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Rakuten Mobile made a presentation on the new price on January 29 and announced the new “Rakuten UN-LIMIT VI” pricing plan.
This article summarizes the main questions and answers in the second half of the presentation.
Speakers for the question and answer session were Hiroshi Mikitani, President and CEO of the company, Yoshihisa Yamada, President and CEO, Tarek Amin, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, and Naho Kono, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Marketing Officer.
From left, Mr. Naho Kono, Chief Executive Officer and CMO, Mr. Hiroshi Mikitani, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Yoshihisa Yamada, President and Representative Director Vice President and CTO Tarek Amin participates remotely
――We have made a big price cut, but will the breakeven change? Will the perspective of achieving profitability change?
Mr. Mikitani
The balance point changes. The plan is expected to lower acquisition costs and churn rates, and I don’t think it will change when the mobile business goes into the black.
Additionally, Rakuten Mobile users tend to have a high usage rate of other Rakuten services. Unlike other careers, peripheral departments are perfect, allowing for aggressive planning.
Rakuten Mobile is not just a mobile phone business, it is made up of “mobile phone business”, “Rakuten ecosystem” and “RCP global expansion”.
――Have you ever requested a reduction in charges for KDDI partner lines?
Mr. Mikitani
I do not want to comment.
However, the coverage rate of the population on its own line is expected to be 96% by this summer, and most of it will be covered by its own line.
――What are your plans to install base stations after this summer?
Mr. Mikitani
There are two types of coverage: geographic (area) and population. I think there is a need for places where nobody lives, like places to visit (for sightseeing) or places where the GPS doesn’t reach.
We will continue to work on the development of the base station so that the geographic coverage rate reaches 100% by the end of 2023.
――Is there something that violates laws and regulations like the Antitrust Law, such as “0 yen for less than 1GB” for this rate plan?
Mr. Yamada
I have also spoken with the Ministry of the Interior and Communications and have acknowledged that there is no problem.
――Regarding the “Mobile Space Plan”, it seems that the international rules for mobile satellite communications have not yet been decided, but is it expected to be fulfilled in 2023?
Mobile space plan
Mr. Yamada
Certainly, there are many hurdles that must be overcome, such as licensing relationships.
However, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has created a working group on satellite base stations to discuss with other companies, and the entire mobile phone industry is working on it.
Mr. Tarek Amin, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer
Mr amin
As for the “Space Mobile Plan”, I think it will technically work. Using low Earth orbit satellites, ubiquitous connections (anytime, anywhere) will be possible even in Japan.
――The population coverage rate is said to reach 96% this summer, but it is requesting the Ministry of the Interior and Communications to redistribute the platinum band. Do you really need a platinum band?
Mr. Mikitani
I think I need a platinum band.
I myself have had the experience of not receiving radio waves twice on the Rakuten line, and it is difficult to connect to the alleys. The platinum band can cover areas that could not be covered (in the currently allocated 1.7 GHz band).
――As the amount of data increases, the profits of the company increase, so I would like you to use as much data as possible, but why not expand the content such as video distribution?
Mr. Mikitani
Personally, I think it is okay if the data usage is less than 1GB.
However, I think (data usage) will increase even for users who don’t use it much now, for example, users who use LINE to communicate with their families or who rarely use it.
I expect data usage to increase naturally (without doing anything), so I’m not motivated to increase usage now.
――As for the development of the area, it seems that the population coverage rate was 96% this summer, five years ahead of schedule, but I can’t believe it. Did something big happen?
Hiroshi Mikitani, President and CEO
Mr. Mikitani
I think it would have taken until 2026 with the existing method.
When other companies started, I think they were probably looking at it visually (where to install the base station). In the case of Rakuten Mobile, “we have the data”, and we can see where and how many base stations need to be installed. In addition, the adoption of CPR reduced the number of devices and the AI was able to automatically set the settings for each base station, reducing the number of personnel and shortening the construction period.
Furthermore, Rakuten Group employees are also mobilized when negotiating with landowners and owners (of properties and land where they want to install base stations). Other companies are probably subcontractors, but Rakuten Mobile is negotiating internally.
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