Japan’s Rakuten Mobile partners with Spirent for 5G core network testing

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As it continues to pursue a vision of a fully virtualized 5G network, Rakuten Mobile announces another partnership to ensure compliance and a consistent UX across its architecture.

(Image credit: Rakuten)

Rakuten Mobile has announced a partnership with Spirent Communications – a provider of test, assurance, and analytics solutions – to support testing across Raktuen’s 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) and Standalone (SA) rollout in Japan.

Rakuten Mobile selected Spirent Landslide for its 5G core network testing, with LTE services already supported. And support for Rakuten Mobile’s 5G NSA network is planned for later in the year, where Spirent will work with Rakuten Mobile to ensure a solid customer experience. 

“We are excited to collaborate with Spirent for core network testing,” said Tareq Amin, representative director, executive vice president and CTO of Rakuten Mobile. “Given their extensive in-region and global MNO/MVNO experience, advanced methodologies for testing fully-virtualized networks and ability to serve in a consultative role, we are confident that our collaboration will allow us to offer innovative and exciting next generation mobile services to Rakuten Mobile customers.”

Rakuten Mobile recently announced another testing partnership, with Altiostar Networks and NEC, to implement the industry’s first O-RAN Alliance-compliant multi-vendor massive-multi-input, multi-output (mMIMO) 5G with vRAN. 

And both partnerships will play a vital role in helping Rakuten Mobile introduce a software-centric 5G network in Japan.

“Our vision for Rakuten Mobile Network is to build the world’s first end-to-end, fully virtualized, software-defined mobile network. A network that innovates at the speed-of-software and scales at the speed-of-cloud,” said Tareq Amin, CTO of Rakuten Mobile Network.

Spirent and Rakuten

Spirent’s work with Rakuten Mobile has been defined by the use of advanced automation processes that expedite testing, including for complex 5G NSA and SA testing scenarios. 

"Spirent is proud to leverage our depth of experience and advanced testing solutions portfolio to ensure Japan’s newest operator can focus on achieving its vision."

Akihiro Nakamura, Spirent.

“Rakuten Mobile are market trendsetters and Spirent is proud to leverage our depth of experience and advanced testing solutions portfolio to ensure Japan’s newest operator can focus on achieving its vision for offering comprehensive communications services that combine a simple service plan and cutting-edge technologies,” said Spirent’s country manager for Japan, Akihiro Nakamura. “We look forward to working alongside the company as subscribers take advantage of its new services and new deployment targets are set.” 

As new services are tested for deployment to subscribers, Rakuten Mobile is also using the Spirent iTest network automation and verification solution for regression testing to speed validation timeframes, allowing Rakuten Mobile’s engineering teams to remain focused on new service creation for subscribers.

Dan Oliver
Dan Oliver

Dan is a British journalist with 20 years of experience in the design and tech sectors, producing content for the likes of Microsoft, Adobe, Dell and The Sunday Times. In 2012 he helped launch the world's number one design blog, Creative Bloq. Dan is now editor-in-chief at 5Gradar, where he oversees news, insight and reviews, providing an invaluable resource for anyone looking to stay up-to-date with the key issues facing 5G.