AT&T has deepened its partnership with Rakuten Symphony in a new multiyear agreement aimed at accelerating Open RAN and 5G infrastructure deployments across the U.S. As part of its Network Simplification Transformation (NST) initiative, AT&T will expand use of Rakuten Site Management, a unified, AI-enhanced platform designed to automate and orchestrate mobile and fiber network build-outs. The collaboration focuses on streamlining legacy site planning and construction workflows while enabling scalable Open RAN infrastructure through real-time intelligence and automation.
The announcement supports AT&T’s goal to migrate 70% of its wireless network traffic to open, interoperable platforms by late 2026. Rakuten Site Management replaces fragmented legacy tools with a centralized digital orchestration suite that supports the full lifecycle of site builds—from design and permitting to construction and compliance. Since its initial deployment 18 months ago, the platform has been adopted by over 10,000 users across AT&T and its contractors, and is now being extended to support AT&T’s nationwide fiber expansion projects as well.
Rakuten Symphony’s latest release, Site Management 2.0, adds AI-powered features including “Intelligent Site Audit,” which uses computer vision to validate field work instantly via photo uploads. The AI system can approve work, trigger remediation steps, and streamline payment processes—all without human intervention. This reduces truck rolls, improves deployment quality, and boosts workforce productivity. With over 3.5 million sites globally registered, the platform has demonstrated 60% improvement in build efficiency and 99% deployment accuracy across multi-technology rollouts including Open RAN, 5G, private networks, and fiber.
- AT&T extending Rakuten Symphony partnership for nationwide Open RAN and fiber rollout
- Site Management replaces legacy tools with AI-powered orchestration platform
- Platform now deployed to 10,000+ AT&T and contractor users
- Supports full site lifecycle: planning, design, permitting, compliance, and construction
- New AI feature “Intelligent Site Audit” automates quality control and payment workflows
- Proven at scale across 3.5M global sites with 60% faster deployment and 99% accuracy
- AT&T targets 70% of wireless traffic on Open RAN by end of 2026
“Rakuten Symphony’s expertise in workflow orchestration and creativity in ideating solutions to complex problems or functions has been instrumental in our success,” said Alisha Remek, Vice President, Access Construction & Engineering at AT&T. “Their willingness to push boundaries—balancing speed with quality—has helped us achieve the goals of AT&T’s Network Simplification Transformation program.”
