Japan, an island nation in East Asia, has a population of approximately 125 million people, primarily concentrated in urban areas along the coastlines, with Tokyo being the most populated city. The nation's mountainous terrain, which covers around 70% of the country, poses challenges to infrastructure development and telecommunications coverage. Nonetheless, Japan is renowned for its advanced technology and infrastructure, with remarkable solutions such as the Shinkansen bullet train, earthquake-resistant buildings and comprehensive telecommunications networks. Japan's telecommunications sector is highly mature, boasting the third largest market in the world and pioneering developments in 5G technology. Regarding renewable energy, Japan has been investing heavily in solar power since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, and is a global leader in offshore wind energy technology. Despite this, the country still largely depends on nonrenewable resources, inferring that the renewable energy sector is still developing. Japan's technological sector, however, is highly mature, hosting global tech giants like Sony and Toyota, and excelling in robotics, electronics and automobile manufacturing.
5G in Japan
In April 2019 the national regulator Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) assigned spectrum in the 3.7 GHz, 4.5 GHz, and 28 GHz bands to the country's four mobile network operators. Spectrum has been assigned as follows:
- NTT Docomo: 3600 to 3700 MHz, 4500 to 4600 MHz, and 27.4 to 27.8 GHz (totalling 600 MHz)
- KDDI: 3700 to 3800 MHz, 4000 to 4100 MHz and 27.8 to 28.2 GHz (totalling 600 MHz)
- Softbank: 3900 to 4000 MHz and 29.1 to 29.5 GHz (totalling 500 MHz)
- Rakuten: 3800 to 3900 GHz and 27.0 to 27.4 GHz (totalling 500 MHz)
Mobile Network Operators
The are 4 companies operating mobile networks in this region.
Rakuten Group, Inc. is a technology conglomerate based in Tokyo, Japan, established by Hiroshi Mikitani in 1997. The company was originally founded as MDM, Inc. and later renamed to Rakuten in June 1999. Rakuten's operations are centred around the online retail marketplace, Rakuten Ichiba, and its businesses span across various sectors including financial services, digital content, and telecommunications. Rakuten Mobile, the company's telecommunications arm, is the fourth-most used mobile carrier in Japan.
The company went public through an IPO on the JASDAQ market on April 19, 2000. Rakuten's...
