5G

How AI-RAN Can Transform the Telecommunications Industry in the AI Era

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 …

Harnessing AI to Transform Wireless: Industry Leaders Form AI-RAN Alliance

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…

SoftBank Corp. Leads Global Efforts to Expand Spectrum Crucial to HAPS Services of the Future

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…

HAPS Alliance Holds First In-person Only Member Meeting to Accelerate its Mission of Connecting the Unconnected

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…

How SoftBank Corp. is Enabling Safe Truck and Bus Platooning with 5G

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…

SoftBank World 2023 Exhibition Features Latest Technologies that Utilize AI

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…

5G and Autonomous Driving Technologies to Power Japan’s First Bus Platooning Trial on Public Roads

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 …

SoftBank Corp. and Yamaha Collaborating to Bring Distant Musicians Closer Together

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…

SoftBank Corp. and Sumitomo Electric Collaborate to Realize 5G-based Smart Factories

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…

SoftBank Corp. and NVIDIA Collaborating on Next-generation Data Centers

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…

Live in Japan and Plan to Travel to the US? Enjoy Unlimited Data Usage with “America Flat-rate”

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 …

SoftBank Corp. Launches Private 5G Service that’s Custom-built for Enterprises

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…

Activating Change: SoftBank Corp.’s R&D Arm Unveils Short Film to Convey its Mission

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 …

32 Companies and Organizations from 10 Countries Attend HAPS Alliance’s First In-person Meeting to Further Foster an Ecosystem that Connects the Unconnected

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,…

Keywords Explained: MEC

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…

Technology for Society: Interview with Ryuji Wakikawa, Head of SoftBank Corp.’s Research Institute of Advanced Technology

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…

Keywords Explained: RAN (Radio Access Network)

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…

SoftBank Corp. Sets Up Virtual Shop in ZEPETO, Asia's Largest Metaverse Platform

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…

Keywords Explained: Millimeter Wave

“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…

SoftBank Corp. and SoftBank HAWKS Team Up to Provide New Ways to Enjoy Baseball in the Metaverse

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…

SoftBank Corp. Raising Funds Through a Social Loan to Expand 5G Network and Promote a Digital Society

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 …

SoftBank Corp.’s SRv6 MUP Brings Internet Efficiency and Flexibility to 5G Mobile Communications

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 …

SoftBank Corp.’s Content Distribution System Delivers Ready-for-TV Video from Expo 2020 Dubai in Successful Demonstration

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…

SoftBank’s Corp.’s “AI-on-5G Lab.” Aims to Help Enterprises Transform Themselves Digitally

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…

Growing the HAPS Ecosystem: HAPS Alliance Holds its First Public Event

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…

SoftBank Corp. and JR-West Leverage Automated Driving and Platooning Technologies in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Trials

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…

Making 5G Fast and Comfortable: SoftBank Corp. Devises Measures to Counter the ‘Packet Loss’ Phenomenon

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 …

SoftBank's Executive Briefing Center: A Brand New Approach to Marketing Technology

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.

Trial Shows How 5G and XR Technologies Can Support Remote Dental Surgery

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…

SoftBank Corp. the Only Japan-listed Company in the Information & Communication Category to be Chosen as a “Digital Transformation (DX) 2021 Stock”

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…

Unlocking the Power of the Stratosphere: HAPS Alliance Holds its First Member Meeting

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…

In a Japan First, SoftBank Corp. Offers Virtual Advertisements for Pro Baseball Games

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…

SoftBank R&D: Evaluating the Latest Technologies with a View to Commercialization

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…

SoftBank R&D: Revolutionizing Communication Technologies to Change the World

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…

It Moves! 18-meter “Moving Gundam” Robot Revealed in Yokohama with Virtual Cockpit Powered by SoftBank 5G

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…

SoftBank Corp. Showcases 5G-powered Entertainment and Advanced Technologies at Pop Culture Complex

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…

SoftBank Corp. and Popular Boy Band Arashi Team Up on 5G Project to Explore New Possibilities for Entertainment

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…

Pioneering the Future Beyond 5G: Taking Up the Challenge of 6G Terahertz Wave-based Communications

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…

The Future of Logistics: SoftBank Working to Evolve Truck Platooning with 5G

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…

SoftBank 5G Services to Launch on March 27

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…

Making Highways Smart with 5G Technology

Starting from December 2018 through to March 2019, in Japan's Aichi Prefecture SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) conducted testing of its “Smart Highway” concept, which uses 5G to improve the driver experience. Some of Japan's expressways have …

SoftBank Signs First-round NBA Draft Pick Rui Hachimura to Promote 5G Services

SoftBank Corp. Representative Director & COO Jun Shimba welcomes Rui Hachimura as SoftBank’s new 5G ambassador On August 7, 2019, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO:9434) held a pep rally at its Tokyo headquarters to show support for the Japan men’s ba…

SoftBank's 5G Meets FUJI ROCK, Japan's Largest Outdoor Music Festival

This summer, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO:9434) deployed pre-commercial 5G services at Japan's largest outdoor rock music event, FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL ‘19. The annual event took place from July 26-28 at Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata Prefecture. SoftBa…

SoftBank World 2019 Event Envisions a Digital Japan

On July 18 and 19, SoftBank World 2019 showcased presentations from about 80 IT industry leaders along with 86 exhibits from companies with leading-edge technologies and solutions. The annual event held by SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO:9434) and i…

5G and VR Trials Demonstrate Completely New Ways to Enjoy Baseball

Anticipating commercial 5G services planned for 2020, SoftBank Corp. conducted trials that used multi-angle virtual reality (VR) at the FUKUOKA YAHUOKU! DOME (YAHUOKU DOME), home of the Fukuoka SoftBank HAWKS (HAWKS) baseball club. SoftBan…