SoftBank and Sceye Sign Five-Year Deal for Japan HAPS Network
And Sceye signed a five-year agreement to manufacture, launch and operate stratospheric platforms intended to deliver mobile broadband across Japan. Most of…
SoftBank Corp. and Sceye signed a five-year agreement to build and operate stratospheric platforms intended to provide mobile broadband across Japan, advancing plans for a new layer of wireless coverage. The deal follows a connectivity test in which the companies used an aircraft-based system to reach standard mobile devices over Japan.
The agreement covers manufacturing, launch and operation of a fleet of High Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS). Most of the initial fleet is intended to provide mobile broadband, while some platforms will support an optical communications network in the stratosphere.
For mobile users, the approach could extend coverage in places where terrestrial networks are difficult to expand. The companies have also tested emergency communications and indoor connectivity, capabilities with potential relevance when conventional connections are unavailable.
What will the SoftBank Sceye plan nationwide network do?
The SoftBank Sceye plan nationwide network aims to deliver broadband directly to standard mobile devices through platforms operating in the stratosphere. The companies say the aircraft-based infrastructure will complement existing ground and satellite networks, rather than replace them.
Unlike cell towers, HAPS operate above the ground and can provide wireless coverage over broad areas from a relatively stable aerial position. The arrangement also includes a Free Space Optical network, which uses optical communications to establish links between platforms in the stratosphere.
The combination points to a wider communications architecture. SoftBank’s Ubiquitous Network strategy seeks to connect terrestrial infrastructure, aerial platforms and satellites as parts of a three-dimensional network.
Tests move toward deployment
The agreement follows Sceye’s 30-day Service Test 1 mission, which launched from New Mexico on August 9, 2026, and traveled to Japan before returning to the United States. The platform spent approximately one week operating over Japan.
It carried SceyeCell, a stratospheric telecommunications system designed to deliver broadband to standard devices without specialized satellite terminals. During the test, SoftBank and Sceye demonstrated text messaging, voice calls, internet access and video streaming.
The trials also covered emergency communications, indoor connectivity, remote drone control and edge computing performed aboard the platform. Short-range practical tests, too.
For network operators, connecting with conventional mobile devices may offer a way to add aerial coverage without requiring users to adopt specialized terminals. That could matter in rural and mountainous areas, or locations where building additional ground infrastructure is difficult. The test also examined indoor communications, broadening the applications demonstrated beyond outdoor coverage.
The mission included laser-ranging tests, with ground-based tracking of the platform. The work supports development of future optical links connecting terrestrial, aerial and space-based infrastructure.
Sceye founder and CEO Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen said the company was moving into full-scale production of its platforms. He said the Japan flight showed the system could connect with existing networks and support multiple applications during one mission.
Masayuki Kamimura, senior director of SoftBank Corp.’s Ubiquitous Network Planning Division, described the agreement as a step toward commercial use of HAPS. He said the companies aim to build a resilient network linking the ground, sky and space, with applications including connectivity and disaster preparedness.
The initial fleet is expected to split its work between broadband coverage across Japan and optical communications in the stratosphere.
