KDDI to Deploy 1,000 Drone Hubs, Leveraging Starlink for Nationwide Coverage; To Use in Search after Disaster in Remote Areas

The Yomiuri Shimbun

1:00 JST, June 2, 2025

KDDI Corp. plans to conduct a trial demonstration operating drones through direct communication with Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX)’s Starlink satellite network by the end of this year.

This initiative, anticipated to be able to aid in disasters such as earthquakes, aims for practical implementation by March of next year, the company stated Thursday.

Drones presently utilize cellular networks for extended-range operations. However, in areas with no network coverage, it is required to deploy mobile base stations.

Direct communication with Starlink is expected to facilitate drone operations in challenging environments such as mountainous terrain and remote islands.

From October onwards, KDDI will gradually establish drone take-off and landing bases at 1,000 locations nationwide.

These drones will first be introduced in Ishikawa Prefecture, where KDDI has a comprehensive partnership agreement for recovery efforts from the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake. Then, drones will be deployed sequentially to Lawson convenience stores in which KDDI is involved in management, as well as to city halls and other locations.

The company plans to use them for tasks such as monitoring social infrastructure like power lines, monitoring work at construction sites and supporting search activities during disasters.