Mavenir, the software company building AI-by-design mobile networks, today announced that its Converged Packet Core is now live in Rakuten Mobile’s nationwide mobile network, deployed on Rakuten Cloud Platform. This deployment plays a key role in enabling Rakuten Mobile to provide multi-carrier roaming through ‘JAPAN Roaming,’ a new nationwide emergency roaming service in Japan launched by Japan’s leading mobile carriers on April 1, 2026.
Mavenir’s cloud-native packet core provides the scalable, resilient data foundation required for Rakuten Mobile to support cross-carrier access under emergency conditions, demonstrating how cloud-based core networks can strengthen national communications infrastructure and support service continuity at scale.
JAPAN Roaming enables users to temporarily connect to another domestic carrier’s 4G LTE network if their primary service is disrupted by a large-scale disaster or major outage. The service supports 4G LTE Voice, SMS and data services, with an emergency-calls-only mode helping to ensure continued access to Japan’s emergency services.
Ryo Watanabe, General Manager of the Core Network Department at Rakuten Mobile said, “Mobile connectivity becomes critical when normal life is disrupted. Mavenir’s cloud-native packet core plays an important part in Rakuten Mobile’s role in JAPAN Roaming, enabling flexible and reliable connectivity when it’s needed most. This is an example of how state-of-the-art network architecture can support society in even the most testing of circumstances.”
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Michael Cooper, EVP & General Manager, Packet Core, Security & Messaging at Mavenir, said, “National communications infrastructure must perform under the most demanding conditions. This deployment shows how a cloud-native packet core can support resilient, large-scale connectivity when networks are under extreme stress. Mavenir is proud to support Rakuten Mobile in providing public safety and service continuity by contributing technology designed for real-world challenges.”
Mavenir’s cloud-native core portfolio supports voice, data, messaging, and fraud protection and security, and is designed to scale with operators’ evolving service and resilience requirements. This approach to software-based architecture gives mobile operators the flexibility to introduce new services faster, automate more of their operations, and respond more effectively when network conditions change.
Mavenir has a long-standing relationship with Rakuten Mobile, supporting service innovation in its fully virtualized, cloud-native mobile network. Earlier collaborations include the deployment of Mavenir’s cloud-native voice and messaging capabilities for Rakuten Link, demonstrating how Rakuten Mobile has used modern software architecture to launch and scale new services quickly.
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