You’ve heard the phrase, “the sky’s the limit.” But what if the sky didn’t have a limit? SoftBank has said it has a new solution that provides connectivity from three different levels of the sky, from the stratosphere to low-earth orbit to geosynchronous-earth orbit, known as a non-terrestrial network (NTN) because it does not rely on towers.
The network includes three platforms: GEO-satellite narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) services, provided by Skylo Technologies, Inc., low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, provided by OneWeb Ltd.; and high-altitude platform Station (HAPS)-based stratospheric telecommunication platform, provided by HAPSMobile, Inc. The communications services of the different platforms are designed to meet the needs of a diverse set of customers.
Skylo provides low-cost, low bit-rate IoT connectivity for fishing, mining and shipping, while OneWeb’s services are targeted at governments, businesses and consumers around the world, which need faster communication services with lower latency than GEO satellites. HAPSMobile will directly provide LTE and 5G connectivity, allowing customers to use their smartphones without the need for special equipment if their region lacks terrestrial communications infrastructure.
SoftBank aims to digitize analog industries that lack access to communications networks, providing connectivity in Japan and around the world, according to Hidebumi Kitahara, SoftBank Corp. Vice President and Head of the Technology Unit’s Global Business Strategy Division.
“There are still many analog industries around the world that lack sufficient access to communication networks,” Kitahara said. “Providing internet access is the first step to digitally transform these industries, and we believe our NTN solutions will be extremely effective technologies to achieve this goal. With our NTN solutions powered by Skylo, OneWeb and HAPSMobile, we’ll work to offer telecommunication networks globally.”
Delivering service at an affordable price point and form factors are the keys to eliminating the historical disparities in communications access, according to Skylo CEO and Co-founder Parth Trivedi.
Neil Masterson, OneWeb CEO, welcomed the opportunity to develop new technologies and products, secure licenses and build ground stations with the other two companies.
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