SoftBank to debut LEO satellite tv for pc companies in December, with Eutelsat OneWeb

SoftBank mentioned that it’s going to supply eight service plans for companies and authorities companies

Japanese telecom operator SoftBank has struck a take care of 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,” underneath the Eutelsat OneWeb title, to companies, authorities companies and native governments in Japan.

SoftBank mentioned that the plans will embody choices with each bandwidth and velocity 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 ends in early August, Eva Berneke, CEO of Eutelsat Communications, mentioned that regardless of the operational roll-out of OneWeb LEO companies being “more difficult than anticipated,” the corporate was “now on monitor 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 according to its complete “Ubiquitous Community” technique to construct a community with non-terrestrial attain that may present connectivity “anyplace on this planet.” Softbank has steadily constructed NTN property over the previous few years, notably within the HAPS area.

HAPS stands for Excessive-Altitude Platform Station, though they’re additionally generally known as Excessive-Altitude Pseudo Satellites. HAPS carry telecom payloads and might present stratosphere-based connectivity to units 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 generally known as HAPSMobile, acquired Challenge Loon mental property when dad or mum firm Alphabet wound down that stratospheric communications initiative, and has participated in varied exams to show out HAPS-based capabilities, together with a take a look at of 5G HAPS connectivity in Rwanda in late 2023. The cell community operator additionally acquired Cubic Telecom in late 2023, with an eye fixed to connecting autos by way of NTN expertise.