SoftBank to Launch HAPS-Based Services in 2026

SoftBank Corp. has announced plans to begin pre-commercial High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) telecommunications services in Japan in 2026, strengthening its non-terrestrial network (NTN) ambitions ahead of the 6G era. The initiative is underpinned by an equity investment in Sceye, a U.S.-based aerospace company specializing in lighter-than-air (LTA) HAPS vehicles.

Operating at 20 km in the stratosphere, HAPS platforms act as “base stations in the sky”, offering wide-area mobile coverage in places where terrestrial infrastructure is absent or compromised. SoftBank's deployment will complement its existing efforts to develop heavier-than-air (HTA) HAPS systems, enabling a multi-layered 3D network architecture for future UAV, drone, and emergency response connectivity.

Key NTN highlights include:

• Exclusive rights for SoftBank to offer Sceye-powered HAPS services in Japan.

• Use cases include rural coverage extension, connectivity during natural disasters, and support for air-based mobility.

• Strategic role in SoftBank’s “Ubiquitous Transformation (UTX)” vision, integrating HAPS and satellites with ground networks to provide always-connected services.

• HAPS offers latency and deployment advantages over satellites, making it a critical NTN layer for the 6G future.

This move reinforces SoftBank’s leadership in NTN innovation, building on its world-first 5G stratospheric test in 2023 and continued investment in both satellite and aerial connectivity technologies.

SOURCE: https://www.softbank.jp/en/corp/news/press/sbkk/2025/20250626_01/