Rakuten Mobile announces changes to KDDI roaming coverage

Rakuten Mobile has issued a notice to its users regarding its roaming agreement with KDDI (au), detailing how service coverage will change from October onwards. The company stated that roaming services will continue in areas where Rakuten's own network coverage still requires improvement. Conversely, roaming will be scaled back in areas where Rakuten Mobile provides sufficient network coverage.

While the specific regions and exact timing for these changes have not been disclosed, Rakuten Mobile noted that it is currently engaged in final-stage discussions with KDDI. The existing roaming agreement, which was extended in May 2023, is set to run through September 2026, but the upcoming October changes represent a strategic shift in how the company utilizes partner networks as its own infrastructure expands.

Users are encouraged to check the official partner network area map to determine if their primary locations rely on KDDI roaming. The company has indicated that it will update its coverage maps as soon as the specific changes to roaming service areas are finalized.