GSMA report urges Japan to take bold action to convert technical excellence into global digital leadership

New study highlights urgent priorities for Japan’s digital transformation, with industry signaling shared 6G ambition through the Tokyo Accord 

Tokyo: Japan must take bold, coordinated action to translate its world-class technological strengths into global digital leadership, according to a new GSMA report launched at the Digital Nation Summit Tokyo. 

The study finds that while Japan remains a leader in next-generation connectivity, frontier technologies and applied innovation, persistent structural challenges are limiting productivity growth and economy-wide digital impact. Addressing these constraints will be critical if Japan is to shift from a cautious technology adopter to a confident global standards setter. 

Reflecting this broader ambition, the Tokyo Accord was signed at the Summit by Japan’s mobile network operators – KDDI, NTT DOCOMO, Rakuten Mobile and SoftBank – alongside the three APAC 6G Alliances, Globe and LG U+, marking a shared commitment to shape the 6G era. The Accord signals growing regional and global alignment, bringing together pioneering operators and alliances to advance open, interoperable and trusted digital ecosystems. It reinforces the report’s call for coordinated action, with additional operators expected to join through future Digital Nations Summits. 

The Digital Nations 2026: Accelerating the Digital Leap in Japan report identifies 2026 as a critical inflection point. While targeted interventions have mitigated the worst of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s (METI) ‘digital cliff’ risks, deeper structural issues remain. Stagnant productivity, a widening digital services deficit and persistent gaps in translating research excellence into scalable innovation continue to constrain Japan’s long-term competitiveness. 

As global discussions on 5G and 6G accelerate, the report highlights Japan’s opportunity to play a leading role by aligning spectrum strategy, R&D investment and international standards engagement with broader digital transformation goals. Positioning next-generation connectivity as a platform for innovation, productivity, and resilience will be central to securing long-term global leadership. 

Priority Areas for Immediate Action 

The report identifies three areas requiring urgent, coordinated action across government and industry: 

• Completing the 5G journey. While Japan was an early adopter of 5G, nationwide deployment of 5G standalone (SA) remains uneven. Accelerating rollout is essential to unlock advanced capabilities and lay the foundation for future 6G evolution. 
• Closing the grey digital divide. Japan faces a significant digital inclusion challenge, with 29% of its population aged 65 and over. Internet usage drops to 59.6% among those aged 70-79 and to 25.6% for those over 80, highlighting the need for more accessible, human-centred digital services. Mobile operators are playing a key role through digital skills programmes, alongside government initiatives such as the Myna App and digital support schemes. 
• Strengthening digital trust. Fraud and scam losses reached JPY324.1 billion ($2.1 billion) in 2025, with cases at an all-time high. This underscores the need for stronger domestic safeguards and deeper international cooperation, including secure-by-design and trust-by-design approaches

Julian Gorman, Head of Asia Pacific GSMA said: “Japan has many of the foundations required for digital leadership, from advanced connectivity and research excellence to strong data governance. The challenge now is execution. This week’s Digital Nation Summit provides an important moment for policymakers and industry leaders to align the actions needed to translate technical leadership into real economic and societal outcomes. By harnessing its comparative advantages and deepening international cooperation, Japan can position itself as a confident global standards setter for digital nations.” 

Across infrastructure, innovation, data governance, security and skills, the report highlights both strong digital foundations and persistent gaps. It sets out three strategic pathways for Japan’s next phase of digital development: building on comparative strengths in next-generation connectivity and frontier technologies; applying global best practices to accelerate deployment and trust; and deepening international cooperation to shape global standards across AI, cybersecurity, semiconductors and future connectivity. 

Digital Nations Summit Tokyo 

The GSMA Digital Nations Summit Tokyo convenes senior government officials, industry leaders and ecosystem partners to examine how national digital strategies can align with global best practice and emerging international norms. 

GSMA leadership engagement at the Summit includes keynote remarks from Director General Vivek Badrinath, alongside senior contributions across key strategic priorities: Hakan Dursun on the role of advanced connectivity and AI in shaping next-generation networks; Jeanette Whyte leading discussions on digital trust and cross-sector collaboration through frameworks such as Active Cyber Defence (ACD) and ACAST; Lara Dewar advancing the #ChangeTheFace agenda; and John Giusti addressing immediate global policy priorities. 

These discussions reinforce the Summit’s focus on advancing secure, inclusive and globally aligned digital ecosystems, while strengthening Japan’s role in shaping the future of connectivity and digital cooperation. 

Digital Nations 2026: Accelerating the Digital Leap in Japan can be downloaded here.