Rakuten wesentlich besser als Rocket

Open RAN Market (By Component: Hardware, Software, Services; By Unit: Radio Unit, Distributed Unit, Centralized Unit; By Deployment: Private, Hybrid Cloud, Public Cloud) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, Regional Outlook, and Forecast 2024-2033

The global open RAN market size was valued at USD 1.8 billion in 2023 and is expected to hit around USD 32 billion by 2033, poised to grow at a CAGR of 33.40% from 2024 to 2033.

https://www.precedenceresearch.com/open-ran-market
 

Rakuten Symphony revenue jumped  in Q1/2024 55.3 percent to $118 million.

https://www.mobileworldlive.com/rakuten/...ils-network-quality-gains/
 

August 1, 2024

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/...venue-growth-rakuten-symphony-at4le

 

Innovation has also been a driving force behind Rakuten's growth. The company has consistently invested in new technologies, from mobile payments to AI-driven customer service. This forward-thinking approach has enabled Rakuten to stay ahead of the curve and adapt to changing market conditions.
 

of 2024

Rakuten Symphony revenues jumped  in Q1/2024 55.3 percent to $118 million.
https://www.mobileworldlive.com/rakuten/...ils-network-quality-gains/

Rakuten Symphony sales in Q2)2024 dropped 18 per cent to $85 billion.
https://www.mobileworldlive.com/rakuten/...criber-growth-accelerates/

 

- Ranked No. 1 for increased main line usage for customers among all mobile carrier providers across Japan.

Tokyo, October 21, 2024 – Rakuten Mobile, Inc. today announced that its total number of subscribers has surpassed 8 million as of October 18, 2024, four and a half years since the company’s full-scale launch as a mobile network operator (MNO)*1. In addition, Rakuten Mobile's MNO main line usage among customers has increased the most out of all mobile carriers in Japan according to a recent independent third-party survey .

Since the full-scale launch of its mobile carrier service in April 2020, Rakuten Mobile has continued on its mission to democratize the mobile industry, surpassing 8 million subscribers in only four and a half years. The company offers an affordable and simple service plan, the Rakuten Saikyo Plan, and has continued to strengthen the Rakuten network area through the launch of 700 MHz spectrum “platinum band” services and other initiatives.

Mickey Mikitani, Chairman, Rakuten Mobile, commented, “I am thrilled to announce that Rakuten Mobile has surpassed the 8 million subscriber mark. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all our incredible customers for making this milestone a reality. Since we launched with the mission to democratize the mobile industry, we have expanded our network nationwide and vastly increased both our network quality and speed. Looking ahead, we are committed to further enhancing our network quality and deepening our collaboration with the Rakuten Ecosystem to deliver best-in-class mobile services to customers across Japan, as well as continuing to broaden our service offerings for our enterprise clients."

As part of the company’s commitment to offering affordable mobile services to a broad range of customers, starting in September 2024, Rakuten Mobile began offering the Saikyo Senior Program to empower and support senior citizens in Japan. Under this program, customers ages 65 and up will receive 110 Rakuten Points each month, effectively reducing the plan fee for 3GB usage from 880 yen (968 yen including tax) to 780 yen (858 yen including tax) after applying the family discount. Together with the Saikyo Family Program, Saikyo Youth Program and Saikyo Kids Program launched earlier this year, Rakuten Mobile now provides even more reasonably priced mobile services to a wider range of demographics.  

The recent launch of these programs has sparked an increase in data usage, especially among younger subscribers. As of the launch of the Rakuten Senior Program in September, Rakuten Saikyo Plan subscribers averaged 27.9GB of data per month, with subscribers aged 13-22 driving usage even higher at 44.2GB per month. This increasing demand for data lifted ARPU by 103 yen from February to July 2024 for younger customers aged 13-22.

https://global.rakuten.com/corp/news/press/2024/1021_01.html
 

Rakuten Mobile Tops 8 M. Subscribers for Turnaround

Tokyo, Oct. 21

Rakuten Mobile Inc. said Monday that its total number of mobile phone subscribers has topped eight million, the minimum level it considers necessary to turn a profit on a monthly basis.

The company has been proceeding steadily with its goal of eight million to 10 million subscribers, which it announced last year. However, it aims to attract more subscribers as its telecom revenue per subscriber has yet to reach its target of 2,500 yen to 3,000 yen per month, standing at 2,021 yen for April-June.

https://www.nippon.com/en/news/yjj2024102100455/

 

 

October 21, 2024

Four and a half years since its launch, operator Rakuten Mobile has announced it has surpassed 8 million subscribers, and does a bit of boasting over some flattering consumer survey results to toast the milestone.

https://www.telecoms.com/5g-6g/...p-8-million-subscribers#close-modal
 

Rakuten Bank erhöht die Darlehenssummengrenze für 50-jährige Wohnungsbaudarlehen (Rückzahlungsplan ohne Schwierigkeiten)

21. Oktober 2024

Die Rakuten Bank, Inc. (Hauptsitz: Minato-ku, Tokio, President & CEO: Hiroyuki Nagai, im Folgenden als "Rakuten Bank" bezeichnet) wird den maximalen Darlehensbetrag für das 50-jährige Wohnungsbaudarlehen der Rakuten Bank (Affordable Repayment Plan), das eine maximale Laufzeit der Hypothekenkreditaufnahme von 50 Jahren ermöglicht, ab dem 21. Oktober 2024 von 100 Millionen Yen auf 200 Millionen Yen erhöhen.

Der Rakuten Bank 50-Year Housing Loan (Affordable Repayment Plan) wurde im März 2024 aufgelegt, um auf Veränderungen im Lebensstil der Kunden und die unterschiedlichen Bedürfnisse der Kunden nach Wohnungsbaukrediten zu reagieren und Kunden, die den Kauf eines Eigenheims in Betracht ziehen, die Rückzahlung ihrer Wohnungsbaudarlehen mit einem angemessenen Geldbetrag in Betracht zu ziehen und gleichzeitig ihre monatlichen Rückzahlungen zu reduzieren. Es wurde aufgrund seiner einfachen Anwendung ohne Besuch des Geschäfts, der attraktiven Zinssetzung und der pauschalen Kreditverwaltungsgebühr von 330.000 Yen (einschließlich Steuern) gut angenommen.

https://www.rakuten-bank.co.jp/press/2024/241021.html
 

Rakuten Mobile Bags NICT Funding to Drive Standardization for Edge Cloud

4h ago
Andrea Yukta L.

https://www.thefastmode.com/technology-solutions/...on-for-edge-cloud
 

Rakuten Symphony Top 25 AI initiatives: Process mining

October 17, 2024

By Dewa Siswanto
Senior Director of Product Operations, OSS Rakuten Symphony

Rakuten Symphony has developed a prioritized list of the top 25 AI initiatives for communications service providers and divided them into five categories. Rakuten Site Manager Process Mining is one of the top priorities for the Network Site Management and Roll Out category.

Building out a cell site is a complex endeavor with highly detailed processes, critical dependencies, multiple vendors, deadlines, equipment and more. Managing the build out and ongoing operation of these sites is a great challenge for an AI initiative we call process mining that is built into our Rakuten Site Manager software.

Managing cell sites

Rakuten Site Manager provides full network lifecycle services such as network design, planning, deployment and network operations. The software provides end-to-end visibility and automation into all site-related tasks. It reduces manual processes through an option to bulk upload site data and assigns appropriate roles to initiate activities on the site. Without the process mining model, Rakuten Site Manager users manually access the application to individually check the status of work orders or tasks, including initiation and potential delays.

Using AI for process mining

However, with Rakuten Site Manager’s AI capability, users can gain a detailed overview of the site project’s performance, pinpoint areas for improvement, and make informed decisions to ensure the project is completed successfully and on time. It aims to guarantee a 100% completion rate within the designated timeframe, with proactive notifications about program progress and timely resolution of any issues that arise during implementation.

The process flow in Rakuten Site Manager involves identifying all of the required tasks and grouping them into one or multiple work orders. In the software, a combination of tasks defines a milestone which has a set start and end date. However, milestone deadlines are often missed due to various factors such as vendor delays, contractor issues, or adverse weather conditions.  

By training on the data collected from daily operations, the process mining model can determine which task or milestone deadlines are likely to be missed and by how much.

This information can be combined with other data to generate a summarized insight for the end user, including:

Task completion rate per milestones.  
Number of milestones achieved on schedule.  
What is the task and milestone cycle time and the variance of these times.
Potential mitigation actions; for example, auto re-assign a purchase order to another vendor.
Input queries for real-time updates on tasks and milestones.
Dashboard with visual representation of certain key performance indicators (KPIs).

The output from process mining predictions is stored in a central online analytical processing (OLAP) database and can be utilized for ongoing training by the Rakuten AI for Telecom Assistance knowledge base. This will support any inquiries received from Rakuten Site Manager end users.

Process Mining benefits

The Process Mining feature provides a number of benefits to mobile operators who are looking to streamline their site lifecycle management.

Ensure milestones are completed on time by achieving a 100% completion rate within the designated timeframe.
Set up proactive notifications to monitor the program's progress and promptly address any arising issues during its implementation.
Provide a clear visualization of the program's status, assisting Rakuten Site Manager users in understanding the expected timeline for task completion.
Aid in forecasting potential delays in meeting milestones and identifying which vendors might cause these delays.

https://symphony.rakuten.com/blog/...25-ai-initiatives-process-mining

 

Oct 21, 2024 10:50pm PT

Rakuten TV Unveils Enterprise Services to Help Rightsholders Set Up Streaming Apps, FAST Channels

By Jamie Lang
Rakuten TV, a leader in European streaming and FAST channels, will unveil its new business line, Rakuten TV Enterprise Services, from Mipcom today.

Enterprise Services will offer content owners and distributors access to Rakuten TV’s cloud-based suite of tools as well as the company’s market knowledge to help launch and monetize FAST channels and video apps on devices and platforms worldwide, featuring monetization models such as AVOD and TVOD for all major operating systems including Tizen, webOS, Android, iOS, Fire, ROKU and more.

https://variety.com/2024/global/global/...services-mipcom-1236185303/

 

Rakuten Group’s Q2 filing shows its mobile operating loss shrank by 26% to 61 billion Japanese yen (US$410 million) and revenue improved by 19% to JPY95 billion ($646 million). The company says its just-announced ten-year sale and leaseback deal, worth as much as $2 billion, will ensure the mobile unit has enough funds for its immediate needs.

CEO Hiroshi Mikitani told an earnings call Friday that a "significant improvement" in free cashflow and a big drop in capex starting from this year would also enable the business to self-finance. Cashflow from Rakuten's flourishing ecommerce and fintech businesses would also be deployed to reduce debt, he said.

Mikitani suggested the decline in yields for Rakuten bonds showed the market has been "reacting positively" to the mobile unit's stronger numbers.

https://www.lightreading.com/finance/...-after-network-leaseback-deal
 

 

October 08, 2024

Go further with unique formats from Rakuten Advertising’s Creative Ads solution
 

Rakuten Advertising launches "Partnership Discovery" with new AI brand search function in APAC

September 12, 2024

Singapore – Rakuten Advertising, an affiliate marketing network, has launched Partnership Discovery, a tool that helps advertisers find publisher partners, in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), the tool has a new brand search functionality that enhances its services.
Partnership Discovery’s expansion in the APAC region provides advertisers with access to its features, empowering advertisers in the market to find partners effectively.

The AI-powered search function applies network performance data to reveal publishers and the history of brands they have sold. It unveils publisher audiences which can help advertisers find partners for their operations.

Partnership Discovery allows advertisers to accurately categorise products, analyse annual sales and performance of publishers, and find alternative search terms and categories to optimise audience reach.

Before expanding to APAC, Partnership Discovery was available in the United States and United Kingdom.

https://marketech-apac.com/...h-new-ai-brand-search-function-in-apac/
 

Rakuten Group's ad business revenue FY 2020-2023

Published by C. Diep, Jul 17, 2024

In the fiscal year 2023, Rakuten Group generated over 206 billion Japanese yen (about $ 1.5 billion) in revenue through its advertising business. Rakuten Group is a Japanese tech conglomerate headquartered in Tokyo. The company operates the e-commerce platform Rakuten Ichiba.

2020: 129.44 billion Japanese yen in revenue
2021: 157.92 billion Japanese yen in revenue
2022: 182.97 billion Japanese yen in revenue
2023: 206.54 billion Japanese yen in revenue

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1369442/...p-advertising-revenue/
 

Rakuten Advertising boosts TASCHEN’s Amazon ROAS 28% in one month with Kenshoo Skai’s budget optimization tools

https://skai.io/case-studies/rakuten-advertising-taschen/
 

Rakuten Viber reveals new superapp features for  trusted brand-user communication in Hungary

Viber for Business

October 1, 2024

Rakuten Viber, the leading global communications platform that securely connects hundreds of millions of users with thousands of brands worldwide, presented new features of the app, enabling efficient and trusted interactions between Hungarian businesses and consumers.

At an event held in Budapest, Rakuten Viber looked at how trust impacts reputation and revenue for businesses. This is particularly important for the diverse business community in Hungary where the rules of communication are changing, with users relying on fewer mobile apps but are also expecting personalised offers while their privacy is upheld.

Expanding features for businesses

To address this changing landscape, Rakuten Viber is a superapp that matches expectations of Hungarian consumers with moderated public channels, manually verified official business accounts and high-level encryption and processes that are certified and compliant with international and local data privacy laws.

The company enables businesses to reach their customers safely and efficiently through dedicated Viber for Business solutions, which are gaining more interest among Hungarian brands. In a year, average monthly impressions for Viber Ads grew by 15% as brands enhance their visibility and attract new users. The number of business messages, used to build 1-to-1 communication, increased by 19%. Among these, promotional notifications like special offers grew by 27%, conversational messages used for around-sales support grew by 88%, and transactional messages, such as order confirmations and important information like account balances, grew by 47%, reflecting greater trust from brands.

The app is expanding its suite for businesses, helping them further build brand awareness, customer engagement and trust. Amongst the updates are click-to-message solutions for simple conversions and branded Viber Gems - animations that appear in response to keywords in user chats, which businesses in Hungary can now brand for special occasions.

Rakuten Viber also launched Secure Rich Business Messaging solutions for one-to-one communication with customers, which provide a high level of safety for user and transaction verification. In addition, Viber now offers Business Calls in Hungary, which serve as an ‘in-app business call center’ customers can reach from anywhere, for free. This feature has been developed to cater for the 91% of consumers who prefer brands that offer them the option to call or message.

Peace of mind for users and brands

While these features enable businesses to optimise customer experience, trust is often eroded by identity theft and cyberattacks. Hungary has the fourth highest exposure rate to cybercrime in Central and Eastern Europe, according to a report from 2022. With Hungary also lagging behind other European countries in terms of cyber awareness, businesses in the country are particularly vulnerable to cybercrime.

To support them, Rakuten Viber is built with security at its core. Rated among the top three messaging and calling apps for security by the European consumer organization Stiftung Warentest, Rakuten Viber uses encryption in transit for brand-user communication. The app also offers end-to-end encryption for its core private and group chats as well as private calls. Private messages are never stored on Viber’s servers, and connections are secure and HTTPS-only. These high security standards give Hungarian users and brands a unique opportunity to communicate with each other in a safe space.

“Hungary has been one of our key markets for many years, and we are excited to expand our offering in the country”, said Noa Bar Shay, Senior Director, Partnerships & Sales at Rakuten Viber. “Businesses are under a lot of pressure to build, retain and grow a loyal customer base. With budget restraints, an easy-to-use and cost-efficient platform is crucial for them to communicate safely with their customers. We will give them a boost with safe and efficient tools that help them increase customer satisfaction and retention.”

The new features form part of Rakuten Viber’s superapp strategy in Hungary to build a trusted ecosystem for businesses of all sizes, from MSMEs to large corporations with international operations.

https://www.forbusiness.viber.com/ru/blog/post/...ication-in-hungary/

 

Tarifica Names Rakuten Mobile's "Saikyo Plan" as Consumer Value Plan of the Month for October 2024
Oct 24, 2024, 10:30 ET

Tarifica has named Rakuten Mobile's "Saikyo Plan" as the Consumer Value Plan of the Month for October 2024, recognizing its simplicity, automatic pricing based on usage, and highly competitive rates as key factors in delivering exceptional value to mobile users in Japan.

NEW YORK, Oct. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Tarifica, a global leader in telecom pricing intelligence, is pleased to announce Rakuten Mobile's "Saikyo Plan" as the Consumer Value Plan of the Month for October. Identified using Tarifica's proprietary Telecom Pricing Intelligence Platform (TPIP), the "Saikyo Plan" offers unmatched simplicity and value for mobile users in Japan, combining automatic pricing adjustments with highly competitive rates.

Unlike other mobile plans that require consumers to choose between numerous options, Rakuten Mobile offers a single, streamlined plan with three usage tiers – 3GB, 20GB, and Unlimited. The monthly fee is automatically calculated based on actual usage, providing an effortless experience for users.

Consumers can also save an additional 110 JPY with a family subscription.

"Rakuten Mobile's 'Saikyo Plan' sets itself apart not only by being the cheapest available MNO option in Japan, but also by offering a level of simplicity unmatched by any other operator," said Soichi Nakajima, Vice President of Data & Analysis at Tarifica. "With a single plan and automatic pricing based on usage, it's a game-changer for consumers who want value without complexity."

https://www.prweb.com/releases/...nth-for-october-2024-302285591.html

 

Teads Announces Exclusive Partnership with Rakuten Advertising for Premium Video Ads Across 15 CEE Markets

[CEE] – [27 September 2024] Teads, the premium omnichannel platform and pioneer in digital video advertising, is excited to announce an exclusive partnership with Rakuten Advertising, a leading global performance marketing company. From August 1, 2024, through July 31, 2025, Teads has become the exclusive seller of Rakuten Advertising’s premium video ad inventory across 15 Central and Eastern European (CEE) markets*.

This partnership allows Teads to offer full-screen, non-skippable, sound-on video ads, up to 30 seconds in duration, within Rakuten Advertising’s premium inventory, available on Rakuten TV’s FAST & AVOD platform. These ads will be available on Connected TV (CTV) in-stream or CTV standard formats, ensuring almost 100% viewability and completion rates. The collaboration covers the following markets: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia.

Rakuten TV: One of the leading AVOD/FAST streaming services in Europe
Rakuten TV holds the distinction of being the first on-demand platform in Europe that combines transactional video-on-demand (TVoD), ad-supported video-on-demand (AVoD), and free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) services across all of Europe, in 43 countries. It offers viewers more than 10,000 AVoD titles and a FAST lineup of over 500 unique channels, including 100 owned and operated by Rakuten TV, spanning genres such as news, sports, kids, series, entertainment, music, and Hollywood and European movies.

https://www.teads.com/exclusive-partnership-rakuten-cee/
 

October 18, 2024

Rakuten Securities bringt Robo-Advisor "Easy Savings Diagnosis" auf den Markt!
- Diagnostizieren Sie die Informationen über die Investmentfondsreserven, die Sie derzeit haben, und schlagen Sie zusätzliche Aktien vor, die Sie einem besseren Portfolio näher bringen

https://www.rakuten-sec.co.jp/web/company/...se/pdf/press20241018.pdf


 

In 26 Tagen seit dem Verkaufsstart des "Rakuten High Dividend Stocks U.S. Fund (Quarterly Settlement Type)" hat der Saldo 30 Milliarden Yen erreicht!

https://www.rakuten-sec.co.jp/web/company/...se/pdf/press20241023.pdf
 

Das Platinband ist ein Mobilfunksignal, das resistent gegen Hindernisse ist und einen weiten Bereich erreicht. Das Platinband im Funkwellenband, das Mobilfunkunternehmen bereitstellen können, erleichtert die Verbindung mit Smartphones erheblich.

Rakuten Mobile hat das Platinband am 23. Oktober 2023 erworben. Die Nachricht von dieser Zuteilung ist zu einem großen Thema geworden, und das Platinband zieht wieder Aufmerksamkeit auf sich.

Das Platinum Band von Rakuten Mobile hat am 27. Juni 2024 den kommerziellen Betrieb aufgenommen.

https://network.mobile.rakuten.co.jp/sumakatsu/...e_1021_mobile_00152