KDDI held its Q2 FY2027 (April-September) financial results briefing. During the briefing, President and CEO Koji Matsuda touched upon improvements in network quality, explaining that the termination of roaming services to Rakuten Mobile, which began in October primarily in urban areas, has had a positive impact.
KDDI had long provided roaming connectivity since Rakuten Mobile's service launch in spring 2020. While this service will continue in sparsely populated rural areas until Rakuten Mobile establishes its own network, the termination of roaming has been progressing in many urban areas since October.
KDDI highlights a decrease in the data stoppage rate in congested areas from October onwards, attributing it to the termination of roaming services to Rakuten Mobile.
Regarding the provision of roaming connectivity in urban areas, KDDI stated there was "unexpected traffic from unexpected locations," and noted that au users were particularly affected in congested areas. However, since October, inbound traffic has decreased. The presentation materials cited "parts of Yokohama City and Fukuoka City" as examples of congested areas, reporting a "roughly 30% reduction in the data stoppage rate," which has led to improved network quality.
On the other hand, the continuation of roaming connectivity for Rakuten Mobile, primarily in rural areas, is expected to generate an additional ¥10 billion in revenue in the second half of fiscal year 2026, exceeding initial projections.
