This series summarizes the weekly movements of MVNOs, SIM-free smartphones, and more, along with a price list of major MVNOs. Last week, KDDI updated the map of areas where it provides roaming for Rakuten Mobile. It became clear that the coverage area has significantly decreased, especially in urban areas, from October onwards.
KDDI Updates Roaming Area Map for Rakuten Mobile, Significant Reduction Especially in Urban Areas – Will It Get Particularly Tough Indoors?
On September 30, KDDI updated the map of areas where it provides roaming for Rakuten Mobile. Information for October onwards is now available.
The first map shows coverage from October onwards, and the second is as of the end of September. While there's a significant reduction in the Kanto region, one could also argue that quite a bit remains.
Looking at the map, the roaming area has significantly decreased, especially in urban areas. That said, it also gives the impression that quite a bit remains. Furthermore, in sparsely populated areas (rural areas), roaming is still provided largely unchanged from before.
The Kansai region shows a clearer reduction. Kyoto city center, where network coverage is somewhat challenging for all carriers, is particularly noticeable.
In sparsely populated areas of the Chugoku region, there's no significant change.
Since au roaming is provided on the platinum band, even in places that appear to be within Rakuten Mobile's own coverage area, there's a possibility that indoor users might be affected by the termination of roaming. Various reactions are already being seen on social media, but it will be interesting to see what further impacts will occur in the future.
Pixel 10a Price Hike from October: 79,900 yen → 92,800 yen at Google Store
Rising prices for PCs and smartphones due to soaring semiconductor costs are quite noticeable with new products, but price revisions are also starting to increase for existing models.
The "Pixel 10a," a prime example of an affordable yet high-performance smartphone, has seen a price increase at the Google Store...
The Pixel 10a seems to be particularly affected. It's a popular model with high-end performance in the mid-range price segment, but its price at the Google Store, which was 79,900 yen at the time of its domestic release in April, has now become 92,800 yen (for the 128GB model). In this era of inflation, the common wisdom seems to be shifting from "digital devices get cheaper over time" to "buy the products you want sooner rather than later."
