SoftBank mentioned that it’s going to supply eight service plans for companies and authorities businesses
Japanese telecom operator SoftBank has struck a cope with Eutelsat Group to supply satellite tv for pc connectivity companies. The service mentioned that it plans to launch these companies this December, leveraging Eutelsat OneWeb’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite tv for pc community.
SoftBank expects to supply eight completely different service plans with “excessive communication speeds and low latency,” beneath the Eutelsat OneWeb identify, to companies, authorities businesses and native governments in Japan.
SoftBank mentioned that the plans will embody choices with each bandwidth and pace ensures, together with best-effort companies that can function downlink speeds as much as 195 Mbps and uplink speeds of as much as 32 Mbps.
SoftBank famous in a weblog submit that as of early July, it had acquired a blanket license for working infrastructure together with Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) earth stations and cell earth stations, which it mentioned was a primary for a Japan-based telecom operator. Eutelsat OneWeb additionally was granted a gateway station license from Japan’s Ministry of Inner Affairs and Communications’ (MIC) in early August, setting the stage for operations.
“Eutelsat OneWeb will assist SoftBank promote digital transformation for companies and native governments in Japan. The service will herald a brand new period in safe, ubiquitous connectivity companies,” mentioned Masakatsu Kawahara, head of the Communication Service Division at SoftBank’s Enterprise Unit, in an announcement on the launch.
Eutelsat Group, which took over OneWeb in 2023, intends to be a LEO rival to Starlink, with the bonus of GEO satellite tv for pc capabilities. When the corporate introduced its most up-to-date leads to early August, Eva Berneke, CEO of Eutelsat Communications, mentioned that regardless of the operational roll-out of OneWeb LEO companies being “tougher than anticipated,” the corporate was “now on observe when it comes to goal protection” and anticipated to see continued progress from OneWeb within the coming yr.
For SoftBank’s half, the transfer into NTN companies is in step with its complete “Ubiquitous Community” technique to construct a community with non-terrestrial attain that may present connectivity “wherever on this planet.” Softbank has steadily constructed NTN belongings over the previous few years, significantly within the HAPS area.
HAPS stands for Excessive-Altitude Platform Station, though they’re additionally typically known as Excessive-Altitude Pseudo Satellites. HAPS carry telecom payloads and might present stratosphere-based connectivity to gadgets on the bottom. To date, HAPS have been used largely for momentary protection, akin to throughout catastrophe restoration, however firms working within the area hope to make use of them for extra enduring and dependable protection in unconnected areas.
Within the final a number of years, SoftBank has began a three way partnership often called HAPSMobile, acquired Undertaking Loon mental property when dad or mum firm Alphabet wound down that stratospheric communications initiative, and has participated in varied assessments to show out HAPS-based capabilities, together with a check of 5G HAPS connectivity in Rwanda in late 2023. The cell community operator additionally acquired Cubic Telecom in late 2023, with a watch to connecting automobiles by way of NTN know-how.
