Rakuten Mobile and NEC will develop standalone containerized 5G core network

The Japanese mobile network operator Rakuten Mobile, a subsidiary of Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten, and NEC Corporation announced that the two companies have reached 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.

The Japanese mobile network operator Rakuten Mobile, a Subsidiary of Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten, and NEC Corporation announced the two companies have reached a deal to collectively create the containerized stand alone (SA) 5G core system (5GC) to function in Rakuten Mobile’s completely Virtualized cloud native 5G network

Rakuten Mobile and NEC will collaborate to construct a 5GC, dependent on the 5GC computer software source code manufactured by NEC. Following the launch of its non-standalone (NSA) 5G service in 2020, Rakuten Mobile intends to supply its SA 5G support in Japan in 2021.

The containerized 5GC can also be expected to play an integral role in the global growth of RCP, a system built to power the deployment of virtualized networks from telecom operators and businesses around the globe. The 5GC is going to be offered as an application on  to the RCP Marketplace, enabling clients to”click, buy and set up” a completely virtualized SA 5G core network service.

Rakuten Mobile had selected NEC as its 5G equipment provider

Back in June 2019, Rakuten Mobile had chosen NEC because its 5G gear supplier and in March 2020, Rakuten Mobile and NEC announced that creation of the  5G radio unit RU jointly made by both companies began at NEC Platforms’s Fukushima Plant, and the initial unit was shipped.

Together with the 5G RU, Rakuten Mobile will start the builoodout of its 5G system, beginning with the building of base stations in the Tokyo region, and work toward the launching of 5G commercial services in June.

Tareq amine epresentative Director, Executive Vice President and CTO of Rakuten Mobile said “5G has to be cost-disruptive. But more importantly, it’s a technology that must be built on the concept of openness, carrying through our promise from the early days of what we have done in 4G LTE. We need to build 5G on a completely open architecture, 100% secure and security is an important thing, and technology innovation that we think we could push the industry for the better, towards the consumers in Japan,”

Rakuten postpones 5G launch to September 

Rakuten delayed the launch of its 5G service by three months because of supply chain issues generated by the COVID-19 crisis. Rakuten introduced its 4G service on the local market on 8 April, and was planning to launch its 5G service in June. A Rakuten spokesperson said the 5G launch has now been postponed to September, following government restrictions that have interfered with testing activities.