--By Splitting Distributed Unit and Control Unit of small cell, Rakuten and 
Sercomm offer Disruptive Solution to Enable Next-generation Mobile Network

Rakuten, Inc. (TSE: 4755), a global leader in internet services and soon-to-be 
the newest mobile network operator in Japan, and Sercomm (TWSE: 5388), a 
leading manufacturer and supplier of telecom equipment, today announced the 
world's first virtualized small cell. Jointly developed by Rakuten and Sercomm, 
the small cell offers enhanced user experience by leveraging the world's first 
end-to-end cloud native technology. Adopting next-generation network 
architecture, the virtualized small cell answers the needs of the telecom 
industry by providing easy-to-install, high performance, expandable flexibility 
and seamless migration to 5G networks. Rakuten and Sercomm will showcase the 
product at this week's Mobile World Congress 2019. 

By splitting the distributed unit (DU) and control unit (CU), the virtualized 
small cell offers a disruptive solution for mobile networks. Through its 
powerful CU computing capability, the virtualized small cell, with joint 
processing and cooperative radio sharing capability, can be dynamically 
installed as needed. The virtualized small cell enables a true end-to-end cloud 
native platform which does not only greatly improves reliability, but also 
facilitates a heterogeneous network. The virtualized small cell supports 4G LTE 
and is 5G upgradable with renewed DUs. By adopting an open, virtualized and 
split RAN (Radio Access Network), telecom operators can enjoy cost savings and 
fast time-to-market without the hassles of traditional base station 
installation.  

Integrated with 2.4G/5G dual band Wi-Fi capability, in addition to new 
installation, the virtualized small cells can easily replace the existing Wi-Fi 
APs on site to reduce deployment effort without sacrificing Wi-Fi 
functionality. The small cell also supports PoE (Power-over-Ethernet), making 
it ideal for ceiling or wall-mounted installation at residential, commercial 
and industrial sites, such as apartments, residential complexes, office 
buildings, shopping malls and factories.

"Rakuten reaches over 1.2 billion of consumers worldwide with services offered 
in e-commerce, fintech and digital content, and now we are ready to reinforce 
our commitment to consumers for better living by delivering a new mobile 
network service, with the support of industry-leading technology partners such 
as Sercomm," said Tareq Amin, Chief Technology Officer, Rakuten Mobile Network. 
"We aim to realize our vision of creating the world's first fully virtualized, 
end-to-end cloud-native mobile network. Sercomm is the technology leader in 
small cell products, with its recognized design capability and rich deployment 
experience, and together we are committed to offering a reliable, 
cost-effective and convenient mobile service for our customers."

"At Sercomm, we are committed to the development of innovative solutions to 
enable next generation networks. We strive to offer high-quality solutions to 
telecom customers through investment of significant R&D resources," said James 
Wang, CEO of Sercomm. "We are pleased to team up with an industry leader like 
Rakuten in realizing a next generation mobile network. Together we will open a 
new era for telecommunication service."

Rakuten and Sercomm will demonstrate the small cell at Mobile World Congress 
2019 in Barcelona, Spain, from February 25 to 28:

--Rakuten Booth: Hall 4, Booth 4A10 
--Sercomm Booth at #2G3, Hall 2

About Rakuten 
Rakuten, Inc. (TSE: 4755) is a global leader in internet services that empower 
individuals, communities, businesses and society. Founded in Tokyo in 1997 as 
an online marketplace, Rakuten has expanded to offer services in e-commerce, 
fintech, digital content and communications to more than 1.2 billion members 
around the world. The Rakuten Group has over 17,000 employees, and operations 
in 30 countries and regions. For more information visit 
https://global.rakuten.com/corp/.

About Sercomm Corporation 
Sercomm Corporation (TWSE: 5388) is a worldwide leading manufacturer of telecom 
and broadband equipment. Founded in 1992, Sercomm has focused on developing 
embedded solutions to make networking simple and affordable. With its fully 
integrated engineering capability and its state-of-the-art manufacturing 
facility, Sercomm offers comprehensive telecom broadband solutions such as 
small cells, residential/enterprise gateways, and IoT products, and is now a 
global leader in the industry. Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, Sercomm's 
global operation network covers markets in North America, Europe, and the Asia 
Pacific region. Its customer base includes the world's top service provider, 
networking OEM, and system integrators. For more information, please visit 
www.sercomm.com.

SOURCE  Sercomm Corporation