Collaboration with Rakuten Symphony will position MobiFone as one of Southeast Asia’s first Open RAN mobile network operators.
Hanoi & Tokyo, June 05, 2025 – Rakuten Symphony and MobiFone Corporation, a leading mobile network operator in Vietnam, announced today the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on a pilot project to jointly deploy 4G and 5G Open RAN mobile network in Vietnam.
The MoU will position MobiFone, Vietnam's first mobile telecommunications network, as one of the first mobile operators in Southeast Asia to deploy Open RAN, showcase the technology as a viable and efficient solutions for mobile network expansion, and provide technical validation to support commercial operations of an Open RAN technology in Vietnam.
Sharad Sriwastawa, President, Rakuten Symphony said, “Rakuten Symphony is pleased to support MobiFone in deploying one of Southeast Asia’s first commercial Open RAN mobile networks. The Rakuten team is looking forward to sharing our success in Japan with Vietnam by showcasing the transformational benefits of Open RAN, including deployment flexibility, enhanced network performance and security, and improved customer experience with new and innovative mobile services.”
Mr Vinh Tuan Bao, Deputy General Director, MobiFone said, “Our vision for 2030 is to become Vietnam’s leading technology corporation, taking the lead in building the nation’s digital infrastructure. On this journey, 5G is positioned as a key foundational pillar, playing an essential role not only as a technological breakthrough but also as a transformative platform that redefines societal operations and production methods. MobiFone has identified Open RAN as a strategic pathway to gradually establish technological autonomy in next-generation mobile networks. We firmly believe that with Rakuten Symphony’s proven expertise and MobiFone’s unwavering commitment, this collaboration will extend far beyond a mere proof of concept. It will pave the way for deeper, more comprehensive partnerships in the near future.”
The pilot program will see Rakuten Symphony supplying Open RAN solution and engage with its ecosystem partners to support the project and provide necessary expertise throughout the pilot phase. MobiFone will ensure required cell and core sites are allocated to ensure that the sites are fully prepared to host Open RAN technology and that a mobile core is available to execute the pilot project.
Rakuten Symphony is committed to be a global leader in advanced standarized Open RAN innovation and technology, automated quality assurance systems and edge cloud capabilities for next-generation communications.
Rakuten Mobile, in collaboration with Rakuten Symphony, will apply the achievements obtained from the "Research and Development Project of the Enhanced Infrastructures for Post-5G Information and Communication Systems (JPNP20017), subsidized by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
Read more here about Rakuten Symphony and Rakuten Mobile’s participation in government sponsored research and development initiatives to explore modernization of mobile networks and diversification of supply chain ecosystems.
About MobiFone
MobiFone was established on April 16th, 1993, as the first mobile communications network in Vietnam. The corporation is one of the largest Telecommunications – Information Technology – Digital Content enterprises and TOP 3 telco with the highest market share. MobiFone aims at bringing preeminent platforms, technologies and solutions to help individuals, enterprises and organizations transform and integrate into the digital econimy quickly. MobiFone’s vision is becoming one of the leading digital enterprises in Vietnam, aiming to strive towards the goal of becoming a leading technology group in Vietnam.
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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.
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