Japanese conglomerate SoftBank is the latest to adopt SpaceX’s broadband-to-satphone system, Starlink. SoftBank joins NTT Docomo and KDDI in supporting Starlink. These are three very large Japanese carriers and will – between them – supply coverage over mountainous regions, remote islands and during Japan’s ever-present natural disasters. The trio will compete against one remaining telco […]

Masayoshi Son, the head of Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, was front and centre at a ground-breaking ceremony at Piketon, Ohio, on March 20th where the bank is to finance what is claimed to be the largest-ever AI data-centre complex in history. The $33 billion (€28.6bn) project is on the site on a former uranium enrichment facility. […]

The main news on Paris-based Eutelsat recently has been focused on cash-raising and its financial restructuring. Eutelsat is not alone in seeing in long-standing DTH satellite transmissions being under pressure and even though these broadcasts will almost certainly continue for a few decades yet, there’s no doubt that viewers are increasingly switching away from DTH […]

AST SpaceMobile, which has a Japanese partner with Rakuten Mobile, will have competition in terms of Direct-To-Consumer connectivity. The threat comes from a joint venture between wireless telecom provider NTT Docomo and financial powerhouse Softbank. NTT Docomo and SoftBank are preparing to launch direct satellite communication services for smartphones in 2026, leveraging the Starlink satellite network […]

To help bridge the digital divide and provide emergency communications during disasters, Japanese investment company SoftBank Corp has been actively conducting research and development for its High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) stratospheric telecommunications business since 2017 as a global pioneer in the field. In 2026, SoftBank plans to launch pre-commercial HAPS services in Japan in […]

Japan has four cellular network operators with three of them controlling some 80 per cent of the market. Rakuten, currently Number 4 in the hierarchy with about 3 per cent market share, is looking to grow its ‘Direct-to-Consumer’ satellite connectivity share thanks to AST SpaceMobile. NTT Docomo, the largest player, does not – as yet […]

The build–up to IBC has influenced Eutelsat [and SES] to announce new business. The satellite provider has signed an partnership agreement with Japan’s SoftBank Corp. Eutelsat’s deal with SoftBank will offer low latency, secure connectivity for businesses and government agencies throughout Japan, and sees Eutelsat enter the Japanese market for the first time. The agreement […]

Graphcore, the UK artificial intelligence (AI) chip firm, has been acquired by SoftBank Group. Under the deal, Graphcore becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate and will continue to operate under the Graphcore name. “This is a tremendous endorsement of our team and their ability to build truly transformative AI technologies at scale, […]

A High-Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) – a very high-flying solar-powered unmanned aircraft – has wrapped a demo stratosphere flight delivering 5G connectivity over Rwanda. The exercise was backed by Japanese media conglomerate SoftBank. The aircraft delivered two-way 5G connections for 73 minutes from a height of almost 17 kms. The test included a ZOoom video […]

SoftBank and OneWeb have signed a Distribution Partnership Agreement to deliver satellite communication services across Japan. SoftBank and OneWeb will promote the delivery and upgrade of satellite communication services. OneWeb’s LEO satellite-based services will provide fast communication services with low latency, as LEO satellites are located close to the earth. By integrating with SoftBank’s closed […]