Japan’s SoftBank to Trial ‘Flying Base Stations’ From 2026; System to Initially be Used to Support Disaster Response, Areas with Weak Signal

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:37 JST, June 27, 2025

SoftBank Corp. announced Thursday that it would begin trials of High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) stratospheric telecommunications services in Japan in 2026.

HAPS, which is referred to as “base stations in the sky,” is a telecommunication platform comprised of communication devices such as antennas for mobile phone base stations, which are loaded on aircraft that fly in the stratosphere at an altitude of 20 kilometers.

SoftBank will invest about ¥2.2 billion in the U.S.-based company Sceye Inc., which develops lighter-than-air airship-type HAPS aircraft buoyed by helium and will begin using Sceye’s platform. The technology will be utilized for restoring communications during large-scale disasters.

HAPS are powered by solar panels and batteries, can remain airborne for extended periods and are able to cover a wider area than ground-based base stations.

SoftBank will procure one Sceye aircraft of 65 meters long and begin test operations in Japan. The pre-commercial service will be limited to select users to accumulate operational data. Commercial services for general users are expected to begin after 2027, being used for disaster response and in areas where ground-based base station signals cannot be picked up, such as on remote islands.