HAPS telecommunications services set to launch in 2026

In order to help bridge the digital divide and provide emergency communications during disasters, SoftBank has been actively conducting research and development into high-altitude platform station (HAPS) stratospheric telecommunications since 2017, achieving its first stratospheric flight in September 2020. Now, the company has announced a new development that will bring HAPS services closer to reality.

In 2026, SoftBank plans to launch pre-commercial HAPS services in Japan in partnership with Sceye, a New Mexico-based aerospace company that develops lighter-than-air (LTA)-type HAPS vehicles. In addition to making an equity investment in Sceye, SoftBank signed an agreement that gives it exclusive rights to provide HAPS-based services in Japan using Sceye’s platform.

HAPS, which SoftBank also refers to as ‘base stations in the sky’, operate in the stratosphere at an altitude of approximately 20 km to provide wide-area communications coverage. While conventional mobile networks have focused on 2D coverage for smartphones and vehicles, the coming 6G era will demand telecommunications infrastructure with 3D architectures to support connectivity for drones and uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the sky. Building on its history in non-terrestrial network (NTN) solutions, SoftBank is investing in Sceye’s HAPS-based stratospheric telecommunications as a highly scalable solution to complement its existing terrestrial towers and satellite constellations. 

Sceye’s HAPS platform uses the buoyant force of helium, a gas lighter than air, to remain airborne for long durations. The aim of the platform is to provide connectivity to underserved areas, enable real-time detection and response to weather-related disasters, and support advanced environmental monitoring, all to contribute to a better future for people and the planet.

Using Sceye’s LTA-type HAPS platform, SoftBank plans to provide pre-commercial HAPS services in Japan that will support communication recovery during disruptions due to large-scale disasters, such as major earthquakes, and deliver connectivity to mountainous regions, remote islands and other areas that are hard to reach with traditional ground-based (terrestrial) networks. Leveraging the advantages of HAPS — including faster speeds, greater capacity, lower latency, and more flexible deployment capabilities compared to satellite-based communications — SoftBank expects to strengthen its network resilience and promote universal service nationwide.

In parallel, SoftBank will continue to develop its large-scale heavier-than-air (HTA)-type HAPS platform — which uses fixed-wing aircraft for aerodynamic lift to stay aloft — with the aim of utilising it for commercial services in the future. By providing HAPS-based commercial services, the company aims to build a next-generation telecommunications network with 3D architecture to support stable and reliable connectivity for drones and UAVs in the 6G era, in addition to providing telecommunications services during large-scale disasters when terrestrial networks are disrupted.

“Originally, commercialisation was targeted for 2029, but thanks to significant progress, we’re now able to begin pre-commercial operations in 2026,” said SoftBank President and CEO Junichi Miyakawa. “We plan to first deploy it as a disaster preparedness measure.

“Until now, telecommunications have focused on connecting devices like smartphones and cars, and a 2D communication framework has been sufficient. In the future, however, 3D communication will be required to support drones and flying cars. Looking ahead to the 6G era, we believe HAPS will become a core infrastructure, and we’re taking the lead in making this a reality.

“The stratospheric-based, wide-area telecommunications of HAPS will play a key role in expanding network area coverage to areas that are difficult to reach with existing mobile network infrastructure, and it will also provide a means of restoring communications when large-scale disasters strike. Furthermore ... HAPS will be key infrastructure to support society when 3D telecommunications networks will be needed to support sky-based mobility.”

Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen, founder and CEO of Sceye, added, “SoftBank has an extensive track record in non-terrestrial network technologies and has long viewed the stratosphere as the next frontier to tackle pressing global issues. Their investment reinforces the viability of our HAPS platform. We are proud to welcome SoftBank as a strategic partner and look forward to accelerating the commercialisation of our services together.”

Image caption: Sceye’s HAPS platform.