IIJmio leads MVNO market share in Japan, survey shows

A survey conducted by MMD Research Institute in August 2026 reveals that the market share for Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) as a primary smartphone contract has risen to 9.3%, up 0.4 percentage points from February 2026.

IIJmio holds the largest market share among primary MVNO users at 13.1%, followed closely by mineo at 12.8%. In terms of customer satisfaction, Nippon Tsushin SIM ranked first with a score of 791 out of 1,000, followed by mineo (768) and Aeon Mobile (766).

The study also highlighted demographic trends and contract methods. IIJmio and mineo see their largest user bases in their 50s, while Nippon Tsushin SIM is most popular among those in their 40s, Aeon Mobile among those in their 60s, and J:COM MOBILE among those in their 70s. While most services are primarily contracted online, Aeon Mobile is notable for having a high proportion of offline, in-store contracts.