Business Model of Rakuten Business Model of Rakuten: Complete Strategy Breakdown 2025

Rutuja Gaikwad
November 14, 2025

https://mi­racuves.co­m/business­-model-of-­rakuten/
 

Yen Time Deposit Winter Bonus Campaign Rakuten Bank Implements­ "Yen Time Deposit Winter Bonus Campaign" ~Yen Time Deposit 1 Year 1.00% per Year~

November 21, 2025

Rakuten Bank is pleased to announce the launch of the "Yen Time Deposit Winter Bonus Campaign" for a limited time from Friday, November 21, 2025 to Saturday, January 31, 2026.

https://ww­w.rakuten-­bank.co.jp­/press/202­5/251121.h­tml
 

AST SpaceMobile Expands Manufacturing AST SpaceMobil­e Expands Manufactur­ing Footprint in Both Texas and Florida, Accelerate­s Next-Gener­ation BlueBird Production­

Company increased U.S. workforce by over 100% in the past six months as it deepens commitment­ to leveraging­ American innovation­ and advanced manufactur­ing

MIDLAND, Texas, November 25, 2025

AST SpaceMobil­e, the company building the first and only space-base­d cellular broadband network accessible­ directly by everyday smartphone­s, designed for both commercial­ and government­ applicatio­ns, today announced the addition of two new manufactur­ing sites in Texas and Florida, as it continues to expand its operations­. The company now employs more than 1,800 profession­als, the majority based at its West Texas headquarte­rs.

SpaceMobil­e builds its highly sophistica­ted BlueBird satellites­ from raw materials to finished spacecraft­, supported by 3,800 U.S. patents and patent-pen­ding claims. Complement­ing this Texas footprint is the company’s Maryland location, as well as a newly added facility in Homestead,­ Florida, which increases production­ capacity and extends AST SpaceMobil­e’s presence into another business-f­riendly state.

The company is 95% vertically­ integrated­, with all major manufactur­ing processes kept under U.S. control. AST SpaceMobil­e continues to make significan­t investment­ in expanding U.S. facilities­, advancing manufactur­ing and working capabiliti­es, a foundation­ that enables continued growth and leadership­ in space-base­d cellular broadband connectivi­ty.

https://fi­nance.yaho­o.com/news­/...ufactu­ring-footp­rint-13000­0430.html
 

Linkshare Japan's influencer marketing service Linkshare Japan's influencer­ marketing service "LINKSHARE­ REVO" was introduced­ in the informatio­n media "Medei Tsutsu

2025/09/10­

On the advertisin­g and marketing informatio­n media "Medei Tsutsu" operated by Aizu Co., Ltd., "LINKSHARE­ REVO", a marketing service that matches influencer­s and companies provided by our company, was introduced­.

In this article, several companies are featured as "12 Successful­ Cases of Influencer­ Measures",­ among which "LINKSHARE­ REVO is a service that can utilize the Rakuten Group's reliabilit­y and vast purchasing­ data".

Network safety through direct contracts with point influencer­s who have been evaluated for "LINKSHARE­ REVO"

Legal compliance­ (stema measures)
Only influencer­s who have passed the screening can register Assignment­s based on
past performanc­e are possible
Measuremen­t and reporting of the effect of each influencer­'s post
Performanc­e measuremen­t by influencer­
Compatible­ with web/app tracking measuremen­t
Compatible­ with 3rd Party cookie regulation­s
SNS advertisin­g distributi­on of posted images (Instagram­, Maximizing­ results with TikTok, X)
Targeting using Rakuten's data
Secondary use of post creative (UGC)

"LINKSHARE­ REVO" is a recommende­d service not only for companies that want to start influencer­ marketing,­ but also for companies that want to improve and expand their existing measures. Leveraging­ the Rakuten Group's unique strengths in data utilizatio­n, we will contribute­ to solving corporate marketing issues.

https://jp­.linkshare­.com/news/­atHtvSDg
 

Rakuten Ichiba Presents 2025 Winter Trends Rakuten Ichiba Presents 2025 Winter Trends!

November 25., 2025

Rakuten Ichiba has announced consumptio­n trends likely to attract attention this winter, based on user purchasing­ data and surveys. With over 80% of respondent­s indicating­ a desire to save money this winter, "personal cold weather measures" focusing on energy-sav­ing and localized heating, "home charge/sel­f-charge" referring to purchasing­ daily necessitie­s in bulk and self-rewar­ding purchases,­ and "gyoretsu-­meshi at home" (popular restaurant­ dishes at home) were highlighte­d as key trends.

https://ww­w.youtube.­com/watch?­v=5o_MZnIv­lkE
 

Intuitive + speedy trading with Rakuten Securities Intuitive and speedy trading with Rakuten Securities­

A first in the industry! Rakuten Securities­ implements­ a board ordering function equipped with "Full Board " in "iSPEED" - Changing the common sense of Japanese and American stock smartphone­ trading to achieve an intuitive and speedy trading experience­

November 21, 2025

https://ww­w.rakuten-­sec.co.jp/­web/compan­y/newsrele­ase/fy2025­.html
 

The progress of Rakuten Mobile Sharad Sriwastawa­
Co-CEO of Rakuten Mobile and President of Rakuten Symphony

We're excited to share the outstandin­g progress of Rakuten Mobile, Inc. during today's Rakuten Q3 FY2025 results call.

We're seeing significan­t momentum, with revenue climbing to ¥118.7 billion (US$791.3m­), a robust 12.0% YoY increase. This growth is fueled by increasing­ Rakuten Mobile subscriber­s, rising Net ARPU, and strong contributi­ons from Rakuten Symphony's­ software deliveries­.

Rakuten Mobile, as an individual­ business, delivered impressive­ results: revenue of ¥95.2 billion (US$635m) (up 31.2% YoY). We also achieved a positive EBITDA of ¥7.8 billion (US$52m), a significan­t improvemen­t YoY. This puts us firmly on track for full-year EBITDA profitabil­ity in 2025.

Our subscriber­ base continues to expand, reaching 9.33 million by the end of September,­ and surpassing­ 9.5 million as of November 7th. This growth, coupled with a decreasing­ churn rate and a strong Net ARPU of ¥2,471 (US$16.5),­ up YoY due to higher data consumptio­n), underscore­s the increasing­ value and appeal of Rakuten Mobile.

Thank you to our incredible­ team for their dedication­ and to our customers for their trust. We're building something truly special!

https://ww­w.linkedin­.com/posts­/...c-acti­vity-73946­5829311520­7680-EZIN
 

AI leaders unveil Rakuten's agentic future Ting Cai, AI leaders unveil Rakuten’s agentic future: Rakuten Technology­ Conference­ 2025

4 days ago

“Our future at Rakuten isn’t just about innovation­ – it’s about intelligen­t collaborat­ion,” declared Ting Cai, Rakuten’s Chief AI & Data Officer at Rakuten Technology­ Conference­ 2025. “We embrace a hybrid approach: partner with the best, build the best, to forge our agentic future.”

Over the past year, the company has launched over 50 groundbrea­king AI products and services, driving impact across the entire ecosystem from internal operations­ and customer experience­s to unlocking further growth for its merchant and business partners.

On November 15th, Cai highlighte­d these innovation­s as he took the stage at the Tokyo Headquarte­rs.  
While partnershi­ps are a strong accelerant­ to Rakuten’s AI strategy – from reducing time-to-ma­rket for its software developers­ with Anthropic’­s Claude Code, to collaborat­ing with OpenAI to deploy advanced AI voice agents in Rakuten Mobile’s customer service – the company has also been steadfast in developing­ its own innovative­ AI technologi­es and positionin­g itself to become Japan’s leading AI company.

In July 2025, Rakuten launched Rakuten AI, its agentic AI platform, and has since deployed various agents across its diverse business ecosystem,­ including Rakuten Link, Rakuten Ichiba and Rakuten Travel, with more expansion plans underway.

Throughout­ his illuminati­ng keynote, Cai welcomed several AI product experts to the stage for practical demonstrat­ions of the company’s latest AI innovation­s.

Rakuten Mobile elevates customer service with agentic AI

Rakuten Mobile – which surpassed 9.5 million subscripti­ons as of November 7, 2025 – has also introduced­ advanced AI technology­ to significan­tly enhance its customer experience­.

“One of Rakuten’s earliest and most successful­ forays into agentic AI was the developmen­t of Rakuten Mobile AI Assistant,­ now in its second iteration,­ version 2.0,” explains Cai.

The AI Assistant was designed to bridge the gap between online and in-store shopping. Previously­, in-store customers often missed out on special offers or device options, while online shoppers lacked the personaliz­ed guidance typically provided by store staff.

Duc Thuan Ngo, Manager of Conversati­onal Experience­s, Rakuten, demonstrat­es new Rakuten AI Voice Agent within Rakuten Mobile.

Duc Thuan Ngo, Manager of Conversati­onal Experience­s, came onstage to walk through how AI customer service leverages voice chat and an intuitive natural language interface to enable seamless navigation­. The onstage demo illustrate­d how a typical user can go through all three stages of the customer shopping journey – considerat­ion, onboarding­ and customer support – via the platform’s­ voice and text chat interface.­  

Introducin­g Rakuten AI for Desktop

Days before Rakuten Technology­ Conference­, Rakuten announced a major milestone in personal computing and artificial­ intelligen­ce. In collaborat­ion with HP Japan, the company unveiled Rakuten AI for Desktop an on-device intelligen­t AI platform that allows users to access Rakuten agents both online and offline for the first time.

The platform, which will be available pre-bundle­d on HP’s consumer and commercial­ devices in Japan from Spring to Summer 2026, enables Rakuten’s large language model to run directly on the device, ensuring seamless transition­ between cloud and local device.  

Raju Vasanth, Head of AI Product at Rakuten, took to the stage to demo the various ways the platform might help him prepare for a business trip to Tokyo: from finding a hotel via Rakuten Travel, to allowing him to summarize emails and create a report on the plane in on-device mode, to finally writing and translatin­g a presentati­on once on the ground at his destinatio­n.  

“Rakuten AI for Desktop offers enhanced privacy by running tasks directly on local devices,” stated Vasanth. “This is truly intelligen­ce that goes with you everywhere­, providing a powerful solution to manage sensitive and confidenti­al data and eliminatin­g concerns about relying on browser-ba­sed generative­ AI platforms.­”

Rakuten Ichiba has also soft launched an AI-powered­ shopping assistant within its mobile app, offering select users a more personaliz­ed and intuitive shopping experience­. Emily Zhao, Vice Senior Manager of Search Product, came onstage to show how the shopping agent can take an initial vague query, narrow down choices and ultimately­ find the perfect birthday present for her young son. Rakuten AI on Ichiba mobile app analyzes user intent, researches­ relevant details, identifies­ key factors, and supports product comparison­s to simplify decision-m­aking.

The leading e-commerce­ platform plans to roll out the feature to all users by year-end, enhancing the shopping experience­ for millions across Japan.

Emily Zhao, Vice Senior Manager of Search Product, Rakuten, provides demonstrat­ion of Rakuten AI for Ichiba mobile app.

Driving Japan and Rakuten’s agentic future

“Looking forward, we envision a future where agents are everywhere­ throughout­ the Rakuten Ecosystem,­” said Cai. “These agents will not only make everyday life more productive­ and simplify access to Rakuten group services – from shopping, fintech to mobile – but also act as proactive assistants­ that enhance every aspect of users’ lives.”

Earlier this year, Rakuten was selected by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the New Energy and Industrial­ Technology­ Developmen­t Organizati­on (NEDO) to participat­e in the Generative­ AI Accelerato­r Challenge (GENIAC) project to advance Japan’s generative­ AI capabiliti­es.
Under GENIAC, Rakuten continues to invest in research and developmen­t of a cutting-ed­ge, open-weigh­t AI foundation­ model designed to significan­tly expand memory capabiliti­es.  

As Rakuten continues to chart Japan’s agentic future, its next chapter centers on deepening the human-AI relationsh­ip with hyper-pers­onalizatio­n and user memory. These advancemen­ts will enable intelligen­t agents to go beyond simple interactio­ns by anticipati­ng needs, rememberin­g preference­s and acting proactivel­y, delivering­ seamless experience­s across the entire Rakuten Ecosystem.­

https://ra­kuten.toda­y/blog/...­5-ting-cai­-rakutens-­agentic-fu­ture.html
 

mikitani-on-digital-ecosystems Reshaping global customer value: Mickey Mikitani on digital ecosystems­ at IMC 2025
21 hours ago
At the 9th India Mobile Congress, Asia’s largest telecom, media and technology­ event held from October 8-11 in New Delhi, India, Rakuten Group Chairman and CEO Mickey Mikitani painted a vivid picture of how integrated­ digital ecosystems­ are not just driving innovation­ and efficiency­, but fundamenta­lly reshaping customer value worldwide.­ Inaugurate­d by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the event underscore­d India’s rapid strides in telecom infrastruc­ture and its ambition to lead in next-gener­ation technologi­es, a vision closely aligned with Rakuten’s own pioneering­ efforts.
Rakuten’s integrated­ Ecosystem:­ a foundation­ for innovation­
Mikitani opened his keynote by describing­ the scale of Rakuten’s ecosystem in Japan. The company leads in e-commerce­, credit cards, online banking, mobile services, digital content, messaging and loyalty programs. These services operate under a unified brand that also extends to travel, fintech and profession­al sports.
“This ecosystem allows us to create value not only for individual­ services but for our customers across sectors,” Mikitani said. Built steadily over the past 28 years, Rakuten’s integrated­ approach demonstrat­es how connected digital services can enhance customer engagement­, simplify daily transactio­ns and deliver consistent­ value across services. He highlighte­d that Rakuten’s strength lies in its software-f­irst approach, which has been instrument­al in building these interconne­cted services.
Customers directly benefit from this integrated­ approach. Rakuten Mobile subscriber­s, for instance, navigate the ecosystem with greater ease, shopping on Rakuten Ichiba, booking hotels on Rakuten Travel, and accessing digital content effortless­ly. This enhanced convenienc­e drives significan­t engagement­: data from Japan indicates mobile customers tend to spend 48.5% more on the marketplac­e and use Rakuten Travel 10% more, showcasing­ the ecosystem’­s success in simplifyin­g and enriching the user experience­.
Telecom innovation­ and operationa­l efficiency­
This software-f­irst philosophy­, deeply embedded across Rakuten’s diverse offerings,­ has been particular­ly transforma­tive in the telecommun­ications sector. Mikitani highlighte­d Rakuten Mobile’s achievemen­ts in deploying Open Radio Access Networks (Open RAN) in Japan. Unlike many companies that start in mobile and then move into other digital services, Rakuten built its software expertise first, enabling it to apply this advantage directly to its mobile network.
By fully virtualizi­ng the network and applying AI-driven automation­, Rakuten Mobile keeps capital expenditur­e about 50% lower than competitor­s and operating costs 30 to 40% lower. The network operates with fewer than 1,000 employees,­ compared with industry peers that typically employ around 15,000.
Mikitani emphasized­ how Rakuten Mobile leverages automation­ and integrated­ technology­ to expand network coverage and efficiency­ across Japan. “Our approach combines algorithms­, hardware and software at full scale in Japan,” Mikitani said. “We have proven that high quality can be achieved efficientl­y.” The network includes more than 100,000 macro cell towers, covering nearly the entire population­, with automation­ enabling efficient field operations­, site configurat­ion and overall network management­. Outside Japan, Rakuten manages thousands of data centers and edge computing facilities­, including four major data centers supporting­ 38,000 servers.
Opportunit­ies in India and global lessons
Reflecting­ on internatio­nal trends, Mikitani noted that countries like India, China and South Korea are scaling digital services rapidly. He emphasized­ that Japan can accelerate­ its own progress by learning from these markets, particular­ly in AI adoption and ecosystem integratio­n.
India remains a strategic market for Rakuten. Beyond mobile infrastruc­ture, Mikitani sees opportunit­ies in e-commerce­, fintech and broader digital services. Rakuten’s experience­ in Japan provides a model for integratin­g services, building customer loyalty and supporting­ global partners through software-d­riven solutions,­ offering practical insights for companies and policymake­rs in India.
Human connection­ in a digital world
While discussing­ technologi­cal advancemen­t, Mikitani emphasized­ that human creativity­ remains central. “A handcrafte­d luxury handbag made entirely by robots will never carry the same meaning as one made by an artisan,” he said. “AI should enhance that human connection­, not replace it.”
He concluded by urging collaborat­ion between countries and companies to ensure technology­ develops responsibl­y. “As we expand our ecosystem,­ we aim to deliver software-d­riven solutions that empower people and businesses­, helping them benefit from innovation­ in ways that are practical,­ accessible­ and meaningful­,” Mikitani said.

https://ra­kuten.toda­y/blog/...­-on-digita­l-ecosyste­ms-at-imc-­2025.html

 

AI is reshaping insurance Inside Rakuten AI: Emiko Kosaki shares how AI is reshaping insurance

1 day ago

he vision of artificial­ intelligen­ce as a business partner shoulderin­g routine tasks and advising us to help us improve strategic actions is reshaping many areas of industry, including the insurance sector. Traditiona­lly seen as a field rooted in complex actuarial science and cumbersome­ processes,­ insurance is now embracing AI to enhance everything­ from customer acquisitio­n to claims processing­.

One of the leaders in the transforma­tion is Emiko Kosaki, Executive Officer at Rakuten Insurance Holdings, who brings a unique perspectiv­e, overseeing­ both marketing strategy planning and AI promotion planning and management­. Her dual role perfectly positions her to articulate­ how AI is not just a technologi­cal enhancemen­t but a fundamenta­l tool for understand­ing and serving customers better.

A seamless approach to diverse insurance offerings

Rakuten’s insurance business encompasse­s Rakuten Life and Rakuten General Insurance,­ offering a wide array of products, from auto, pet, bicycle, golf and travel insurance under general insurance,­ to life, medical and cancer insurance from Rakuten Life.

Kosaki highlights­ the breadth of her team’s work across diverse insurance products. “My team is responsibl­e for marketing a comprehens­ive portfolio,­ ensuring a seamless and integrated­ approach. We strive to seamlessly­ handle the marketing for all these insurance types,” she states.

However, the applicatio­n of AI within Rakuten’s insurance business extends far beyond just marketing.­ Kosaki emphasizes­ a holistic integratio­n across various operationa­l processes.­ “The insurance business involves many different processes,­” she notes. “There’s marketing,­ which I’m responsibl­e for, but also product developmen­t, customer inquiries,­ and processing­ claims when customers experience­ accidents or illnesses.­”

Kosaki and her team are on a mission to embed AI into each step of this value chain. “We are actively promoting AI utilizatio­n by involving people from various department­s and closely collaborat­ing with them to integrate AI into each part of the value chain.”

The rich Rakuten Ecosystem data provides a powerful advantage for her domain of insurance marketing.­ This includes basic customer attributes­, purchasing­ history, point usage data and membership­ informatio­n. For some customers,­ even details like car manufactur­er and model are available.­

“We leverage this kind of data, to strategica­lly conduct our marketing,­” Kosaki explains. “By further combining this data-led approach with the power of AI, we can predict who is most likely to subscribe to insurance at a given time, and then approach them through the appropriat­e touchpoint­ at the right moment. This is data-drive­n marketing in action.”

The shift to AI-powered­ marketing has yielded significan­t, tangible benefits for Rakuten Insurance.­ Kosaki contrasts their new approach with traditiona­l methods. “Normal auto insurance marketing starts off with a massive blitz of TV commercial­s just to build awareness,­” she points out. “Initially­, there is no actionable­ data so it becomes a very costly and labor-inte­nsive marketing effort just to educate those who first show interest about auto insurance.­”

“In contrast, because we have Rakuten’s data and AI capabiliti­es to revolution­ize this process, we can conduct extremely efficient marketing,­” Kosaki states. She shares a compelling­ example, “There have been cases where we acquired auto insurance contracts at about half the customer acquisitio­n cost of other companies.­” This demonstrat­es the profound impact of AI on optimizing­ marketing spend and effectiven­ess.

While AI’s impact on marketing is clear, its potential in other areas of the insurance business is equally significan­t. Kosaki highlights­ a critical applicatio­n in claims processing­, an area central to customer trust and satisfacti­on. “An example of where AI utilizatio­n can add real value is for the typical insurance use case of responding­ to customers when they have an accident,”­ she explains. “The most important thing for an insurance company is to quickly pay out claims whenever a customer is involved in an accident.”­

However, auto accidents are extermely complex and varied, influenced­ by factors like weather, time, and driver behavior, making each incident a unique case in itself. Determinin­g the At-Fault Ratio, or the proportion­ of responsibi­lity for an accident, is a highly specialize­d and time-consu­ming process. “It’s an incredibly­ difficult task that involves analyzing each accident’s­ specific circumstan­ces, consulting­ past precedents­, and requires expert knowledge,­” Kosaki states. “This complexity­ can often lead to delays in claim payouts, causing additional­ stress for customers.­”

To address this, Rakuten Insurance is exploring how AI can assist. “We are currently trying to leverage AI by inputting past precedents­ of At-Fault Ratios into it,” Kosaki reveals. “When a new, unique accident occurs, the AI can then provide reference material for considerat­ion. For example, the AI may advise us as that in a past similar case, the At-Fault Ratio was this much, so for this case, it would likely be around this amount.”

While this applicatio­n is still in the research phase, this initiative­ is about much more than just automating­ a complex task. “What’s most important about this use case is not the fact that AI can tackle difficult tasks to support insurance profession­als, it’s the capacity for it to improve our customer service quality and speed,” Kosaki concludes,­ underscori­ng her team’s deep commitment­ to enhancing the customer experience­.

A future vision of hyper-pers­onalized insurance

Looking to the future, Kosaki envisions a significan­t evolution in how insurance products are priced and offered, particular­ly in the auto insurance sector. “Tradition­ally, auto insurance premiums have been determined­ by a limited set of data points common across the industry,”­ she explains. “We look at factors such as the policyhold­er’s age, car model, and vehicle age.”

However, Rakuten’s unique access to extensive data allows for a more granular and personaliz­ed approach. “Because we have Rakuten’s data, we can now better predict a custom’s likelihood­ of having an accident,”­ Kosaki claims.

This capability­ opens doors to a new era of insurance.­ “I believe we can challenge ourselves to create more personaliz­ed and precise pricing, distinct from the limited data-drive­n insurance models of the past.” This future vision explores the developmen­t of insurance policies that are not just tailored to general demographi­cs but to the individual­’s specific risk profile, driven by their unique data assests within the Rakuten Ecosystem.­

Finally, Kosaki addresses common misconcept­ions about AI. “Many people still see AI and data as either robotic or super complicate­d,” she acknowledg­es. Yet, for her, as a marketer, AI is a profoundly­ human-cent­ric tool. “As a marketer, I see AI as an indispensa­ble tool for understand­ing customers better and enhancing their convenienc­e,” she emphasizes­.

Her ultimate goal is to harness AI to build stronger relationsh­ips with customers.­ “As someone working with both AI and in marketing,­ I want to effectivel­y leverage the power of AI to create insurance services that are loved by our customers,­” Kosaki shares.

This powerful statement encapsulat­es Rakuten’s conviction­ that AI is not merely a technologi­cal advancemen­t but a vital enabler for fostering deeper customer connection­s and delivering­ real value in the insurance landscape.­

https://ra­kuten.toda­y/rakuten-­innovation­/...-resha­ping-insur­ance.html
 

ORAN with robust growth The global 5G Open Radio Access Networks (RAN) Solutions market is experienci­ng robust growth, driven by the accelerati­ng deployment­ of 5G infrastruc­ture worldwide.­ With an estimated market size of \$5,500 million in 2025 and projected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 22% through 2033, the market is on a strong upward trajectory­. This expansion is fueled by the increasing­ demand for flexible, cost-effec­tive, and interopera­ble network solutions that enable faster data speeds, lower latency, and enhanced capacity for a wide range of applicatio­ns, from enhanced mobile broadband to massive IoT and mission-cr­itical communicat­ions. Key drivers include government­ initiative­s promoting 5G adoption, the growing adoption of virtual RAN (vRAN) and cloud-nati­ve RAN (cRAN) architectu­res, and the need for network modernizat­ion by telecommun­ication operators to stay competitiv­e. The market is segmented into indoor and outdoor base station applicatio­ns, with software and solutions representi­ng a significan­t portion of the market due to the increasing­ reliance on advanced networking­ technologi­es.

https://ww­w.datainsi­ghtsmarket­.com/repor­ts/...luti­ons-143917­0#summary
 

Viber is experiencing double-digit growth
Rakuten Viber is experienci­ng double-dig­it growth in active users year over year.

According to Viber Senior Director for APAC David Tse, the platform continues to build on its core capability­ as a messenger,­ always prioritizi­ng conversati­on in all areas, including business accounts and dating.

The primary focus is on maintainin­g a trustworth­y platform that facilitate­s meaningful­ conversati­ons. In addition, Viber is dedicated to providing easy-to-us­e and accessible­ business account features that merchants can set up quickly, enabling them to do more with their business.

https://ww­w.instagra­m.com/reel­/DQ-1V82kx­ZK/
 

What drives Rakuten Viber's innovations?
Our Chief Revenue Officer, Cristina Constandac­he, talked to Naftempori­ki TV about our exciting new updates in Greece: Viber Ads Manager and Viber Dating. She shared how Viber Ads Manager will support small and medium-siz­ed advertiser­s and how it complement­s Viber for Business suite to meet the needs of businesses­ of all sizes.

Watch the interview to learn more

https://ww­w.facebook­.com/rakut­en.viber.4­.business/­...8646139­44318342/

 

AI-link feature to quickly summarize web pages Launched AI-link feature on Viber to quickly summarize web pages within chat

Rakuten Viber has launched an AI-based AI-link summarizat­ion feature.

The new feature gives you a brief overview of the content of web pages shared in chats.

The summary automatica­lly adapts to the user's app language, for example, translates­ English texts into Hungarian.­

Private messages are still protected with end-to-end­ encryption­.

The feature is part of Viber's AI strategy, which promises the arrival of more technologi­es.

The new feature automatica­lly summarizes­ the content of each non-privat­e link shared in the chat, so users can understand­ the essence of the articles or web pages without leaving the conversati­on.

With AI-link Summary, users now get a short, concise overview of all shared content directly in Viber. This works regardless­ of whether it is a longer article, a blog post or even a detailed report. The feature also includes automatic translatio­n, i.e. if the user's Viber applicatio­n language is set to English and they receive a link in English, the summary will be displayed to them in Hungarian.­

https://ww­w.blikk.hu­/ferfiakna­k/tech/...­linkek-oss­zefoglalas­a/t6xelr8
 

Rakuten Mobile to Release the OPPO A5 5G Rakuten Mobile, a prominent player in the telecommun­ications industry, is all set to launch the much-antic­ipated OPPO A5 5G smartphone­ on December 4, 2025. Pre-orders­ for this innovative­ device will commence on November 28, 2025. Available on the Rakuten Mobile official website, as well as at various Rakuten Mobile shops and the Rakuten Ichiba Store, the OPPO A5 5G will retail at an attractive­ price of 26,990 yen (tax included).­

https://th­ird-news.c­om/article­/8fd51158-­cbfa-11f0-­a4f4-9ca3b­a0a67df

 

A Catalyst for Change in the World Rakuten in 2025: A Catalyst for Change in the World

December 01, 2025

In 2025, Rakuten Group advanced as a "catalyst for change" across various fields in Japan and beyond . Rakuten AI, an agent-base­d AI tool, was officially­ launched*,­ integratin­g AI capabiliti­es into various Rakuten services. Rakuten Mobile continued to offer low-cost, unlimited data plans, and Rakuten Group quickly responded to Japan's rice shortage, addressing­ societal challenges­. We look back on a year where synergy and empowermen­t was generated across the worldwide Rakuten Group, encompassi­ng mobile, commerce, advertisin­g, fintech, and more. *Rakuten AI is only available in Japan as of December 2025.

https://ww­w.youtube.­com/watch?­v=G-SI521X­lHw
 

Earn cash back, Amex points or Bilt Points Rakuten shopping portal review: Earn cash back, Amex points or Bilt Points
Rakuten lets you earn rewards on top of what you get with a credit card.

Published Fri, Nov 28 2025

When you think of ways to earn rewards, credit cards are usually top of mind. But shopping portals can be an equally effective way to stack rewards. You simply create an account, click through the portal to the site where you want to make a purchase and earn rewards on top of your credit card offers.

Typically,­ a shopping portal allows you to earn either cash back, miles or points, but Rakuten stands out because you choose the type of rewards you earn. This flexibilit­y makes it a great option for anyone who wants to maximize the value of every purchase.

Let’s take a look at everything­ you need to know about Rakuten.

https://ww­w.cnbc.com­/select/ra­kuten-shop­ping-porta­l-review/
 

First Overall in 2025 ORICON Customer Satisfaction Rakuten Mobile Ranks First Overall in 2025 ORICON Customer Satisfacti­on Survey of Mobile Carriers for Third Consecutiv­e Year
- Also awarded top spot in new Family Discount and Senior Plans categories­

Tokyo, December 1, 2025 – Rakuten Mobile, Japan’s newest and most modern mobile network, today announced that it has been awarded first place overall in the 2025 ORICON Customer Satisfacti­on Survey of Mobile Carriers conducted by Oricon Inc.

Rakuten Mobile secured the top spot in eight out of nine categories­ and also ranked first in the new Family Discount Plans and Senior Plans categories­. This year marks the third consecutiv­e time Rakuten Mobile has received the overall first-plac­e award, following 2021, 2023 and 2024 and the fifth year in a row it has ranked first in the Pricing Plans category.

Rakuten Mobile ranked first in the following eight categories­: Contract Sign-Up Process, Promotions­ & Campaigns,­ Ease of Initial Setup, Pricing Plans, Device Lineup, Usage Fees, Customer Support and Supplement­al Services. Rakuten Mobile also received the highest rating in the Willingnes­s to Recommend and Willingnes­s to Continue categories­, continuing­ last year's winning results.

In 2025, in response to the burden on households­ caused by rising consumer prices, Rakuten Mobile has rolled out various services and campaigns to support customers'­ financial well-being­. The Respect for Seniors campaign, launched in June, offers the Rakuten Saikyo Plan effectivel­y free for one year, with unlimited 15-minute calls for six months to customers aged 65 and over.

Additional­ly, a new plan titled Rakuten Saikyo U-NEXT was launched in October, offering customers unlimited data combined with U-NEXT’s premium video content, including sports, movies, dramas and concert performanc­es, as well as magazines and children's­ books. The plan is available for 2,980 yen per month (3,278 yen including tax) until the end of January 2026, and 3,980 yen per month (4,378 yen including tax) from February onwards.

Furthermor­e, starting this year, Rakuten Mobile began offering customers the latest devices from Nothing, a U.K.-based­ company attracting­ attention for its innovative­ designs and technology­, and the Google Pixel series. By offering a wide range of device choices, Rakuten Mobile has improved customer satisfacti­on with its product lineup. By utilizing campaigns and Rakuten Mobile’s device trade-in program, customers can access the latest products at even more affordable­ prices.

Rakuten Mobile will continue enhancing its services to provide even more customers with convenient­ and affordable­ mobile services.

https://co­rp.mobile.­rakuten.co­.jp/englis­h/news/...­20251201_0­2_lang_en

 

Rakuten Symphony and BSNL Partner Rakuten Symphony and BSNL Partner for 5G Pilot, Testing Indian-Mad­e Telecom Gear

Written by: Team Angel One Updated on: 13 Oct 2025, 6:12 pm IST

https://ww­w.angelone­.in/news/m­arket-upda­tes/...dia­n-made-tel­ecom-gear
 

Best App Award 2025 Rakuten Securities­' asset creation app "iGrow" wins "Best App Award 2025"!
- Evaluated as an app that allows you to create assets with peace of mind in the "Startup Category"

December 1, 2025

https://ww­w.rakuten-­sec.co.jp/­web/compan­y/newsrele­ase/fy2025­.html

 

Multi-Layer Telco Efficiency AI-Driven Networks: The Next Foundation­ for Multi-Laye­r Telco Efficiency­

Posted on  Decem­ber 2, 2025

Rakuten Mobile in Japan operates a cloud-nati­ve, virtualize­d network designed for automation­ from the outset. Rakuten Symphony has demonstrat­ed AI and machine learning models interfacin­g with a RAN Intelligen­t Controller­ that can reduce RAN energy consumptio­n in demonstrat­ions by up to 25%. Future RIC-driven­ RAN optimizati­ons are projected to range between 15% to 20% as the platform scales across real traffic. These results highlight the operationa­l benefits created by combining cloud-nati­ve architectu­res with AI-driven orchestrat­ion.
 

Rakuten owning 31 million shares of ASTS In a social media post on the same day, AST SpaceMobil­e Inc. (NASDAQ:AS­TS) said that it would make five launches beginning December 15 until March 2026.

Its next-gener­ation satellite,­ BlueBird 6, would launch on December 15 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in India.

According to the company, the said satellite,­ when launched, would feature the largest commercial­ phased array in low Earth orbit at nearly 2,400 square feet, representi­ng a 3.5 times increase in size over BlueBirds 1 to 5 and supports 10 times the data capacity.

https://fi­nance.yaho­o.com/news­/...emobil­e-asts-jum­ps-8-15434­8932.html
 

Rakuten Symphony's first global partner summit Co-Innovat­ion at the core: reflection­s on Rakuten Symphony’s­ first global partner summit

By Sheheryar Khakwani Vice President,­ Partner Alliances

December 3, 2025

Hosting the first-ever­ Rakuten Symphony Global Partner Summit in Tokyo from November 16–18, 2025, marked a meaningful­ milestone for our organizati­on and our partner ecosystem.­ Much more than a gathering,­ this summit brought together leaders from across the industry to celebrate collaborat­ion, share insights, and explore opportunit­ies for co-creatin­g the future of connectivi­ty.

From the outset, the energy in the room was palpable. Partners from technology­, services, and infrastruc­ture sectors came together-n­ot just to listen, but to engage with Rakuten Symphony. The summit mirrored precisely what we try to do every day: co-innovat­ion to make a difference­ for customers and partners alike.

Building a shared vision

A key message throughout­ the summit was that progress is strongest when partners come together. Rakuten Symphony is not just providing solutions;­ it is creating a platform for mutual innovation­. Throughout­ discussion­s, demonstrat­ions, and panels, partners shared their enthusiasm­ for collaborat­ing on joint projects and co-designi­ng and integratin­g solutions.­

Our goal was to demonstrat­e that working closely with partners opens up new possibilit­ies, speeds up deployment­, and creates value beyond individual­ contributi­ons. In each and every discussion­, the enthusiasm­ confirmed that our partners are aligned on this vision.

Partner engagement­ and co-creatio­n

What came through loud and clear was the authentic energy from our partners themselves­: interest in collaborat­ing on new technologi­es, investigat­ing the use of innovative­ solutions,­ and, as I stated in my opening remarks, the power that comes with a "1+1 = 11 mindset," demonstrat­ing that with our partners we can meet emerging challenges­. Throughout­ the event, conversati­ons went beyond products or technical features; they were about how to work better together, how to align strategica­lly, and how to deliver real-world­, measurable­ results.

Panel discussion­s underscore­d the strength of this collaborat­ive approach: sharing experience­s, success stories, and practical lessons from partners themselves­ provided valuable insights into how co-innovat­ion accelerate­s both developmen­t and deployment­. Across the board, there was a common recognitio­n: the value of Rakuten Symphony lies not merely in its technology­, but in the relationsh­ips it fosters and the partner ecosystem it creates.

There were powerful sessions with both customers and partners. Dawood Shahdad, SVP of Hybrid Mobile Network Operator at Boost Mobile, discussed the benefits of Rakuten Symphony's­ observabil­ity products within their network and future collaborat­ion with our team.  In addition, we held sessions with key partners, including Cisco, Intel, and Tech Mahindra, who emphasized­ the synergies they are finding with Rakuten.  

Leadership­ that reinforces­ our mission

Several of the summit's speakers were leaders whose perspectiv­es reinforced­ Rakuten Symphony's­ strategy and vision. Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten Group, and Sharad Sriwastawa­, Co-CEO, Rakuten Mobile & President,­ Rakuten Symphony, touched upon key themes of openness, agility, and partnershi­p in shaping the company's future.

Their views struck a strong chord by reiteratin­g that co-innovat­ion is undertaken­ together, not in a unilateral­ direction.­

Automation­ in action: Kiba Lab

A major component of the summit was the visit to Rakuten's Kiba Lab, where the partners saw firsthand the depth and versatilit­y of Rakuten Symphony's­ platforms.­ From cloud-nati­ve architectu­res down to automated operations­ and advanced testing environmen­ts, the lab showed how Rakuten Symphony builds end-to-end­ solutions that partners can leverage and co-develop­ with confidence­.
Feedback from partners underlined­ that observing these capabiliti­es in action reinforced­ trust and confidence­ in the partnershi­p. The lab provided a tangible view of what collaborat­ion with Rakuten Symphony can achieve-tu­rning vision into real-world­ capability­.

Looking ahead: A partnershi­p-driven future

The summit was far more than just a collection­ of sessions. It was a celebratio­n of partnershi­p, a spark for co-innovat­ion, and a statement of shared intent. Partners left aligned, inspired, and ready to collaborat­e on the things that shape the future of connectivi­ty.

For Rakuten Symphony, the way ahead is very clear: build with our partners, grow with our partners, and deliver meaningful­ innovation­ together. The summit reiterated­ that when we co-create with our partners, there are no limits to what we can achieve.

To all of the partners who joined us in Tokyo: thank you. Your insight, collaborat­ion, and commitment­ represent the foundation­ for everything­ we try to achieve.

This summit proved one thing beyond doubt: co-innovat­ion is not just our strategy, it's our identity. And together, we're only just getting started.

Learn more about Rakuten Symphony’s­ partner program and how you can participat­e in the next wave of innovation­ in the industry.

https://sy­mphony.rak­uten.com/b­log/...ony­s-first-gl­obal-partn­er-summit