Japan’s newest and most modern mobile network, Rakuten Mobile, on Friday announced that its total number of subscribers had surpassed 11 million as of September 24, 2026.
The company also ranked No. 1 among Japanese mobile carriers for both customer loyalty and as the preferred choice for users considering a carrier switch. This is according to a recent third-party survey, marking the sixth consecutive year it has held the top spot as the most considered carrier for switching mobile service.
According to the August 2026 Survey on Consumers’ Consideration for Switching Mobile Service conducted by Mobile Marketing Data Labo (MMD), Rakuten Mobile achieved the highest customer loyalty among users. For the sixth consecutive year, it also ranked first as the carrier customers are most likely to consider when switching, reflecting its growth as the mobile carrier of choice for many customers. This momentum has been driven by the following initiatives.
Initiatives Driving Rakuten Mobile’s Growth
- Service expansion to better cater to individual lifestyles: Building on the Rakuten Saikyo Plan, the company introduced Rakuten Saikyo U-NEXT in October 2025, providing access to the extensive video and digital content library available through U-NEXT, alongside unlimited data. Additionally, the number of subscribers using the Saikyo Family Discount, launched in February 2024, has increased by approximately 40 percent over last year, and its share of total contracts is also rising. Rakuten Mobile’s services remain the most affordable choice for families among all carriers, with various age-specific discounts and programs available.
- Strengthening synergies within the Rakuten Ecosystem: Since December 2025, the company has enhanced its Saikyo Senior Programme, providing Anti-Fraud Insurance in collaboration with Rakuten General Insurance. It also introduced the Rakuten Mobile and Rakuten Bank Bonus Interest Rate in February 2026, further leveraging the strengths of the Rakuten Ecosystem.
- Strengthening in-person support: The company has been holding weekly Smartphone Classes at Rakuten Mobile shops nationwide since June 2026 to provide in-person guidance on smartphone usage, primarily targeting senior users. Rakuten Mobile is building out its support system to respond to customer needs through both digital and physical touchpoints.
In addition to these initiatives, Rakuten Mobile has achieved top rankings in various third-party customer satisfaction surveys. It received the top overall ranking in the 2025 ORICON Customer Satisfaction® Survey of Mobile Carriers for the third consecutive year. In the enterprise sector, it also achieved its first overall No. 1 satisfaction rating in MMD’s April 2026 Survey on Corporate Mobile Phones for Japan’s Four Major Carriers.
To commemorate its 11 million subscriber milestone, the Rakuten Mobile Official X Account will hold a campaign from 2 p.m. on September 25, 2026, to 11:59pm on October 9, 2026 (Japan Standard Time), where 100 selected winners will receive 1,100 Rakuten Points. Users can participate by following Rakuten Mobile’s X account and reposting the designated campaign post.
Rakuten Mobile remains committed to improving network quality and expanding services to better support the daily lives of each customer. The 11 million includes Rakuten Saikyo Plan, Rakuten Saikyo Plan Business, Rakuten Turbo, Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) and Mobile Virtual Network Enabler (MVNE) subscribers as of September 24, 2026. The number of subscribers in this press release includes Business Continuity Plan (BCP) customers. The total number of subscribers, excluding BCP lines, for MNO, MVNO and MVNE combined is 10.96 million.
