Rakuten Symphony has begun deployment of its Symware Open RAN distributed Edge product.

The company revealed it has plans to deploy 30,000 units across Rakuten's mobile network in Japan. Rakuten has set a target to install this product across 23,000 sites in the next 10 months, with more than 13,000 new 5G and 10,000 4G Rakuten Mobile sites.

By using Symware the operator says that it expects to reduce data center and associated operational costs by nearly 50 percent due to "simplified data center installation and increased power efficiency".

Rakuten Symphony developed Symware last year along with Intel and Juniper Networks to modernize cell sites. This was the first phase of the project and saw the build-out of the next-generation distributed unit (NGDU). This device features zero-touch provisioning, Multi-RAT Support (radio access technology), and IP65 Ruggedized DU, and supports the cell sites for mass-scale deployment.

“The revolutionary hardware design supported by the software-based network and full Symworld operational platform will deliver transformational results for Rakuten Mobile and telecom operators around the world," said Rakuten Symphony chief executive officer Tareq Amin.

The firm's Symware device runs on the Intel Xeon D processor and features AI, security advanced I/O, and ethernet alongside dense computing.

This device is sold-as-service, with its standard model made up of lifecycle management of hardware components, which enables customers the ability to manage customized software choices and operations.