5G
AI is driving transformative change across industries and enterprises, significantly enhancing productivity and convenience. As applications expand beyond chatbots to other applications, such as the real-time control of robots, drones and …
Connected vehicle technology, which enables vehicles to be constantly connected to communication networks, is expected to be essential to next-generation forms of mobility, including autonomous driving. By connecting vehicles to various th…
Anticipating an era where AI-based services are ubiquitous in daily life, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) is advancing initiatives to deploy distributed AI computing infrastructure across Japan while seeking an optimal balance between central…
In Japan, traffic regulations stipulate that when a vehicle approaches an unsignalized crosswalk with a vehicle stopped in front of it, the driver needs to come to a complete stop before proceeding. This presents a challenge to human opera…
After first announcing its “AI-RAN” concept in 2023 as a foundation for next-generation mobile networks to support a society that coexists with AI, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) has made significant progress in bringing its vision to realit…
On August 7, 2024, a delegation of 13 Malaysian government officials and related personnel, including an Undersecretary at the Ministry of Communications, visited SoftBank's Takeshiba headquarters in Tokyo, where they learned about SoftBan…
An advanced antenna technology that suppresses radiowave emissions in a specific direction to prevent interference Technology reduces signal strength in specific directions to boost communication precision Nullforming, also known as nullst…
Anticipating an era where people coexist with AI, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) is advancing initiatives to deploy distributed AI computing infrastructure across Japan. While previously it was common to establish data centers in major urban…
SoftBank Corp. and University of Miyazaki Develop Power Generation Simulation for Solar-powered HAPS
SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) is developing an uncrewed solar-powered aircraft for High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) stratospheric-based wireless communication systems. Unlike a satellite, it requires energy to maintain a consistent alt…
On March 13, 2024, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) launched its "Private 5G (Dedicated Type)" service that enables enterprises, local governments and other organizations to build customized 5G networks on their premises with dedicated base st…
The formation of the AI-RAN Alliance, a new collaborative initiative aimed at integrating AI into cellular technology to further advance radio access network (RAN) technology and mobile networks, was one of the top stories of Mobile World …
How can AI innovations be utilized to advance the telecommunications industry, and society at large? To address this challenge, leading technology, industry, and academic institutions came together at Mobile World Congress Barcelona on Feb…
From November to December 2023, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)’s World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23) was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) was there representing Japan, along w…
SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434), which is developing a High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) business to offer telecommunication services from the stratosphere, is also a founding and executive member of the HAPS Alliance, an industry associa…
In its research and development efforts to realize next-generation networks, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) has been actively researching Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) technologies and working to implement them, as evidenced by a Bus Rapid Transi…
For the first time since 2019, SoftBank World, SoftBank Corp.’s (TOKYO: 9434) largest event for enterprise customers, returned as an in-person event in Tokyo in October 2023. From October 4 to 6, SoftBank World 2023 featured keynotes, pane…
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a public transportation system designed to provide a high-capacity bus service that combines the speed and reliability of rail systems at much lower costs. With these advantages, BRT systems are seeing increased …
It can be hard for musicians to assemble in a studio when they live far away from each other, and coordinating studio time can also be difficult. Seeing the need to bring musicians in different locations together, Yamaha Corporation develo…
In March 2023, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) and Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. announced a partnership aimed at creating smart factories through the utilization of 5G. The collaboration will involve the integration of industrial 5G ter…
At the earnings briefing for the fiscal year ended on March 31, 2023 (FY2022) held on May 10, 2023, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) President & CEO Junichi Miyakawa unveiled a new long-term vision that positions SoftBank as a provider of next…
For users of SoftBank Corp.’s ‘SoftBank’ mobile service in Japan thinking of traveling to the United States, there’s a unique service that may be of interest. Called “America Flat-rate” (or “America-houdai” in Japanese), the service gives …
Approximately three years after it began offering commercial 5G services to consumers, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) launched its “Private 5G” service for enterprises in Japan on March 29, 2023. SoftBank’s Private 5G is a managed service th…
Through the ages, as a catalyst for social change, technology has played a key role in advancing humanity. To create new and better technologies, and to implement them into society to make a positive impact, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434)’s …
SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) and its subsidiary HAPSMobile—which are both developing a High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) business to offer telecommunication services from the stratosphere—are also founding members of the HAPS Alliance,…
MEC is short for Multi-access Edge Computing, a technology that can speed up data processing and optimize and accelerate communications by utilizing servers in close proximity to smartphones and IoT devices where data is generated. Achievi…
SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434)’s division in charge of R&D for advanced technologies—including 5G, 6G, and autonomous driving—marked a new beginning as the SoftBank Research Institute of Advanced Technology on April 1, 2022. To learn more ab…
RAN stands for Radio Access Network, a part of the wireless communication system that runs behind the scenes of mobile phone services. An intermediary for mobile phone services A RAN organizes communication data received from smartphones a…
On June 23, 2022, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) opened Japan's first virtual mobile carrier store with shop crew avatars that can serve customers* in ZEPETO, Asia’s largest metaverse platform that has approximately 300 million users. * Acco…
“Millimeter wave” refers to radio waves with wavelengths of 1 to 10 millimeters and frequency between 30 to 300 gigahertz that can be used for high-speed communications. Millimeter wave: a radio wave suitable for 5G’s high-speed, high-volu…
The Fukuoka SoftBank HAWKS professional baseball team and SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) are collaborating to bring Fukuoka PayPay Dome—home stadium of the HAWKS—to the metaverse so fans can enjoy sports and entertainment in entirely new way…
As part of its 5th Science and Technology Basic Plan, in 2016 the Government of Japan proposed an aspirational vision, called Society 5.0, that it defined as "a human-centered society that balances economic advancement with the resolution …
More than two-thirds of the world’s population—5 billion of us—now subscribe to mobile services according to the GSMA, an industry organization that tracks all things mobile. It’s hardly surprising, then, that 4G networks are straining to …
Expo 2020 Dubai, the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East and Africa region, opened its doors on October 1, 2021 and will run until March 31, 2022. Originally scheduled to be held approximately a year earlier to commemorate the 5…
What does converging AI with 5G technology make possible? The short answer is the transformation of an enterprise’s operations and processes into digital formats to make it more competitive and responsive in a changing technology world. Ka…
SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) and its subsidiary HAPSMobile—which are both working to provide stratosphere-based telecommunication platforms with a High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) business—are also founding members of the HAPS Allianc…
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a new mode of public transportation that is attracting attention around the world. How is it different from regular bus services? BRT transit systems use dedicated corridors and stations to deliver fast and relia…
Since it launched commercial 5G services in March 27, 2020, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) has made significant progress in rolling out 5G smartphones and services. As of writing, SoftBank now has over 10 million subscribers signed up to 5G …
To market more of its products, services and technologies, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) has taken a leaf out of literature. It has adapted the writer’s Golden Rule of Show, Don’t Tell and come up with the counter-intuitive Show, Don’t Sell.
Telementoring—a relationship between a medical expert and a trainee in a remote location that is facilitated by communication technologies—is not a new concept, but it is gaining increased attention as the ultra-high speeds of 5G and other…
The pace of digital transformations (DX) at companies across industries has proceeded at a rapid pace in Japan and other countries thanks to advances in digital technologies, and SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) has been at the forefront of th…
HAPSMobile, a SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) subsidiary that is working to provide stratosphere-based telecommunication platforms through its High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) business, is a founding member of the HAPS Alliance, an indus…
With the increased adoption of high-speed 5G services and decreased attendance at sports venues due to COVID-19 and other factors, people of all ages are increasingly using their smartphones and other devices to watch sports content. To me…
Constantly taking up new challenges and continuing to evolve are key to SoftBank’s DNA. Going beyond the boundaries of a telecommunications carrier, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) is committed to pioneering transformative services, and resea…
Constantly taking up new challenges and continuing to evolve are key to SoftBank’s DNA. Going beyond the boundaries of a telecommunications carrier, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) is committed to pioneering transformative services, and resea…
Since it launched on the airwaves in 1979, the anime series “Mobile Suit Gundam” has built a dedicated following in Japan, and across the world as well. It has long been a dream of Gundam fans to see the gigantic manned humanoid machine fr…
On August 21, 2020, Japan-based publishing major Kodansha Ltd. held a press conference to showcase Mixalive TOKYO, a new pop culture complex located in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district. “Mixalive,” which stands for a mixture of live content with…
All five members of Japan’s top-selling boy band Arashi appeared at a SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) press conference held at Tokyo International Forum on August 5 to unveil a 5G-based project that promises to open up new entertainment possi…
Over the years, mobile communication technologies have evolved in cycles lasting approximately 10 years, as evidenced with commercial 3G and 4G services launching around 2001 and 2010, respectively. The world is now witnessing the full-fle…
5G is expected to redefine industries with its ultra-fast speeds, high capacity, low latency and massive device connectivity. The transportation and logistics sector, which is expected to utilize autonomous driving in the future, is likely…
On March 5, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) held a press conference in Tokyo to announce the launch of commercial 5G services. 5G LAB to deliver immersive entertainment experiences Jun Shimba, Representative Director & COO and Head of the Con…