Japan reaches near-universal 5G coverage. Mostly

Japan has achieved nearly complete 5G population coverage, yet performance and accessibility vary widely across operators and regions, highlighting ongoing challenges in bridging urban-rural gaps and ensuring consistent user experience.

Japan has achieved near‑universal 5G population coverage, but performance and real‑world access vary sharply across operators and prefectures, leaving many users outside dense urban centres with a markedly different experience. According to the original report, government figures showed 5G population coverage reached 98.4% by the end of fiscal 2024, yet availability , the share of time 5G‑capable devices actually connect to 5G , remains uneven. ^[1][4]

Speedtest Intelligence data for the third quarter of 2025 underscores how operator strategy shapes everyday use. SoftBank posted the fastest median download speeds across combined network types at 62.05 Mbps, narrowly ahead of KDDI’s au (57.85 Mbps), with Rakuten Mobile and NTT DOCOMO trailing at 53.54 Mbps and 50.50 Mbps respectively. However, Rakuten Mobile delivered the highest median 5G download speed (128.39 Mbps), closely followed by SoftBank (127.45 Mbps), illustrating a divergence between overall median performance and peak 5G results. ^[1]

The gap between coverage and use is most visible in 5G Availability scores. Industry data shows NTT DOCOMO led with a 38.4% 5G Availability, more than six percentage points above au, while SoftBank recorded the lowest availability at 26.5% despite its strong median speeds. That pattern reflects operator choices: concentrated 5G investment in high‑traffic urban areas versus reliance on mature 4G networks to maintain nationwide reach. ^[1]

Event‑level testing during Expo 2025 in Osaka reflected some of the same trade‑offs. A benchmarking study found SoftBank and NTT DOCOMO delivered the most consistent signal strength across the venue, while au produced the fastest and most consistent 5G download speeds during the event. Rakuten and au showed weaker signal reach in parts of the site, although signal quality under load remained in a generally “good” range for all carriers. These results highlight that peak speeds and in‑field consistency can diverge depending on local network density and optimisation. ^[2]

Prefectural data reveal stark regional disparities. Population and economic concentration in a handful of urban prefectures means Osaka, Tokyo, Aichi and Kanagawa report the strongest 5G availability and speeds, while inland and mountainous prefectures such as Yamanashi, Nagano and Shimane lag far behind. Statista prefecture‑level figures confirm Kanagawa and Osaka among the leaders in 5G population coverage, and Shimane among the weakest, reinforcing a clear urban‑rural divide. ^[1][3]

Speed does not always track availability. Some less connected prefectures deliver very high median 5G speeds when users do attach , for example, Yamagata recorded one of the fastest median 5G downloads nationally despite low availability , suggesting low congestion and targeted capacity can yield strong performance even where coverage is sparse. Conversely, urban prefectures with high availability often combine both higher median speeds and greater consistency. Event benchmarking also showed au and DoCoMo could deliver extremely high median 5G speeds under dense demand. ^[1][2]

Lower‑end performance measures expose further quality differences. NTT DOCOMO frequently produced stronger 10th percentile 5G download speeds , the experience of the slowest 10% of users , in many prefectures, while SoftBank showed high peaks but greater variance, with some minimum speeds falling sharply by prefecture. Industry comparisons indicate Rakuten has been expanding capacity rapidly and improving speeds in specific regions, and that established operators continue to tune networks to reduce the incidence of very low speeds. ^[1][5][6][7]

Japan’s near‑complete national 5G footprint is the result of regulation and sustained investment, but closing the remaining gaps will demand continued, targeted deployment beyond dense cities. According to the original report, without further focus on rural and mountainous prefectures the uneven 5G experience is likely to persist even as headline coverage figures remain high. Operator upgrades, recent capacity expansions by Rakuten and event‑level optimisation by carriers show progress is possible, but the balance between peak performance, consistent minimum speeds and broad availability will determine how evenly the benefits of 5G are felt across the country. ^[1][6][7][4]

📌 Reference Map:

##Reference Map:

• ^[1] (Telecoms Tech News) – Paragraph 1, Paragraph 2, Paragraph 3, Paragraph 5, Paragraph 6, Paragraph 7, Paragraph 8
• ^[2] (GSMA benchmarking report) – Paragraph 4, Paragraph 6
• ^[3] (Statista – prefecture data) – Paragraph 5
• ^[4] (Statista – national coverage) – Paragraph 1, Paragraph 8
• ^[5] (Ohayu mobile network comparison) – Paragraph 7
• ^[6] (Rakuten Mobile press release June 2024) – Paragraph 7, Paragraph 8
• ^[7] (Rakuten Mobile press release July 2025) – Paragraph 7, Paragraph 8

Source: Fuse Wire Services