SoftBank, Intelsat to Develop Hybrid Terrestrial-Satellite Communication Solution

Tokyo, Japan—SoftBank and Intelsat announced a joint technical verification project to develop a hybrid communication solution that seamlessly integrates terrestrial mobile networks with satellite communications.

The collaboration seeks to address coverage gaps in terrestrial mobile networks by enabling devices to automatically switch between ground-based and satellite networks using 5G standard specifications.

The companies plan to design and develop the hybrid communication solution, conduct field tests, and explore commercialization in phases aligned with 3GPP's standardization of Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) for 5G.

Short-term efforts will focus on leveraging existing satellite communication devices, while medium to long-term goals include developing new 5G-based devices for the solution.

The partnership aims to contribute to the early commercialization of mobility solutions based on 3GPP's NTN 5G standard specifications.

As part of the project, SoftBank and Intelsat will develop a universal device capable of connecting to communication networks from anywhere in the world. 

A potential use case includes connected vehicles automatically switching to satellite communication when outside terrestrial network coverage.

Bruno Fromont, Intelsat's CTO, said the company shares SoftBank's innovative vision for a ubiquitous network that will enable seamless interoperability between satellite and terrestrial mobile communications.

Hideyuki Tsukuda, Senior Vice President and CTO of SoftBank stated that the joint technical verification aims to build a ubiquitous network that allows people and objects worldwide to connect to communications anytime, anywhere.

The companies expect the technology to have wide-ranging applications, including land vehicles, maritime use, and disaster response.