Mavenir Powers Japan's Emergency Roaming System with Rakuten Mobile
Event summary
- Mavenir's Converged Packet Core is now live within Rakuten Mobile’s nationwide network, deployed on Rakuten Cloud Platform.
- The deployment supports 'JAPAN Roaming,' a new nationwide emergency roaming service launched April 1, 2026, by major Japanese carriers.
- JAPAN Roaming provides 4G LTE voice, SMS, and data services, including an emergency-calls-only mode.
- Mavenir and Rakuten Mobile have a history of collaboration, including previous deployments of Mavenir's voice and messaging capabilities.
The big picture
This deployment underscores the growing importance of cloud-native network infrastructure for disaster recovery and national resilience. The partnership highlights Rakuten Mobile's commitment to a fully virtualized network architecture, a strategy that allows for rapid service deployment and scalability. The emergence of nationwide emergency roaming services signals a potential shift in how mobile networks are utilized beyond standard consumer services, potentially opening new revenue streams for operators and vendors alike.
What we're watching
- Regulatory Scrutiny
- Increased reliance on cross-carrier roaming for emergency services may draw regulatory attention regarding data security and equitable access.
- Market Adoption
- The success of JAPAN Roaming will depend on user adoption and the willingness of other carriers to participate, potentially impacting Rakuten Mobile's market share.
- Expansion Risk
- Mavenir’s reliance on Rakuten Mobile for this specific use case highlights a concentration risk; future growth will depend on expanding this architecture to other operators and geographies.
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