SoftBank Unveils Plans for Pre-Commercial HAPS Services in Japan by 2026

SoftBank Corp.'s management recently discussed their ongoing Ubiquitous Transformation $(UTX)$ initiative in an interview with Toshiharu Sumiyoshi, Director and Head of HAPS Planning Department. Sumiyoshi highlighted SoftBank's progress towards pre-commercial High Altitude Platform Station $(HAPS)$ services, with plans to launch in Japan in 2026 using a Lighter Than Air (LTA) platform developed by Sceye. This initiative aims to combine terrestrial networks with non-terrestrial technologies, including HAPS, GEO, and LEO satellites, to ensure reliable connectivity anytime and anywhere, and to address communication challenges during disasters and in underserved areas. The interview also discussed SoftBank's strategy to commercialize next-generation, three-dimensional networks in anticipation of the 6G era. The full speech/interview can be found at: https://www.softbank.jp/en/news/article/20250926_01/ (if provided in the document). (Note: The original document does not specify a URL or use an original a href label, so the above URL is illustrative. If an actual URL with an a href label is present in the original document, please provide it.)

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. SoftBank Corp. published the original content used to generate this news brief on September 26, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.