KDDI and Circles Expand povo to Global Telco Markets

KDDI Digital Life Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of KDDI Corporation—Japan’s leading telecommunications provider—has announced the expansion of its strategic partnership with Circles, a global telco technology innovator.

The collaboration seeks to take povo, Japan’s top digital telco brand, to international markets by leveraging Circles’ global SaaS capabilities alongside KDDI’s customer-centric approach.

Launched in 2021 and operating on Circles’ cloud-native, full-stack SaaS platform, povo became a standout success in Japan.

The digital brand has garnered more than 1 million subscribers in its first year, with 70% of them coming from outside the KDDI customer base.

With Net Promoter Scores (NPS) exceeding industry averages by more than 50 points, povo has become a national benchmark in digital customer experience.

Global expansion backed by proven results

The long-term strategic alliance aims to replicate povo’s domestic success across international markets, particularly in Southeast Asia and the Americas.

The model is built not only on strong digital execution, but on the transformation of the traditional telco into a techco—a move that many global operators still struggle to make effectively.

As Deepak Gulati, President of Corporate and Industry Alliances at Circles, noted:

“We are proud to support KDDI and KDDI Digital Life in taking povo to the world. povo is one of the most compelling examples of Japanology in action—a digital telco born in Japan, shaped by deep collaboration between KDDI and Circles and now ready to scale globally. It is data-driven, customer-first and built for agility.”

Circles, founded in 2014, partners with operators in 14 countries across six continents, including AT&T, Etisalat Group (e&) and Telkomsel. Its platform enables operators to launch and scale digital telco brands with agility and operational efficiency.

The expansion of its work with KDDI represents a significant evolution in its efforts to reshape global mobile experiences.

Localising innovation with global ambition

A key pillar of the rollout is localisation, adapting povo’s unique model for regional markets without compromising its innovation DNA.

Central to this are integrations with local convenience retail, digital content and financial services partners, areas in which povo has driven substantial engagement in Japan.

AI-powered features, such as Xplore and Innovation Engine—an in-app experience incubator that increases ARPU—and Xtend, a software development kit (SDK)-powered digital distribution model, will be localised for each market. The features empower operators to deliver more personal and dynamic customer journeys while enabling seamless ecosystem integration.

Tatsuya Hamada, CEO of KDDI Digital Life, commented: “This is an exciting step in our vision to take povo to a wider global audience. As one of Japan’s most well-loved digital telcos, povo has delivered outstanding customer experiences and proven the strength of our data-driven model.

"With a clear vision for povo anchored in AI-nization and hyper-personalisation, our expanded partnership with Circles not only helps us scale globally but also enhances our ability to deliver even more intelligent, personalised and customer-first digital experiences.”

Flexible commercial models for diverse operators

In response to the growing need for tailored approaches across markets, the expanded partnership introduces flexible commercial models that cater to specific market needs.

It allows operators of varying sizes and stages to tap into Circles’ SaaS platform and povo’s blueprint with minimal friction. Whether launching a new digital brand or reinvigorating an existing one, operators benefit from a tried-and-tested playbook aligned with modern digital expectations.

Driving the future of telco through knowledge exchange

Beyond infrastructure and product expansion, the partnership will also focus on strategic knowledge sharing and collaboration.

Areas of emphasis include digital transformation strategies, customer experience enhancement, AI adoption and ecosystem development, as critical domains such as telcos worldwide work to evolve beyond legacy systems.

By uniting KDDI Digital Life’s market leadership in Japan with Circles’ global scale and technical agility, the collaboration not only sets the stage for povo’s international growth but also redefines what’s possible in the future of telecommunications.