Technology conglomerate Rakuten Mobile is mulling over providing satellite-to-mobile service in Japan. The company seeks to make it possible with US satellite partner AST SpaceMobile and deliver the service by 2026.
This service will enable users to make video and voice calls on their smartphones without having to connect to a cellular base station, a true perk of a satellite service. Particularly, in areas where mobile network infrastructure can’t be built, satellite coverage will provide the coverage which emphatically promotes digital inclusion.
Rakuten plans to provide coverage across Japan including mountainous and remote areas where traditional mobile networks are not available aka dead zones.
Such a system also has an advantage during natural disasters as normally the earthly infrastructure bears damage while satellite service won’t be affected, said Hiroshi Mikitani, chairman and CEO of Rakuten Group and chairman of Rakuten Mobile, said during a media briefing Friday (February 16).
The company will follow suit with many service providers in the basic terms. It will use low earth orbit (LEO) satellites to provide satellite-to-mobile service. It’s the same technology SpaceX, Airtel, and others are using. The countrywide rollout of this service will be gradual. Mikitani assured that satellites would deliver internet coverage across Japan.
Likewise, Abel Avellan, chairman and CEO of AST SpaceMobile, said that around 90 satellites would be required to provide coverage across the country attributing the small number to their large size. However, he didn’t specify exactly how many satellites would be launched eventually.
Rakuten Mobile on path to launch satellite-to-mobile service in Japan
Avellan shared that the plan for Rakuten is to launch five satellites in the second quarter of 2024 and then accelerate the process to four launches a month. The small number of satellites may have some advantages for their maintenance, however, astronomers are skeptical of the satellite’s (BlueWalker 3) brightness which outshines the stars in the Milky Way.
One differentiating factor from the competitors is that customers’ “current cell phones can be connected using the Rakuten line,” Mikitani said. He branded it to be “a high-speed connection.” Check out: China Mobile makes a history: Launches 6G test satellite
Back in April 2023, Rakuten Mobile and AST SpaceMobile demonstrated an audio call between Texas and Tokyo as the world’s first space-based voice call on a regular smartphone. The two’s partnership now spans 2 years with the aim of providing satellite-to-mobile service. NTT and Amazon are also in the run to provide satellite internet service in Japan.
Rakuten Mobile reached 6 million subscribers at the end of 2023 and expects to grow the base to 10 million by the end of 2024.
2023 was a year of major developments for satellite broadband service and 2024 could witness an even more remarkable push.