Bridging the Digital Divide: SoftBank Corp.’s Progress in Developing Key Technologies for HAPS

High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) is an innovative technology that uses uncrewed aircraft positioned in the stratosphere, approximately 20 km above the Earth's surface, to provide stable, high-speed and wide-area connectivity. As a technology that uses the same radiowaves as existing smartphones, HAPS is garnering attention as a new communication method for areas with insufficient ground infrastructure and as an emergency communication system during disasters.

Since 2017, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) has pioneered the development of various technologies for HAPS to realize commercial services. In this deep dive, learn more about SoftBank’s progress in developing HAPS aircraft, component technologies such as motors and batteries, and its research on energy efficiency and stratospheric meteorology.