SoftBank Corp. (SoftBank) will be able to incorporate Eutelsat’s OneWeb low Earth orbit (LEO) connectivity services into its portfolio thanks to a historic cooperation that Eutelsat Group announced today.
SoftBank will be able to provide customers, including enterprises and government agencies, with a reliable, high-quality service that guarantees bandwidth and communication speed thanks to a multi-year collaboration. This will especially boost SoftBank’s satellite communication services. For extra security communications, it will establish a direct connection with SoftBank’s closed network service called “SmartVPN”. The scope will initially focus on the Japanese market, with the possibility of expanding to include Japanese consumers abroad.
Cyril Dujardin, Co-President of Eutelsat’s Connectivity Business Unit, expressed excitement about the partnership with SoftBank, marking a key step in bringing innovative connectivity solutions to Japan. Masakatsu Kawahara, SoftBank VP, highlighted the benefits of leveraging OneWeb’s low Earth orbit constellation to deliver secure satellite communications in hard-to-reach areas, enabling digital transformation across industries and local governments.
The arrangement comes after Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications gave SoftBank a general license for particular radio stations, including mobile and VSAT earth stations, and Eutelsat a similar license.
