Mikitani Says Rakuten Will Keep Some KDDI Roaming After October

Rakuten Group chairman and CEO Hiroshi Mikitani said on X on 12 August that talks over the roaming contract under which Rakuten Mobile leases KDDI's network are in their final stage: roaming will continue past October in areas that still need coverage, while areas already well covered will see it scaled back. For anyone using a Japanese SIM, this decides real-world reception.

Roaming lets a late entrant maintain service quality while it builds its own base stations, and it is one of the largest cost items on the challenger's books. Scaling it back saves money, but users in specific areas may notice a difference.

Urban districts with completed build-out should feel nothing. Mountains, suburbs and transport corridors are where the variation sits — exactly where travellers hit dead zones. Check the coverage of the areas you actually travel through before choosing a cheap plan.