Telecom in Japan
Japan telecoms are launching satellite-to-phone services
Japanese telecom carriers are rushing to launch communication services that directly connect smartphones to satellites. In recent years, global telecom carrier interest in non-terrestrial networks, such as space-based services, has grown. Such network services not only allow for expanded coverage to places that would otherwise be difficult to reach, but also are expected to be used in natural disasters. After the January 2023 Noto Peninsula Earthquake in Japan, SpaceX owned Starlink satellite internet service was used for emergency restoration of base stations and to provide internet at disaster shelters.
- Rakuten Mobile Inc. announced Friday that it will start offering a satellite-to-smartphone service that can also be used to make voice calls as early as 2026. The service is expected to provide a connection anywhere in the country, including in mountainous regions and areas offshore, where it is difficult to build base stations. It could prove useful in a natural disaster.
- KDDI Corp. also plans to launch a satellite-to-smartphone service for text messaging. Such satellite-based services do not require a dedicated receiver, and can be accessed with just a smartphone.
For the Rakuten Mobile service, the company will use satellites from AST SpaceMobile Inc., a U.S. startup that has been invested in by the Rakuten Group.
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AST SpaceMobile has launched two test satellites into low-earth orbit at an altitude of about 500 kilometers. Because these satellites orbit lower than geostationary satellites, they can provide communications with less delay. The company plans to have as many as 90 satellites operating in the future.
At a press conference on Friday, Rakuten Mobile Chairman Hiroshi Mikitani said, “Our customers will be able to enjoy mobile connectivity across Japan, even offshore or on an airplane.”
KDDI, which has gotten out ahead by providing access to Starlink, a satellite-based communication network from U.S. company SpaceX, will launch its text messaging service as early as this year.
Starlink currently requires a dedicated terminal, but last month SpaceX successfully launched six satellites that allow smartphones to connect to them directly.
NTT Docomo Inc. and SoftBank Corp. are looking to commercialize high-altitude platform stations, or HAPS. These stations are large unmanned aircraft that stay in the air at an altitude of about 20 kilometers, from where they send out radio signals.
NTT Docomo is currently testing direct links between HAPS and smartphones, and expects to launch a HAPS mobile service in fiscal 2025. However, a framework for space- and air-based services is still being defined.
The frequency bands to be used for the services are expected to be discussed at an international conference, and the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry is considering technical requirements.
References:
SpaceX launches first set of Starlink satellites with direct-to-cell capabilities
Starlink Direct to Cell service (via Entel) is coming to Chile and Peru be end of 2024
KDDI Partners With SpaceX to Bring Satellite-to-Cellular Service to Japan
Telstra partners with Starlink for home phone service and LEO satellite broadband services
SpaceX has majority of all satellites in orbit; Starlink achieves cash-flow breakeven
Starlink’s Direct to Cell service for existing LTE phones “wherever you can see the sky”
AST SpaceMobile: “5G” Connectivity from Space to Everyday Smartphones