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Stratospheric Sky-Towers Promise Nationwide Japan Connectivity
3 Nov
Summary
- Sceye and SoftBank signed a five-year agreement for stratospheric platforms.
- The HAPS fleet aims to provide nationwide mobile broadband coverage across Japan.
- The partnership advances stratospheric infrastructure for a 3D communication network.
Sceye, a U.S. aerospace company, and SoftBank Corp. have entered into a five-year Master Services Agreement to deploy a fleet of High Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS) over Japan. This strategic partnership aims to establish nationwide stratospheric connectivity, building upon previous successful flight demonstrations.
The HAPS fleet will serve as a crucial component of SoftBank's Ubiquitous Network strategy, primarily delivering mobile broadband across Japan. A portion of the fleet will also establish a Free Space Optical (FSO) network in the stratosphere.
This collaboration signifies a major step in commercializing HAPS technology. The stratospheric platforms offer a cost-effective alternative to satellites, providing persistent, high-capacity connectivity. Future applications envisioned include AI, IoT, aerial communications, and 6G.
A recent 30-day test mission, ST1, successfully demonstrated Sceye's 'cell tower in the sky' capabilities over Japan. This included voice calls, internet access, video streaming, and emergency communications testing, proving the viability of the stratosphere as an essential infrastructure layer.
