It will be a lifeline of Rakuten or "Symphony", the power of communication infrastructure export

　Rakuten Group (Rakuten, hereinafter referred to as a huge deficit) is a burden of capital investment in the mobile phone business.The possibility of such a lifeline of Rakuten is the export business of virtualization communication technology introduced by the company.With expectations for opening and virtualization, Rakuten has quickly built a complete virtualization network, including base stations, and has attracted much attention from world telecommunications providers.In August 2021, he signed a large contract to provide virtualization communication technology to German emerging telecommunications carriers.Can the communication infrastructure export business save Rakuten?

既に数千億円規模を受注、楽天シンフォニー事業

　"Currently, billions of dollars (about 1,000 billion yen) have already signed a contract with customers. There are about 130 pipelines, including expected customers.is"--.

　This is said to Rabih Dabboussi, a CRO (CHIEF RENUE OFFICER) in Rakuten Symphony (Rakuten Symphony).Rakuten Symphony started in August 2001 as an organization in charge of the communication infrastructure export project.Mr. Dabousi, who is responsible for the important mission of expanding profits, has joined the Rakuten Group in 20 years after Cisco Systems (Cisco Systems).

　Rakuten Symphony has further expanded software and systems for complete virtualization networks that have been platformed under the name "RCP (Rakuten Communications Platform)", and also platform the finance and media bases of Rakuten businesses.It is a business organization.

　Rakuten, built by Rakuten, escapes from the enclosure by specific vendors, including architecture based on Open Ran (wireless access network), a virtualization base station that can be built on a general -purpose server (VRAN), and a core network.Software and operation management systems (OSS / BSS) are also sold to world telecommunications operators through Rakuten Symphony.

　Rakuten Mobile, which is acquired by Rakuten Mobile, the USSS, and Altiostar Networks (Ultio Star Networks), which handles the software of the virtualization base bureau that the Rakuten Group has announced the conversion of a wholly owned subsidiary, is also the Rakuten Symphony business.Place under the distribution.

　"The engineers and R & D functions that have been developing networks in Japan are also incorporated into the Rakuten Symphony Project, and at the moment it is about 2,500 people. The end of 22 years to accelerate the development of various functions in the future.It is expected to be an organization of 3500 to 4,000 people. "

1＆1が楽天を選んだ理由「コストの完全な透明性を確保できた」

　The first major contract for Rakuten Symphony was a communication infrastructure from the German emerging telecommunications carrier 1 & 1, which was announced in August 2001.It is almost the same as Rakuten Mobile introduced in Japan, almost the same form, and will be deployed in Germany.Rakuten Symphony is undertaken from the design of the communication network to the operation at once.

　1 & 1 said that in Germany, it has been developing services as MVNOs (virtual mobile telecommunications carriers) and have about 10 million customers.However, for future growth, it was judged that it was best to build a network himself, and decided to enter as a mobile phone operator.1 & 1 is very similar to Rakuten, including the history of entry.

　According to Dabuci, 1 & 1 initially negotiated with major vendors such as Nokia and Cisco in Finland for more than two years.Rakuten started negotiating 1 & 1 for the first time in October 2007.In August 2011, 10 months later, he decided to receive an order.

　"We aimed to build a network, which is the most innovative and the shortest time to launch the market in Germany. The cost incurred in network construction has been fully transparent."Michael Martin, a CEO of DRILLISCH NETZ, a 1 & 1 affiliated company, at Rakuten Optimism 2021 at its own event held by Rakuten in mid -October 2001.He said why he chose Rakuten as his partner.

　Rakuten has been unpublished by orders, but according to the officials, it seems to be a huge amount of $ 2.5 billion (about 280 billion yen) in a total of multiple years.

　Rakuten has decided to receive orders from 1 & 1.U.S. research firm Dell'oro Group (Deloro Group) predicted that Open Ran's sales would account for 10 % of the entire RAN by September 2005.