1Finity and Rakuten Mobile Named Finalists for 2026 Fierce Network Innovation Award

1Finity, a Fujitsu company and leading global network solutions provider, and leading network operator Rakuten Mobile have been named finalists for the 2026 Fierce Network Innovation Awards in the Operator-Vendor Partnership of the Year category. This prestigious award recognizes joint deployments where vendors and operators share accountability for outcomes, from planning through delivery.

The continuing Rakuten Mobile and 1Finity partnership successfully addresses critical network challenges in some of Japan's most demanding deployment environments, such as subway systems, train stations, stadiums and other high-capacity venues. In many of these locations, radios and antennas must be deployed separately and optimized with specialized antenna configurations. All too often, this means 5G is lacking in strategically important locations that experience reduced user performance.

To solve this challenge, Rakuten Mobile deployed 1Finity's Open RAN-compliant 44R21 compact radio unit, which delivers high power in a compact and lightweight form factor, thereby reducing installation space and lowering lease costs. Rakuten Mobile and 1Finity collaborated throughout interoperability testing, integration, validation and deployment.

Drawing on years of experience gained through commercial multi-vendor Open RAN deployments, the organizations applied proven integration methodologies, completing interoperability testing between 40 to 70 percent faster than other radio vendors. As a result, engineering effort and risk were significantly reduced, accelerating deployment timelines and delivering measurable operational benefits.

The Fierce Network Innovation Awards honor the technologies, companies and leaders driving the next generation of broadband, wireless, cloud and digital infrastructure. From breakthrough products and transformative services to game-changing innovations, these awards recognize the creators, builders and visionaries redefining how the world connects, shaping the future of connectivity.