Partnership to advance equipment vendor adoption and operator deployment of virtualized 4G and 5G Open RAN mobile networks
Tokyo & Barcelona, February 28, 2025 – Rakuten Symphony, a subsidiary of global technology leader Rakuten Group, has today announced the signing of three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Cisco Systems, Airspan Networks and Tech Mahindra, that will see the three companies take Rakuten Symphony’s portfolio of Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) solutions to market as part of its revolutionary Real Open RAN Licensing Program.
These partnerships signal a proposal to colectively advance equipment vendor adoption and operator deployment of secure and high-performance cloud-native, virtualized 4G/5G mobile networks based on Open RAN standards.
As part of the partnership, Rakuten Symphony and Cisco intend to create a unified Private 5G mobile network offering with a combination of Cisco’s Mobility Services Platform-based Private 5G Solution with 5G Advanced capabilities and Rakuten Symphony’s Open RAN software solutions, designed to assist global service providers in transforming their network architecture as they look to build AI-ready infrastructure to support the demands of their customers.
Airspan and Tech Mahindra will resell Rakuten Symphony Open RAN software licences to telecom operators and enterprises globally, comprising codebases across the Central Unit (CU), Distributed Unit (DU) and Operations and Management (OAM) software. Tech Mahindra will also serve as preferred systems integrator for Rakuten Symphony.
Sharad Sriwastawa, President, Rakuten Symphony, said, “Our partnerships with Cisco, Airspan and Tech Mahindra are a significant leap forward in our long-standing collaborations with these partners, building the world’s first virtualized, cloud-native Open RAN mobile network in Japan*. This collaboration showcases our commitment to support mobile operators and equipment vendors to address evolving demands for connectivity and complex challenges the industry faces in deploying next-generation networks for a more connected and sustainable future.”
“We are revolutionizing mobile networks by making them simpler and fully programmable end-to-end,” said Masum Mir, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Provider Mobility, Cisco. “This collaboration is key to fostering greater adoption of 5G services among enterprises of all sizes, enabling them to harness the power of mission-critical applications and prepare for 5G Advanced. Together, we are paving the way for a seamless and transformative digital future.”
Glenn Laxdal, CEO and President of Airspan, said “Airspan has been a key partner in Rakuten’s Open RAN journey for more than five years, delivering thousands of 4G and 5G radios for their network in Japan. We’re excited to expand this collaboration through Rakuten Symphony’s Real Open RAN Licensing Program, helping operators and enterprises accelerate the adoption of cloud-native, virtualized networks with proven Open RAN solutions.”
Harshvendra Soin, President – Asia Pacific and Japan Business, Tech Mahindra, said, “We are witnessing a shift towards open, programmable, cloud-native networks as operators seek greater efficiency and scalability. Our partnership with Rakuten Symphony reinforces our commitment to accelerate Open RAN adoption and reshaping the future of connectivity worldwide. By leveraging our global presence and Rakuten Symphony’s advanced Open RAN solutions, we’re enabling telecom operators to embrace next-generation, cost-efficient and scalable network solutions.”
An open subscription model for telecom
Rakuten Symphony’s Real Open RAN Licensing Program is a ground-breaking initiative designed to democratize RAN technology worldwide via the provision of its software through an open community subscription model.
Rakuten Symphony’s Real Open RAN Licensing Program enables companies within the Open RAN ecosystem to leverage Rakuten’s market-proven advancements, fostering innovation and facilitating the transition towards more adaptable and scalable network solutions. The model will lower the barrier of entry and shorten the time-to-market for telecom ecosystem players to accelerate and simplify access to the most critical software stack workloads required in the open Radio Access Network, setting a new standard for innovation and performance in the telecom industry.
Rakuten Symphony Open RAN Panel Discussion at MWC
To hear more about the partnership, please join us at the Rakuten booth in Hall 2, 2C70 on Tuesday, Mar 4, at 3.30pm. Sharad Sriwastawa, President of Rakuten Symphony, will host a special panel discussion with Masum Mir, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Networking Provider Mobility business at Cisco; Glen Laxdal, CEO of Airspan and Mohit Joshi, CEO of Tech Mahindra.
About Rakuten Symphony
Rakuten Symphony is reimagining telecom, changing supply chain norms and disrupting outmoded thinking that threatens the industry’s pursuit of rapid innovation and growth. Based on proven modern infrastructure practices, its open interface platforms make it possible to launch and operate advanced mobile services in a fraction of the time and cost of conventional approaches, with no compromise to network quality or security. Rakuten Symphony has operations in Japan, the United States, Singapore, India, Europe and the Middle East Africa region.
For more information, visit: https://symphony.rakuten.com
About Cisco
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide technology leader that is revolutionizing the way organizations connect and protect in the AI era. For more than 40 years, Cisco has securely connected the world. With its industry leading AI-powered solutions and services, Cisco enables its customers, partners and communities to unlock innovation, enhance productivity and strengthen digital resilience. With purpose at its core, Cisco remains committed to creating a more connected and inclusive future for all. Discover more on The Newsroom and follow us on X at @Cisco.
Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco’s trademarks can be found at http://www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word ‘partner’ does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.
About Tech Mahindra
Tech Mahindra (NSE: TECHM) offers technology consulting and digital solutions to global enterprises across industries, enabling transformative scale at unparalleled speed. With 150,000+ professionals across 90+ countries helping 1100+ clients, Tech Mahindra provides a full spectrum of services including consulting, information technology, enterprise applications, business process services, engineering services, network services, customer experience & design, AI & analytics, and cloud & infrastructure services. It is the first Indian company in the world to have been awarded the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Terra Carta Seal, which recognizes global companies that are actively leading the charge to create a climate and nature-positive future. Tech Mahindra is part of the Mahindra Group, founded in 1945, one of the largest and most admired multinational federation of companies. For more information on how TechM can partner with you to meet your Scale at Speed™ imperatives, please visit https://www.techmahindra.com
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For more information on Tech Mahindra, please contact: media.relations@techmahindra.com
About Airspan
Airspan Networks Holdings LLC is a U.S.-based provider of groundbreaking, disruptive software and hardware for 5G networks, and a pioneer in end-to-end Open RAN solutions that provide interoperability with other vendors.
As a result of innovative technology and significant R&D investments to build and expand 5G solutions, Airspan believes it is well-positioned with 5G indoor and outdoor, Open RAN, private networks for enterprise customers and industrial use applications, fixed wireless access (FWA), Air-To-Ground and CBRS solutions to help mobile network operators of all sizes deploy their networks of the future, today. With over one million cells shipped to 1,000 customers in more than 100 countries, Airspan has global scale.
For more information, visit www.airspan.com.
Source: Rakuten
