Statuses of Japan 5G network deployment

Based on DIGITIMES Research's studies on Japan's 5G network rollout and applications across different frequency bands, the deployment of mmWave remains challenging and its population coverage is very limited at slightly above 0%.

Private 5G networks also face difficulty to expand their presence in the mmWave frequency bands as Japanese enterprises that have obtained permission to establish private 5G networks are primarily focusing on sub-6GHz frequency bands, while only less than 10% decided to build one at mmWave ones.

To address problems such as high deployment costs and lack of killer applications, the local government and enterprises continue to leverage new technologies and regulations to make the mmWave band more accessible to accelerate its popularization.

• Introduction

• mmWave deployment

• Table 1: Japanese telecom carriers 5G base stations owned and population coverage by bands, March 2023 (units)

• Chart 1: Japan 5G data traffic share by freqnency band ranges, March 2023

• Table 2: Handsets released by top telecom carriers supporting mmWave transmission, Summer 2020-Winter 2022

• Private network

• Chart 2: Number of applications for private 5G network testing and validation by spectrum in Japan, 2020-2022 (units)

• Table 3: Details of applications for private 5G network testing and validation in Japan at mmWave spectrum, 2020-2022

• Strategies to make mmWave standardized

• Table 4: Subjects and strategies on making mmWave standardized in Japan

• Cable TV companies

• Table 5: Japanese cable TV companies private 5G mmWave network application examples

• Summary