On April 15th 2024, the Softbank network began decommissioning its remaining 3G cell towers which is causing some temporary connectivity problems that are outside our control.
We expect the connection to stabilize as soon as everyone using the Softbank network is transitioned over to 4G however we will continue to liaise with Softbank with regards to the issues.
In the meantime, please try the steps below to see if this restores your connection:
If you are using a ‘Japan Voice + Data SIM’ (previously known as the ‘Japan Unlimited SIM v2’ SIM) that was purchased after Oct 12th 2021, please visit the following link: v2 Troubleshooting Guide
If you are using a ‘Japan Unlimited v1’ SIM that was purchased before Oct 12th 2021 however, please follow the troubleshooting steps below –
Firstly, can you please scan for updates on your device and ensure that the latest version of the operating system is installed? If your device is fully up to date but the issue persists however, please follow the steps below –
1) Switch off your phone, remove any SIM Cards installed in your device and leave your phone switched off for 5-10 minutes
2) Reinsert our SIM Card into SIM Slot 1 and leave slot 2 empty ( If your phone is dual SIM ). Note: If your device is eSIM compatible, please ensure any eSIMs on your device are disabled ( not deleted ).
3) Switch your phone back on and wait a few minutes to see if your phone establishes a connection to Softbank
If your device does not establish a connection please check the following;
1) Make sure your network type is set to 4G/LTE ( Disable 5G )
2) Enable VoLTE
3) Make sure the correct APN is installed
– For iPhone please see this link
– For Android please enter the following;
Name: Mobal
APN: plus.4g
Username: plus
Password: 4g
MCC: 440
MNC: 20
Authentication Type: PAP or CHAP
APN Type: default, supl
Bearer: LTE
APN Protocol: IPV4/IPV6
APN Roaming Protocol: IPV4/IPV6
4) If you are still unable to connect to Softbank after these steps, please reboot your phone.
5) If there is no change, please switch the Airplane / Flight mode on for 30 seconds and then switch it back off again.
6) If the issue still persists, please return to the APN profile again and try changing the APN Type from “default, supl” to: default,ia,mms,supl,hipri
After making this change, save the profile / retest the connection and if there is no improvement, please reboot your device and then test the connection again.
If the steps above fail to resolve your issue, please try connecting to the Softbank 4G network manually. For general instructions on how to do this, please see the links below:
For Android: Manual Network Selection (Android) – Mobal Support – Japan Voice+Data SIM
For iPhone: Manual Network Selection (iPhone) – Mobal Support – Japan Voice+Data SIM
If you have tried all of the above we would suggest contacting the service provider/retailer you purchased the phone from originally to check that it is capable of using VoLTE in Japan.
If your provider confirms it should be possible for you to connect to VoLTE in Japan and your issue persists, please get in touch with the exact make/model of your device and screenshots of your revised APN Settings and Mobile/Cellular network settings and we will investigate this further for you.
Thank you for understanding and cooperation and we again apologize for any inconvenience these temporary connectivity issues may be causing you.