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Telco/Internet specialist

Kirk Boodry

Redex Research

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

Japan Telecom services / Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/softbank-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27445:1" rel="noopener">Softbank Corp (9434 JP)</a> said today that it would launch commercial 5G services on 27 March with two handsets.  Nominally, 5G will cost an additional ¥1,000/month although the fee is being waived for the first two years and we expect that the operators will never collect 5G surcharges. Since 2011, Japanese mobile operators have traded higher speeds or larger bundles for revenue stability and there is no reason to think that changes as 5G proliferates.  For the incumbents, adding 5G to their already high-quality networks should help them compete with Rakuten, which despite an anticipated June 2020 5G launch, is really years away from matching incumbent quality. </p>

Softbank Corp (9434 JP) said today that it would launch commercial 5G services on 27 March with two handsets.  Nominally, 5G will cost an additional ¥1,000/month although the fee is being waived for the first two years and we expect that the operators will never collect 5G surcharges. Since 2011, Japanese mobile operators have traded higher speeds or larger bundles for revenue stability and there is no reason to think that changes as 5G proliferates.  For the incumbents, adding 5G to their already high-quality networks should help them compete with Rakuten, which despite an anticipated June 2020 5G launch, is really years away from matching incumbent quality. 

Softbank Corp: Commercial 5G in Japan Arrives Later This Month