment options.
https://corp.mobile.rakuten.co.jp/english/news/...20240228_01_lang_en
27/02/2024
Rakuten TV has consolidated its position as a key partner for telecommunications, announcing multiple new deals in Europe at MWC 2024.
Rakuten TV has secured new partnership agreements with telecommunications companies and TV Platforms in different European countries, with the aim of increasing their reach and offering quality content to the customers of these companies.
Telco agreements are one of the main pillars of Rakuten TV's strategy, which began through its first partnership with Orange in Spain in 2022 and 1&1 in Germany in 2023. Following these successes, the platform continues to expand its work with telcos and TV Platforms throughout Europe.
Rakuten TV has also announced a new avenue to maximise the distribution of its services through alliances with two key TV platforms (content aggregators) that offer services to telcos; Agile TV and Masmedia TV. Agile TV is a leading provider of digital OTT TV and video distribution solutions, offering a comprehensive portfolio of scalable products, SaaS applications, and cloud-based services for telcos, such as Tiscali in Italy. Masmedia TV provides a technological tool so that operators can offer their customers a streaming pay-TV service with a high degree of personalisation and numerous content alternatives, with Adamo being one of its main customers.
These new agreements continue to align with the strategy which has already started to be rolled out in recent years by Rakuten TV through partnerships such as Netgem in the United Kingdom and Ireland, Zattoo in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and Alteox in Luxembourg where Rakuten TV currently offers its TVOD service.
https://www.4rfv.co.uk/industrynews/305433/...ple_new_deals_in_europe
Feb 6, 2024
In 2023, global retail e-commerce sales reached an estimated 5.8 trillion U.S. dollars. Projections indicate a 39 percent growth in this figure over the coming years, with expectations to surpass eight trillion dollars by 2027.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/379046/...etail-e-commerce-sales/
29 February 2024
The three new courses will cover zero-touch automation, architecture design and matching cloud-native strategy to demands on the network.
https://www.mobileeurope.co.uk/...lco-cloud-training-via-tip-academy/
The OSS boss who wants to see the end of OSS
29 February 2024
Rakuten's OSS head is all about simplifying and automating operational processes, using AI at the centre of things. Can he pull it off?
Rahul Atri is the head of OSS at Rakuten Symphony who says that in the future telcos won’t have OSS. He’s simplifying his portfolio into three action areas, and driving development to put AI at the centre of operations, rather than bolting in onto individual automations.
Does he know what he’s talking about? Well, he was one of the first employees into Rakuten Mobile, which deployed using the automated processes he’s talking about. And he has returned to Rakuten Symphony to clean up its OSS business and to drive AI adoption within Symphony customers with the newly-launched Rakuten AI.
At a time of AI hype, there are real customers and results too.
For more on Rakuten Symphony OSS and Rakuten AI, see this whitepaper from Appledore Research.
https://the-mobile-network.com/2024/02/...ants-to-see-the-end-of-oss/
BARCELONA, February 28, 2024: The United Kingdom’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has procured Rakuten Symphony’s Open RAN technology for use in the West Midland's flagship UK Telecoms Lab (UKTL), operated by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). The use of Rakuten Symphony’s technology within UKTL will support the Government's effort to diversify the UK 5G telecoms market and drive the security and resilience of the telecoms sector. The partnership was announced during MWC Barcelona 2024, held from February 26 until February 29.
Rakuten Symphony will supply its own 5G standalone and 5G non-standalone RAN software, underlying cloud-native software platform and RAN management solution, in addition to hardware from three different third-party hardware vendors, covering 5G massive MIMO antennas, 4G Radio Units and COTS servers.
Julia Lopez, Minister for Data and Digital Infrastructure, United Kingdom, said, “A secure telecoms infrastructure is vital if we are to boost growth and drive innovation across the country. We launched the UK Telecoms Lab to bring industry experts and academics under one roof in a state-of-the-art facility, where new tech can be rigorously tested before being rolled out. Having Rakuten Symphony's tech deployed at this facility is great news for UKTL and is a major validation of the UK’s position as the home of tech innovation. By putting new software and hardware through its paces, suppliers will be able to bring tried-and-tested products to market, strengthening our telecoms network, powering the creation of specialized jobs, and advancing digital skills.”
"Rakuten Symphony is proud to support the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s (DSIT) efforts to boost the security, resilience and performance of the UK’s telecom networks,” Nastasi Karaiskos, Managing Director, Rakuten Symphony UK, said. “Rakuten Symphony is committed to supporting the UK in building robust national digital infrastructure, and in accelerating the development of Open RAN within the country’s telecommunications ecosystem, as well as accelerating the evolution of smart, sustainable and secure Open RAN in Europe.”
Future testing will also be extended to include Rakuten Symphony’s near-real-time and non-real-time RAN Intelligent Controller software, which streamlines open radio access networks (Open RAN) by enabling automation and programmability of the network and its services.
Andy Blackmore, Managing Director, UKTL, said, “Our fantastic team of cyber and telecoms experts are already researching and testing network vulnerabilities to help keep the UK networks safe and secure. NPL is providing the expertise and leadership to operators so that they have the confidence to deploy their solutions and technology in UK networks. The team are working collaboratively with industry, academia, and government at the heart of the West Midlands, placing the UK at the forefront of new technologies. Ultimately, UKTL is injecting innovation, supporting invention and providing the platform for implementation to deliver impact from science for our national security and economic growth.”
UK accelerates telecoms diversification
The UKTL is a state-of-the-art facility in Solihull, an £80 million Government investment, which is providing test and evaluation capabilities of the resilience and security of vital telecommunications systems that are being deployed in the UK, aiming to place the country at the forefront of new technologies that can support national security and economic growth. UKTL is operated by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), a national laboratory which provides cutting-edge science, engineering and technology to underpin prosperity and quality of life in the UK.
NPL experts are already testing and validating the security, interoperability, and performance of Rakuten Symphony’s Open RAN technology. Experts at NPL provide testing and advice to vendors, suppliers, and users, enabling them to improve their systems before deployment or use.
UKTL is part of a wider £250 million ($317 million) strategy to make the UK’s telecoms networks less reliant on a small number of equipment suppliers. This includes accelerating the development of diverse and innovative 5G technology that can maintain the country's position as one of the world’s preeminent players in technology and science.
https://symphony.rakuten.com/newsroom/...r-uk-telecoms-lab-deployment
BARCELONA, February 28, 2024 – Telecom Egypt, the country’s first fully integrated telecom operator, has proudly marked a historic milestone with the first successful 4G trial call via Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) technology in North Africa in collaboration with Rakuten Symphony, Cisco, and the global Telecom Infra Project (TIP). The successful trial was announced during MWC Barcelona 2024, held from February 26 until February 29.
The seamless integration of Rakuten's Symphony vRAN software — complemented by the deployment of cloud-native vCU and vDU — showcases Telecom Egypt's vision of moving toward the cloudification of telco workloads. This achievement not only underscores the company's commitment to shaping the future of connectivity but also highlights the future of mobile networks.
This milestone reinforces Telecom Egypt's position as an industry leader and exemplifies a smooth transition from traditional systems to cutting-edge solutions, in line with Telecom Egypt’s strategic drive to lay the foundation for a strong digital future. With the global race to adopt and support Open Radio Access Network technology for broader network deployment, Telecom Egypt’s latest success demonstrates its direction and leadership in developing Open RAN with maturity to fulfill a variety of capabilities required by our customers.
Rakuten Symphony, Cisco, and Telecom Infra Project*1 played pivotal roles in the project, demonstrating the power of collaboration in building a fully cloud-native platform. Their partnership helped to reveal the true potential of Open RAN technology in transforming Radio Access Networks into an open and fully interoperable RAN.
Mohamed Nasr, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Telecom Egypt, said, “This achievement surpasses technological excellence and is a testament to our commitment to innovate and serve our customers. It also represents a new historic achievement for Telecom Egypt as a result of continuous planning, strong determination, and dedication to pushing the boundaries of connectivity. Our successful journey reaffirms our steadfast dedication to shaping the future of connectivity while upholding the exceptional service standards our customers have come to expect."
Rabih Dabboussi, Chief Business Officer, Rakuten Symphony said, “The North Africa region is beginning to realize its technological potential and innovating its telecom infrastructure, and Telecom Egypt is leading the way. At Rakuten Symphony, we are proud to support Telecom Egypt in delivering the first successful 4G Open RAN call in North Africa. We look forward to supporting Telecom Egypt and mobile network operators around the world with open interfaces and automation capabilities that are reimagining telecom services.”
In contrast to traditional proprietary networks, Open RAN empowers various vendors to contribute different components. These networks are software-driven, adhere to open standards, and operate in the cloud on readily available servers. Network updates are implemented through software, offering continuous orchestration and automation for full-stack open RAN systems.
https://symphony.rakuten.com/newsroom/...ssful-open-ran-based-4g-call
BARCELONA, February 26, 2024 - Rakuten Symphony announces the launch of its "Real Open RAN Licensing Program," a ground-breaking initiative designed to democratize Radio Access Network (RAN) technology worldwide.
With an open community subscription model, Rakuten Symphony gives commercial access to its Open RAN Central Unit (CU) and Open RAN Distributed Unit (DU) software, which has already been deployed in Japan to provide total nationwide coverage, with the same now underway in Germany.
This will lower the barrier of entry and shorten the time-to-market for all telecom ecosystem players to accelerate and simplify access to the most critical software stack workloads required in the open Radio Access Network, setting a new standard for innovation and performance in the telecom industry.
The software, distinguished by numerous awards from Opensignal (https://www.opensignal.com) for Rakuten Mobile's exceptional network performance and user experience, demonstrates its capability to deliver superior quality and performance compared to traditional RAN solutions. This initiative represents a significant departure from conventional telecom infrastructure models, offering a more flexible and efficient approach to network deployment and management.
Rakuten Symphony's "Real Open RAN Licensing Program" enables companies within the Open RAN ecosystem to leverage Rakuten’s market-proven advancements, fostering innovation and facilitating the transition towards more adaptable and scalable network solutions. This move is aimed at challenging the status quo, encouraging collaboration, and improving efficiency across the telecom industry.
Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO of Rakuten Group, expressed his enthusiasm for the program: "For too long, the RAN sector has been dominated by legacy systems that stifle innovation and inflate costs. By introducing our 'Real Open RAN Licensing Program,' we are breaking down these barriers, making our award-winning Open RAN software available to drive industry transformation. This is more than an initiative; it's a call to action for the industry to embrace open collaboration and innovation, paving the way for better, more efficient telecom outcomes."
The program encompasses the complete Open RAN Central Unit (CU) and Distributed Unit (DU) codebases, which have been integral to the deployment of millions of radio sites across the globe. These codebases are designed to support a wide range of technologies across 4G and 5G networks, including LTE eMTC (enhanced Machine Type Communication), 5G FWA (Fixed Wireless Access), 5G SA (Standalone), 5G NSA (Non-Standalone), and 5G Private Networks. The success and widespread adoption of these codebases, as evidenced by Rakuten Mobile's recognition by Opensignal, attest to the software's leading-edge capabilities in the telecom sector. The company plans to share the details and conditions of this program after discussions with the relevant stakeholders have been completed.
https://symphony.rakuten.com/newsroom/...ate-global-open-ran-adoption
- First trial in Asia Pacific region to achieve 1 Tbps end-to-end transmission on subsea and terrestrial hybrid optical line over 820km
- 1 Tbps transmission trial conducted over Rakuten Mobile’s commercial live network in Japan
- Trial based on Nokia PSE-6s super-coherent optics providing scalability, maximum performance and power-efficiency
Tokyo, March 1, 2024 - Rakuten Mobile, Inc. and Nokia Corporation today announced the successful completion of a pioneering trial of 1 Tbps (terabits per second) end-to-end transmission over a single wavelength on an 820km subsea and terrestrial hybrid optical line in Japan. The milestone marked the first successful 1 Tbps trial over an 820km distance in the Asia Pacific region, demonstrating capabilities to handle ultra-high-speed data transmission over significant distances.
Nokia's sixth-generation super-coherent Photonic Service Engine (PSE-6s) optics were used to transmit over a Nokia DWDM line system*3 providing high scalability, enhanced performance and efficient spectrum-utilization on the Rakuten network.
Hiroshi Takeshita, Deputy CTO of Rakuten Mobile said, “We are delighted to achieve 1 Tbps per channel on our optical network in collaboration with our technical partner Nokia. This technical milestone enables us to optimize the utilization of fiber capacity and enhance power efficiency, and the increased capacity empowers Rakuten Mobile to meet the demands of bandwidth-intensive mobile services and high-capacity enterprise requirements. This accomplishment is in line with Rakuten Mobile’s network growth objectives.”
James Watt, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Optical Networks business at Nokia, said: "We are proud to have accomplished this remarkable 1 Tbps single wavelength transmission record in partnership with Rakuten Mobile. Our PSE-6s super-coherent optics delivers exceptional scalability, peak performance, and energy efficiency, allowing Rakuten Mobile to meet its carbon neutrality objectives and increase network capacity to meet demand for high-bandwidth 5G services and enterprise needs."
By using Nokia’s latest PSE coherent technology, Rakuten Mobile will be able to increase both spectrum efficiency and maximum capacity per fiber pair by 25% compared with the earlier generation of coherent optics deployed in its network. Rakuten Mobile will also be able to scale network capacity.
https://corp.mobile.rakuten.co.jp/english/news/...20240301_01_lang_en
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/...main-feed-card_feed-article-content
March 04, 2024
Rakuten is back at MWC Barcelona 2024, this time to showcase the rebranded Rakuten Symphony and the strength of the Rakuten Ecosystem under the theme of "Telecom Reinvented." Many new partnerships and announcements were also made by Rakuten Symphony and Rakuten Mobile, including to rebuild the telecom infrastructure of Ukraine, to strengthen the telecom network of the UK, and a partnership to enable speedy deployment of the "platinum band" network service in Japan. Check out scenes from the packed venue as well as what Mickey and other executives shared about Rakuten's bold steps to reinvent telecom!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdgJWJru8hA
PUBLISHED: FEB 29, 2024, 3:17 AM
Viber is upping its game with the release of a brand-new update introducing an important new feature: customizable chat folders. Specifically designed to make it easier for users to quickly find conversations and streamline their communication, customizable chat folders are gradually rolling out globally to all users.
https://www.phonearena.com/news/...customizable-chat-folders_id155841
What is the Fair Price of Rakuten when looking at its future cash flows? For this estimate we use a Discounted Cash Flow model.
79.5% Undervalued
Current Price JPY 822.20
Fair Value JPY 4,020.3
https://simplywall.st/stocks/jp/retail/tse-4755/...p-shares/valuation
Veon has committed this investment over a three-year period and has also announced the intention to widen the scope of its commitment to $1 billion in five years, depending on market conditions.
In August 2023, Rakuten Symphony and Veon had signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore cooperation in Ukraine, with the goal of accelerating the reconstruction of the country’s infrastructure, through collaboration on O-RAN and digital services.
According to Rakuten’s latest financial report, Rakuten Symphony ended last year with 19 customers. The telco had previously activated what it claimed to be Europe’s first O-RAN network in partnership with German operator 1&1.
https://www.rcrwireless.com/20240305/open_ran/...commit-o-ran-ukraine