The Government of Rwanda and SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) announced a groundbreaking achievement in the world of telecommunications on September 24, 2023. Both successfully conducted a test of SoftBank's proprietary 5G communications payload in the stratosphere, utilizing a solar-powered High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) uncrewed aircraft prototype.
This demonstration in Rwanda, aimed at advancing HAPS research, marked a historic moment as the first-ever publicly announced delivery of 5G connectivity from a HAPS uncrewed aircraft in the stratosphere.
The test saw SoftBank's communications payload perform seamlessly at a maximum altitude of 16.9 kilometers under challenging atmospheric conditions. Using the communications payload flying in the stratosphere, a 5G-based Zoom video call was conducted between a 5G smartphone in Rwanda and SoftBank team members in Japan.
SoftBank's stratosphere-ready 5G communications payload used in the test
This milestone has its roots in a Memorandum of Understanding signed back in July 2020 between a SoftBank subsidiary and Rwanda’s Ministry of ICT and Innovation. Under this agreement, both parties committed to a Joint Research Project (JRP) to explore the potential of HAPS for providing mobile Internet connectivity.
Building on the success of this stratospheric 5G test, SoftBank and the Government of Rwanda intend to explore various HAPS use cases and potential commercial implementation in Rwanda and other parts of Africa. Use cases under consideration include the digitalization of schools and communities in remote areas lacking Internet connectivity.
Junichi Miyakawa, President & CEO of SoftBank Corp., said, "This test marks an important step forward in our aim of bridging the digital divide with HAPS and other NTN solutions.” Paula Ingabire, Minister of ICT and Innovation of the Republic of Rwanda, called the successful 5G delivery test “promising” and noted its potential to narrow the digital divide and enhance digital inclusion.
For more information, see this press release.
(Posted on October 20, 2023)
by SoftBank News Editors
