Rakuten Symphony is the latest of our Surrey Success Stories, a collection of video case studies of businesses โ large and small โ that are putting our region on the map. Click on the video below to discover how this Surrey firm with Japanese roots is reimagining the telecommunications market.
Who are Rakuten Symphony?
Rakuten Symphony is a British firm with a Japanese mentality.
It is one of more than 70 services which form the Rakuten group, a global company with Japanese roots which has more than one billion members.
Located in Weybridge, Rakuten Symphony provides cloud-native, open radio access network and operational support systems solutions to the telecommunications industry.
Its journey started five years ago with the mission to disrupt and reinvent the sector. Its aim is low-cost, fast and high-quality network coverage for every single person. And a key part of driving is digitalising all of its business processes.
A cutting-edge facility in Weybridge opened in April 2023 with support of Japanese and UK governments. This supports the testing of Open Radio Access Network (RAN) and third-party technology, while also allowing mobile operators to come and see how it works.
This approach attracts customers from across the globe. Last month, an agreement was signed with Telkom Kenya to test Open RAN technology throughout Africa. And this month, Rakuten Symphony started testing in Ukraine with a view to developing critical digital infrastructure in the war-hit country.
Rakuten Symphony: where east meets west
Rakuten Symphony’s Japanese roots are evident throughout its UK headquarters.
It’s also evident in its employees, who must embody Rakuten Shugiย (or Basic Principles) through their professional roles.
There is high value on innovation and entrepreneurship. Plus, a focus on the Rakuten group’s overall mission to improve the way people live and drive progress in society through our revolutionary services.
But another crucial ingredient is the region of Surrey, with the benefits supporting business objectives and employee wellbeing.
As UK Managing Director Nastasi Karaiskos says: “There’s a great talent pool to tap into, an accessible area, beautiful place to work, great connections to the motorways, close connections to the airports, close connections to the trains.”
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