Rakuten, Ligado Sign Enter into Commercial Trials for 5G Mobile

Rakuten Mobile Inc. and Ligado Networks Inc. signed a memorandum of understanding where the two companies will collaborate to create a blueprint for Ligado’s 5G mobile private network solution that leverages the Rakuten Communications Platform.

The companies will begin their efforts this quarter with ecosystem partners and vendors to establish a timeline for the implementation of network trials and a blueprint for solutions.

Under the memorandum, the companies will define a strategy that leverages Rakuten’s ecosystem position to advance the developed 5G mobile private network solution and accelerate overall L-Band commercial readiness among network hardware and software providers. Ligado Networks and Rakuten Mobile will collaborate with enterprise customers on advanced use cases and the final technology stack for the launch of the 5G mobile private network offering.

With this agreement, Rakuten Mobile and Ligado Networks aim to accelerate the delivery of private networks using open technology. Rakuten’s platform combines proven technologies and a playbook of the world’s first end-to-end cloud-native, software-centric, open RAN-based mobile network of Rakuten Mobile and its partners to offer enterprises a way to build and deploy cloud-native network services at speed and low-cost.

Ligado’s licensed mid-band spectrum supports enterprises by building mobile networks that meet their requirements for availability, coverage and flexibility for indoor and outdoor deployments.