Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, Hideto Kawasaki, Observes Outdoor Demonstration of New 6G Frequency Candidate　~Visiting the Test Site for Next-Generation Communication~

On September 8, 2025, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, Hideto Kawasaki, visited SoftBank’s Takeshiba headquarters to observe an outdoor demonstration using the 7 GHz band (centimeter wave), which is being considered as one of the candidate frequencies for 6G (the sixth-generation mobile communication system).

During the visit, SoftBank’s Research Institute of Advanced Technology provided an overview of its initiatives toward the commercialization of 6G, and also introduced specific research and development activities aimed at realizing 6G communication in the 7 GHz band.

Ryuji Wakikawa, Head of Research Institute of Advanced Technology, explaining 6G research and development efforts

Afterward, Vice-Minister Kawasaki boarded a demonstration bus and moved to Ginza, where the outdoor trials were being conducted. He observed the coverage area created using the 7 GHz band—one of the candidate frequencies for 6G—in an environment identical to that of commercial 5G service areas. The demonstration compared the 7 GHz band with the existing 3.9 GHz 5G frequency, highlighting differences in coverage and communication quality, thereby showcasing the practicality of the 7 GHz band.

Scene from the demonstration

At the site, it was explained that “in the 6G era, communications will not be limited to smartphones but will also extend to fields such as autonomous driving.”

Vice-Minister Kawasaki commented, “while I am interested in the results in urban areas, I am also curious about how things will work in regional areas, where there are fewer tall buildings and less impact from signal reflection.”

Reference Press Release:
SoftBank Corp. First Telecommunications Carrier in Japan to Launch Outdoor Trial of 7GHz Band for 6G

Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Website（Japanese only）:
ソフトバンク株式会社による屋外実験の視察（令和7年9月8日）