Rakuten showcases Intelligent Growth vision at MWC Barcelona 2026

Open network architecture, diversifying revenue and adapting to an AI-driven era – those were just some of the hot telecom topics Rakuten spotlighted earlier this month at MWC Barcelona 2026, the world’s largest connectivity event.

Exhibiting under the theme ‘Intelligent Growth,’ Rakuten conveyed how telcos can scale networks as software, embrace AI-powered solutions, and reimagine how networks are operated and monetized, delivering diversified value beyond connectivity.

Through high-level discussions with partners and news announcements spanning world-first certifications, evolving customer relationships and industry-changing validations, Rakuten showcased the ways its telecom journey continues to go from strength to strength.

Mickey Mikitani highlights ecosystem model’s global potential

Rakuten Group Chairman and CEO Mickey Mikitani took to the main stage to share how telecom operators and their partners can create new digital ecosystems through their existing strengths and assets. Mikitani presented Rakuten’s unique blueprint for unlocking new revenue growth and customer value. ​“I really believe that it’s time for the telecom industry to change from just providing network connectivity to providing more enriched consumer services. If you can convert your telecom service, through a reward program into a very enriched ecosystem, it is going to be very positive for your business.” Mikitani said.

A selection of other Rakuten leaders also graced the event’s GSMA stage, including Rakuten Mobile Chief Data and AI Officer Sachin Verma; Rakuten Symphony’s SVP of Global Service Delivery Subha Shrinivasan; SVP of Solution Architecture Devesh Gautam; and Nagendra Bykampadi, Global Head of Product Security. They covered topics including digital twins, energy and tower efficiency, and the future of 5G.

Rakuten Booth Theater hosts global telecom leaders

Throughout the event, a variety of Rakuten customers, partners and other industry leaders shared their expertise at the Rakuten booth theater. 1&1 Mobilfunk CEO Michael Martin joined Rakuten Mobile co-CEO and Rakuten Symphony President Sharad Sriwastawa in a panel moderated by Head of GSMA Intelligence Peter Jarich to discuss the future of Open RAN, and its potential to set the standard for the next generation of mobile networks. “Operators are deploying multiple technologies, but ARPU (average revenue per user) is not increasing. There’s a big need to reduce cost and also increase revenue. Not necessarily through connectivity, but other techniques,” shared Sriwastawa. He then emphasized six structural shifts critical to reshaping the industry, including: sustainable telcos, AI-led automatous operations, non-terrestrial networks, telcos powering ecosystem & monetization, software defined networks and future-proof, secure & 6G ready networks.

Rakuten International leaders joined a panel discussion to reflect on how elements of Rakuten’s ecosystem model have been successfully replicated in markets across the globe. Amit Patel, CEO, Rakuten International and Rakuten Rewards; Cédric Dufour, CEO of Rakuten TV and President of Rakuten France; and Puneet Handa, Chief Strategy Officer, Rakuten Symphony shared their takes on the value that customers see in the Rakuten model. “Every service has been strategically added to leverage the concept of identity across these different services so that consumers actually feel a compelling reason to use Rakuten. That’s very unique; I don’t think there’s another company in the world that integrates this many different experiences across such a wide range of categories,”  said Patel.

Rakuten Mobile has staked its claim as a leading global operator when it comes to AI use and has already achieved 20% RAN energy savings, AI-driven retail location intelligence, quality assurance and root cause analysis, ensuring consistent experience and quality to its users. Rakuten Mobile leaders including Sachin Verma, Chief AI and Data Officer, Mahmoud ElSakhawy, Vice Director, Mobile Network Supervisory and Brijesh Yadav, Vice President, Engineering, Mobile Networks and Tech Strategy, discussed how Rakuten Mobile is enabling autonomous networks and sustainable connectivity through AI.

Rakuten in the news at MWC

Rakuten made a number of key announcements throughout MWC Barcelona 2026 – following news made prior to the event that Rakuten Mobile had become the world’s first MNO to achieve TM Forum’s Level 4 RAN Energy Efficiency certification, as well as Rakuten Mobile’s completion of a nationwide deployment of RIC applications across its commercial mobile network in Japan.

Rakuten becomes Google Cloud OEM

Rakuten Cloud-Native Storage is now built into Google Distributed Cloud Connected Servers, making Rakuten’s software-defined storage a standard, pre-integrated component of Google Distributed Cloud Connected Server deployment. Through this OEM agreement, Google Cloud will include Rakuten Cloud-Native Storage in Google Distributed Cloud Connected Server deployment, enabling customers to purchase a fully integrated compute and storage stack that is pre-validated, supported and delivered by Google Cloud. Google Distributed Cloud customers can now benefit from pre-validated and pre-integrated Rakuten Cloud-Native Storage, eliminating complex design and deployment cycles. Enterprises can now purchase the entire distributed cloud stack as a single bundle from Google Cloud.

Rakuten Symphony partners with Beeline Uzbekistan

In Barcelona, Rakuten Symphony and VEON and Beeline Uzbekistan, VEON’s digital operator, signed an MoU to explore collaboration on Open RAN development, AI-powered network intelligence and next-generation digital platforms. The MoU establishes a framework for the companies to explore cloud solutions, global IoT and mobile workforce connectivity and eSIM and international roaming. The announcement builds on the Rakuten-VEON partnership initially launched in 2023, which has seen Rakuten partner with Kyivstar and Beeline Kazakhstan in Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

Rakuten Cloud announces Samsung, Nokia validations

Rakuten Symphony announced the successful interoperability testing of Samsung’s cloud-native virtualized RAN (vRAN) and virtualized Core (vCore) running on the Rakuten Cloud-Native Platform. The validation shows that Samsung’s vRAN and vCore software stacks operate seamlessly on the Rakuten Cloud-Native Platform with near-perfect interoperability results, achieved with zero code changes on either side.

The collaboration demonstrates that operators can deploy best-in-class, multi-vendor cloud-native network functions quickly and confidently, without lengthy integration cycles or custom engineering. The milestone enables telecom service providers to combine Samsung’s vRAN and vCore solutions with Rakuten Cloud’s cloud-native platform to build flexible, scalable and future-ready networks.

Rakuten Mobile, Rakuten Symphony, and Nokia announced that Nokia’s cloud-native network functions, including IP Multimedia Subsystem for voice services, Subscriber Data Management, Cloud Signaling Director, Mediation and NetGuard Certificate Manager, are now deployed and running in live commercial operations at Rakuten Mobile on Rakuten Cloud. The milestone confirms Nokia’s cloud-native IMS Core network services operating seamlessly alongside other cloud-native network functions on Rakuten Cloud in a production environment, reinforcing Rakuten Cloud’s growing ecosystem of partner solutions designed for large-scale, sustainable 5G networks.

Not a traditional telecom player

Throughout the three days, Rakuten showcased its disruptive ecosystem leadership, unmatched network efficiency and AI-powered global telecom leadership – all of which are enabling a vision of intelligent telecom growth. Rakuten entered the industry to disrupt the status quo, reimagining how networks can be operated and monetized, and is now supporting a new era of transformation – in an AI-first world where connectivity turns operators into ecosystem enablers with diversified revenue streams.