Japan
Opensignal is the independent global standard for analyzing consumer mobile experience. Our industry reports are the definitive guide to understanding the true experience consumers receive on wireless networks.
Japan
Opensignal is the independent global standard for analyzing consumer mobile experience. Our industry reports are the definitive guide to understanding the true experience consumers receive on wireless networks.
Key Findings
The most consistent experience is with SoftBank
SoftBank wins both the Excellent and Core Consistent Quality experience awards, taking the Excellent Consistent Quality award from NTT docomo which was the winner in the last report. This means our SoftBank users now have indisputably the most consistent mobile network experience in Japan.
On Video Experience, SoftBank and NTT docomo share the awards
While SoftBank wins the 5G Video Experience award outright with a score of 78.6, the overall Video Experience award is jointly won by NTT docomo and SoftBank with statistically tied scores of 72-72.4 on a 100-point scale. Only SoftBank's 5G video streaming experience rated as Excellent (78 or above).
NTT docomo has the fastest overall and 5G download speed experience
With our users seeing average 5G download speeds of 204Mbps and overall average speeds of 52.8 Mbps, NTT docomo wins both the 5G Download Speed and Download Speed Experience awards. Rakuten is second for 5G Download Speed with a score of 174.4Mbps but it's au that is second overall with a score of 45.7Mbps.
Rakuten users have the fastest average upload speed
Rakuten wins both the 5G Upload Speed and the overall Upload Speed Experience award again. In the 5G category its score of 29.5Mbps leads second placed SoftBank's score of 21.2Mbps. Impressively, our Rakuten users' overall average upload speed of 18.3Mbps is over twice as fast as users' 9Mbps on second placed SoftBank.
Multiplayer mobile gaming is best using SoftBank, on 5G it's Excellent
SoftBank wins both the overall Games Experience award and the 5G Games Experience award. While it won the overall award by under one point, with a score of 82.3 against au’s second placed score of 81.5, its victory margin in 5G is more substantial. SoftBank scores 89.1 for 5G Games Experience rating as Excellent (85 or above) —‚ au and Rakuten tie for second place with 82.4-83 points followed by NTT docomo on 77.4.
Mobile Experience Awards
Market Overview
Japan's mobile market continues to move forward. In the six months since the last Opensignal report, the time our users spend connected to 5G — 5G Availability — has increased significantly on three of Japan's operators. Similarly, users are seeing 5G in more locations than ever before with 5G Reach scores also rising.
Three operators have much improved 5G Availability scores with au rising from 5.5% to 9.3% now, SoftBank increasing from 5.9% to 8.4% and NTT docomo from 4.5% to 6.1% which are impressive increases in just the six months from the last report. For 5G Reach, our users on two operators are now approaching seeing 5G in half the locations they visit with au and SoftBank now scoring 4.3 on a 10-point scale. These increases in 5G Availability and 5G Reach mean the better speeds, multiplayer mobile gaming and video streaming that users see with 5G are now experienced more often.
In this report, the Opensignal awards are again shared across all four operators indicating the fierce competition in Japan. SoftBank again wins the most awards — six outright wins plus two joint wins — NTT docomo wins the second most with three outright and two joint wins. Rakuten wins two awards, both for upload speed, while au picks up joint wins for Voice App Experience and 5G Reach and takes the 5G Availability award outright.
Overall Experience
National Analysis
NTT docomo and SoftBank jointly win the Video Experience award with statistically tied scores of 72-72.4. These rank as Very Good (68-78) meaning our users are on average able to stream video at 1080p or better with satisfactory loading times and little stalling.
Au is close behind with a score of 71.6 on a 100-point scale for mobile video streaming, and Rakuten scores 69.2. Both operators also rate as Very Good (68-78).
Definitions
Opensignal’s Video Experience quantifies the quality of video streamed to mobile devices by measuring real-world video streams over an operator's networks. The metric is based on an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach, built upon detailed studies which have derived a relationship between technical parameters, including picture quality, video loading time and stall rate, with the perceived video experience as reported by real people. To calculate video experience, we are directly measuring video streams from end-user devices and using this ITU approach to quantify the overall video experience for each operator on a scale from 0 to 100. The videos tested include a mixture of resolutions — including Full HD (FHD) and 4K / Ultra HD (UHD) — and are streamed directly from the world’s largest video content providers.
In addition to Video Experience, we report on the following metrics related to video experience:
- 5G Video Experience: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users when they were connected to an operator’s 5G network.
- Video Experience – 5G Users: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator's networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G video experience along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Video Experience: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 4G network.
- 3G Video Experience: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users on an operator’s 3G network.
National Analysis
With a narrow victory margin, SoftBank again wins Games Experience. Its score of 82.3 is under one point ahead of au's score of 81.5. In fact, under four points separate all the operators' overall Games Experience scores.
The experience rates as Good (75-85) meaning most users deem the experience acceptable. The gameplay experience is generally controllable and the user receives immediate feedback between their actions and the outcomes in the game. Most users do not experience a delay between their actions and the game.
Definitions
Opensignal’s Games Experience measures how mobile users experience real-time multiplayer mobile gaming on an operator’s network. Measured on a scale of 0-100, it analyzes how our users’ multiplayer mobile gaming experience is affected by mobile network conditions including latency, packet loss and jitter.
Games Experience quantifies the experience when playing real-time multiplayer mobile games on mobile devices connected to servers located around the world. The approach is built on several years of research quantifying the relationship between technical network parameters and the gaming experience as reported by real mobile users. These parameters include latency (round trip time), jitter (variability of latency) and packet loss (the proportion of data packets that never reach their destination). Additionally, it considers multiple genres of multiplayer mobile games to measure the average sensitivity to network conditions. The games tested include some of the most popular real-time multiplayer mobile games (such as Fortnite, Pro Evolution Soccer and Arena of Valor) played around the world.
Calculating Games Experience starts with measuring the end-to-end experience from users’ devices to internet end-points that host real games. The score is then measured on a scale from 0 to 100.
In addition to Games Experience, we report on the following metrics related to games experience:
- 5G Games Experience: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users when they were connected to an operator’s 5G network.
- Games Experience – 5G Users: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator's networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G games experience along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Games Experience: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 4G network.
- 3G Games Experience: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO) network.
National Analysis
For real-time voice chat using popular applications like LINE, WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, au and NTT docomo jointly win the award with tied scores of 82.2-82.1 on a 100-point scale. Softbank (81.7) and Rakuten (80.6) are close behind the Voice App Experience joint winners.
Definitions
Opensignal's Voice App Experience measures the quality of experience for over-the-top (OTT) voice services — mobile voice apps such as WhatsApp, Skype and Facebook Messenger — using a model derived from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach for quantifying overall voice call quality and a series of calibrated technical parameters. This model characterizes the exact relationship between the technical measurements and perceived call quality. Voice App Experience for each operator is calculated on a scale from 0 to 100.
In addition to Voice App Experience, we report on the following metrics related to voice app experience:
- 5G Voice App Experience: The average Voice App Experience of Opensignal users when they were connected to an operator’s 5G network.
- Voice App Experience – 5G Users: The average Voice App Experience of Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator's networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G voice app experience along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Voice App Experience: The average Voice App Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 4G network.
- 3G Voice App Experience: The average Voice App Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO) network.
National Analysis
The positions of the four operators for Download Speed Experience are the same as in the last Opensignal report, but all of the scores have increased slightly. NTT docomo wins with the award again with users enjoying average download speeds of 52.8Mbps up from 47.1Mbps last time.
The other operators saw similar small increases in their scores. Second placed au sees its users' average download speeds rise from 43.4Mbps to 45.7Mbps, as does SoftBank with a score now reaching 41.3Mbps up from 37.9Mbps, and Rakuten users' speeds going from 30Mbps to 33.7Mbps now.
Definitions
Measured in Mbps, Download Speed Experience represents the typical everyday speeds a user experiences across an operator’s mobile data networks.
In addition to Download Speed Experience, we report on the following metrics related to download speeds:
- 5G Download Speed: The average download speed observed by Opensignal users with active 5G connections.
- Download Speed Experience – 5G Users: The average download speeds experienced by Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator’s networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G download speeds along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Download Speed: The average downlink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 4G.
- 3G Download Speed: The average downlink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO).
National Analysis
Rakuten again holds onto the Upload Speed Experience award with a score of 18.3Mbps. This is over twice as fast as the scores of the other three operators with SoftBank scoring 9Mbps, and au and NTT docomo both scoring 7.9Mbps. High average upload speeds are important for users when sharing photos and videos on social media, messaging friends, or sending large attachments by email.
Definitions
Upload Speed Experience measures the average upload speeds for each operator observed by our users across their mobile data networks. Typically upload speeds are slower than download speeds, as current mobile broadband technologies focus resources on providing the best possible download speed for users consuming content on their devices. As mobile internet trends move away from downloading content to creating content and supporting real-time communications services, upload speeds are becoming more vital and new technologies are emerging that boost upstream capacity.
In addition to Upload Speed Experience, we report on five supporting metrics related to upload speeds:
- 5G Upload Speed: The average upload speed observed by Opensignal users with active 5G connections.
- Upload Speed Experience – 5G Users: The average upload speeds experienced by Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator’s networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G upload speeds along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Upload Speed: The average uplink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 4G.
- 3G Upload Speed: The average uplink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO).
Regional Analysis
The overall mobile network experience results vary tremendously based on the category. In both regional speed awards the same operator wins in every region. NTT docomo wins in every region for Download Speed Experience and similarly Rakuten has a clean sweep of every regional Upload Speed Experience award.
Voice App Experience is jointly won by au and NTT docomo in six regions, NTT docomo wins outright in Chubu, while in Shikoku SoftBank joins au and NTT docomo as a joint winner. Rakuten picks up no regional awards in this category.
The regional Games Experience awards are shared evenly between au and SoftBank. SoftBank wins Games Experience outright in Chubu and Kinki. Au also wins in two regions, Kyushu and Tohoku. In the other four, au and SoftBank together jointly win.
For Video Experience, Rakuten picks up a joint win in Chugoku alongside the other three operators. In Chubu, NTT docomo and SoftBank jointly win. While in the other regions, au, NTT docomo and SoftBank have a three-way win.
Regional Analysis Summary: Japan, Mobile Network Experience Report, April 2023
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A-I
- Chubu
- Chugoku
- Hokkaido
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J-R
- Kanto
- Kinki
- Kyushu
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S-Z
- Shikoku
- Tohoku
in Chubu
in Chubu
in Chubu
in Chubu
in Chubu
in Chugoku
in Chugoku
in Chugoku
in Chugoku
in Chugoku
in Hokkaido
in Hokkaido
in Hokkaido
in Hokkaido
in Hokkaido
in Kanto
in Kanto
in Kanto
in Kanto
in Kanto
in Kinki
in Kinki
in Kinki
in Kinki
in Kinki
in Kyushu
in Kyushu
in Kyushu
in Kyushu
in Kyushu
in Shikoku
in Shikoku
in Shikoku
in Shikoku
in Shikoku
in Tohoku
in Tohoku
in Tohoku
in Tohoku
in Tohoku
5G Experience
National Analysis
SoftBank is the only operator with an Excellent (78 or above) rating for 5G Video Experience with a score of 78.6. This means on average our SoftBank users are able to stream video at 1080p or better resolution with fast loading times and no stalling over 5G connections.
Users on the other three operators all have a Very Good (68-78) 5G Video Experience. Their scores are slightly lower than Softbank's, with NTT docomo scoring 76.9, au on 75.6 and Rakuten narrowly in last place with a score of 73.6 on a 100-point scale.
Definitions
5G Video Experience quantifies the quality of mobile video experienced by Opensignal users on real-world video streams when they were connected to 5G. The metric is based on an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach, built upon detailed studies which have derived a relationship between technical parameters, including picture quality, video loading time and stall rate, with the perceived video experience as reported by real people. To calculate 5G Video Experience, we are directly measuring video streams from end-user devices and using this ITU approach to quantify the video experience observed by our users on each operator’s 5G network on a scale from 0 to 100. The videos tested include a mixture of resolutions — including Full HD (FHD) and 4K / Ultra HD (UHD) — and are streamed directly from the world’s largest video content providers.
National Analysis
By a large margin, SoftBank wins the 5G Games Experience award with a score of 89.1 on a 100-point scale. This is the only score for 5G multiplayer gaming that ranks as Excellent (85 or above) in this report. This means the vast majority of users deem this network experience acceptable. Nearly all respondents feel like they have control over the game and they receive immediate feedback on their actions. There is not a noticeable delay in almost all cases.
With lower scores the other three operators — au and Rakuten (which statistically tie for second place with 82.4-83 points) as well as NTT docomo (77.4) rate as Good (75-85) for 5G Games Experience.
Definitions
5G Games Experience measures how mobile users experience real-time multiplayer mobile gaming on an operator's 5G network. It analyzes how our users’ multiplayer mobile gaming experience was affected by mobile network conditions including latency, packet loss and jitter. 5G Games Experience for each operator is calculated on a scale from 0 to 100.
5G Games Experience quantifies the experience when playing real-time multiplayer mobile games on mobile devices connected to servers located around the world. The approach is built on several years of research quantifying the relationship between technical network parameters and the gaming experience as reported by real mobile users. These parameters include latency (round trip time), jitter (variability of latency) and packet loss (the proportion of data packets that never reach their destination). Additionally, it considers multiple genres of multiplayer mobile games to measure the average sensitivity to network conditions. The games tested include some of the most popular real-time multiplayer mobile games (such as Fortnite, Pro Evolution Soccer and Arena of Valor) played around the world. Calculating 5G Games Experience starts with measuring the end-to-end experience from users’ devices to internet end-points that host real games.
National Analysis
SoftBank wins the 5G Voice App Experience award with a score of 84 on a 100-point scale. Under two points separate all four operators in this report.
Definitions
5G Voice App Experience quantifies the experience of Opensignal users when using over-the-top voice apps — such as WhatsApp, Skype and Facebook Messenger — on an operator’s 5G network. It uses a model derived from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach for quantifying overall voice call quality and a series of calibrated technical parameters. This model characterizes the exact relationship between the technical measurements and perceived call quality. 5G Voice App Experience for each operator is calculated on a scale from 0 to 100.
National Analysis
NTT docomo's winning score for 5G Download Speed, 204 Mbps, is nearly four times faster than its winning speed for overall Download Speed Experience (52.8 Mbps). On all four operators, our users' average 5G download speeds are much faster than their overall download speeds: Rakuten users enjoy average download speeds of 174.4Mbps with 5G up from 33.7Mbps overall; SoftBank 131.3Mbps with 5G versus 41.3Mbps overall; and au users see 112.4Mbps 5G speeds, compared with overall speeds of 45.7Mbps.
Definitions
5G Download Speed shows the average download speed experienced by Opensignal users across an operator’s 5G network. 5G Download Speed for each operator is calculated in Mbps (Megabits per second).
National Analysis
While Rakuten wins the 5G Upload Speed award alongside the overall Upload Speed Experience award, it is a closer result on 5G. Rakuten scores 29.5 Mbps for 5G Upload Speed ahead of second placed SoftBank's score of 21.2 Mbps but for overall upload speed Rakuten users enjoy speeds that are at least twice as fast as users on other operators.
Definitions
5G Upload Speed measures the average upload speeds experienced by Opensignal users across an operator’s 5G network. 5G Upload Speed for each operator is calculated in Mbps (Megabits per second).
Coverage
au
NTT docomo
Rakuten
SoftBank
National Analysis
All four operators have a near perfect score for Availability with all scoring 99% or more. Availability represents the amount of time our users spend with a 5G, 4G or 3G mobile signal. However, NTT docomo narrowly wins the award with a score of 99.7%.
Definitions
Our availability metrics are not a measure of a network’s geographical extent. They won’t tell you whether you are likely to get a signal if you plan to visit a remote rural or nearly uninhabited region. Instead, they measure what proportion of time people have a network connection, in the places they most commonly frequent — something often missed by traditional coverage metrics. Looking at when users have a connection rather than where, provides us with a more precise reflection of the true user experience.
We also keep track of the instances that leave mobile users most frustrated: when there is no signal to connect to at all. The most common dead zones users struggle with occur indoors. As most of our availability data is collected indoors (as that’s where users spend most of their time), we’re particularly astute at detecting areas of zero signal.
Our availability metrics take a user-centric, time-based approach that complements the user-centric and geographical-based methodology used by our reach metrics.
Availability shows the proportion of time all Opensignal users on an operator’s network had either a 3G, 4G or 5G connection.
The coverage maps show the locations where we received measurements from users connecting with 3G or better mobile service. Each map provides an indication of the areas in which it is possible to obtain mobile service from that mobile operator.
National Analysis
Our 5G users on au enjoy an active 5G connection for 9.3% of time which means au wins the 5G Availability award. With the second highest score, SoftBank users have an active 5G connection for 8.4% of time.
Definitions
Our availability metrics are not a measure of a network’s geographical extent. They won’t tell you whether you are likely to get a signal if you plan to visit a remote rural or nearly uninhabited region. Instead, they measure what proportion of time people have a network connection, in the places they most commonly frequent — something often missed by traditional coverage metrics. Looking at when users have a connection rather than where, provides us with a more precise reflection of the true user experience.
We also keep track of the instances that leave mobile users most frustrated: when there is no signal to connect to at all. The most common dead zones users struggle with occur indoors. As most of our availability data is collected indoors (as that’s where users spend most of their time), we’re particularly astute at detecting areas of zero signal.
Our availability metrics take a user-centric, time-based approach that complements the user-centric and geographical-based methodology used by our reach metrics.
5G Availability shows the proportion of time Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription had an active 5G connection.
The coverage maps show the locations where we received measurements from users connecting with 3G or better mobile service. Each map provides an indication of the areas in which it is possible to obtain mobile service from that mobile operator.
National Analysis
SoftBank and au jointly win the 5G Reach award with statistically tied scores of 4.3 on a 10-point scale. NTT docomo is just behind with a score of 3.9 but Rakuten users see a 5G signal in far fewer locations than users on the other operators with Rakuten scoring 1.4 for 5G Reach.
Definitions
5G Reach measures how users experience the geographical extent of an operator’s 5G network. It analyzes the average proportion of locations where users were connected to a 5G network out of all the locations those users have visited. In simple terms, 5G Reach measures the 5G mobile experience in all the locations that matter most to everyday users – i.e. all the places where they live, work and travel. 5G Reach for each operator is measured on a scale from 0 to 10.
The coverage maps show the locations where we received measurements from users connecting with 3G or better mobile service. Each map provides an indication of the areas in which it is possible to obtain mobile service from that mobile operator.
Regional Analysis
No operator is dominant in regional Availability. However, while in every region the award is shared among at least two operators, NTT docomo is the only operator to jointly win in every region. Au jointly wins everywhere apart from Kyushu. SoftBank and Rakuten jointly win Availability in four regions.
Regional Analysis Summary: Japan, Mobile Network Experience Report, April 2023
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A-I
- Chubu
- Chugoku
- Hokkaido
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J-R
- Kanto
- Kinki
- Kyushu
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S-Z
- Shikoku
- Tohoku
in Chubu
in Chugoku
in Hokkaido
in Kanto
in Kinki
in Kyushu
in Shikoku
in Tohoku
Consistency
National Analysis
SoftBank wins the Excellent Consistent Quality award with a score of 87.4%. This means that the greatest proportion of tests met the minimum thresholds for more demanding applications on SoftBank's network. NTT docomo (85.4%) and au (83.6%) are the next highest scoring. Rakuten lags behind with a score of 67%.
Definitions
Consistent Quality measures how often users’ experience on a network was sufficient to support common applications’ requirements. It measures download speed, upload speed, latency, jitter, packet loss, time to first byte and the percentage of tests attempted which did not succeed due to a connectivity issue on either the download or server response component.
Full details on how the Consistent Quality metrics — Excellent Consistent Quality and Core Consistent Quality — are calculated can be found here.
Excellent Consistent Quality is the percentage of users’ tests that met the minimum recommended performance thresholds to watch HD video, complete group video conference calls and play games.
National Analysis
SoftBank wins the Core Consistent Quality award with a score of 94.1% which is slightly ahead of NTT docomo (92.5%) and au's score of 92%. These scores mean that the vast majority of tests on these operators meet the minimum quality thresholds for less demanding mobile applications and services.
Definitions
Consistent Quality measures how often users’ experience on a network was sufficient to support common applications’ requirements. It measures download speed, upload speed, latency, jitter, packet loss, time to first byte and the percentage of tests attempted which did not succeed due to a connectivity issue on either the download or server response component.
Full details on how the Consistent Quality metrics — Excellent Consistent Quality and Core Consistent Quality — are calculated can be found here.
Core Consistent Quality is the percentage of users’ tests that met the minimum recommended performance thresholds for lower performance applications including SD video, voice calls and web browsing.
Related Analysis
Our Methodology
Collecting billions of individual measurements daily from over 100 million devices globally, Opensignal independently analyzes mobile user experience on every major network operator around the globe.
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Confidence Intervals
For every metric we calculate statistical confidence intervals indicated on our graphs. When confidence intervals overlap, our measured results are too close to declare a winner. In those cases, we show a statistical draw. For this reason, some metrics have multiple operator winners.
In our bar graphs we represent confidence intervals as boundaries on either sides of graph bars.
In our supporting-metric charts we show confidence intervals as +/- numerical values.
Why confidence intervals are vital in analyzing mobile network experience