Airspan Networks Wins Open RAN Radio Supply Deal with Japan's Rakuten Mobile
December 12, 2025
In a significant move for the global telecom supply chain, US-based Airspan Networks has secured a contract to supply Open RAN radio units to Rakuten Mobile in Japan. The deal marks a strategic expansion for Airspan in the Asia-Pacific region and underscores the growing momentum behind Open RAN technology, which aims to break vendor lock-in by creating interoperable, multi-vendor mobile networks.
The agreement, announced on December 12, will see Airspan provide its Open RAN-compliant radios for deployment across Rakuten Mobile's nationwide network in Japan. The deployment is notable for being linked to grants from the US National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which has been actively funding Open RAN development to foster supply chain diversity and innovation.
Glenn Laxdal, CEO of Airspan Networks, framed the deal as a milestone, stating, "Being part of the first commercial Open RAN deployment linked to NTIA awards is a strategic milestone for Airspan. Our work with Rakuten Mobile showcases how US innovation and an ORAN approach can give operators a more flexible, cloud-native architecture to accelerate deployment, strengthen supply chain diversity, and improve network economics."
For Rakuten Mobile, which operates the world's first fully cloud-native mobile network and the largest HetNet Open RAN network with over 345,000 cells deployed, the partnership adds another interoperable vendor to its ecosystem. Sharad Sriwastawa, co-CEO of Rakuten Mobile, commented, "By integrating Airspan’s ORAN radio units, we benefit from interoperable, easy-to-integrate RUs that help us deliver high-quality voice, data, and digital services to customers across Japan, while retaining the flexibility to continuously enhance and expand our cloud-native Open RAN network effectively."
The contract represents a key recovery and growth step for Florida-based Airspan, which emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last year and has since bolstered its Open RAN portfolio through acquisitions, including Jabil's Open RAN radio business and Corning's wireless unit earlier this year. The company also recently partnered with Veon to deploy Open RAN equipment in Ukraine.
Industry analysts view the deal as a validation of the Open RAN model's commercial viability and its role in creating a more competitive and resilient telecom equipment market, particularly as governments and operators seek to reduce reliance on a handful of dominant suppliers.
Source: datacenterdynamics
Airspan Networks Wins Open RAN Radio Supply Deal with Japan's Rakuten Mobile
