SOFTBANK MOBILE has responded to competing operator NTT DOCOMO's deployment of LTE in December 2010, and the loss of exclusivity to carry the iPhone in Japan, by refocusing its efforts on positioning itself as a technologically progressive operator – culminating in the proposed launch of Japan’s fastest 4G network. In this case study, we examine a number of factors that have made it possible for Wireless City Planning – the arm of SOFTBANK responsible for network deployment – to expeditiously roll out a competitive network.