Malaysian Government Delegation Visits SoftBank Corp. Headquarters to Experience Advanced Technologies

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 SoftBank Corp.'s (TOKYO: 9434) advanced technologies. The visit was organized by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as part of the “LEP2.0 Communication and Multimedia Industry” training program for Malaysia.

Delegation briefed on HAPS and 5G

The government officials invited to Japan for the JICA-organized training program are responsible for formulating and promoting 5G-related policies in Malaysia. The purpose of their visit was to deepen their understanding of Japan's 5G-related policies and initiatives, including security measures for 5G implementation, and to increase their awareness about issues Malaysia may face with the widespread adoption of 5G.

During their approximately one-week stay in Japan, the group visited various public and private entities to deepen their knowledge and strengthen ties between Malaysia and Japan. At SoftBank headquarters, the delegation got to learn firsthand about 5G in Japan and other advanced technologies.

In the first part of their visit, SoftBank representatives briefed the delegation on SoftBank’s High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) stratospheric-based wireless communication system under development and the SoftBank 5G network.

Yasuto Tanaka of the Product Technology Division (left) and Takato Ando of the Mobile & Network Division (right)

Due to its geographical location by the equator, Malaysia enjoys long periods of sunlight, making it favorable for HAPS aircraft that operate on solar power. During the presentation, a SoftBank representative explained efforts being made toward commercializing HAPS services, which generated a high degree of interest among the delegation. During a Q&A session, there were questions about millimeter waves and other 5G technologies, as well as inquiries on HAPS’ network coverage capabilities and communication capacity.

Group shows interest in smart building technologies

In the latter part of their visit, the Malaysian delegation toured the Executive Briefing Center (EBC), an experiential facility that showcases cutting-edge technologies, including Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) solutions and AI-powered security technologies.

The group showed great interest in SoftBank’s smart building solutions, one of which enables the visualization of congestion levels at restaurants and restrooms inside Tokyo Portcity Takeshiba, the building where SoftBank is headquartered.

Reflecting on the visit, Yoshiko Fukushige of SoftBank's Regulatory Division, who was in charge of hosting the delegation, commented, “We’re very pleased that the Malaysian government showed so much interest in our solutions. We also received words of gratitude from Kamarudin Bin Abdul Rani, Undersecretary at the Control and Compliance Division of the Ministry of Communications, after the visit. To further our ‘Beyond Japan’ strategy, we’ll continue to be a bridge that connects SoftBank with government officials around the world in collaboration with the Japanese government.”