SoftBank plugs into Eutelsat’s OneWeb LEO constellation

The deal will see SoftBank integrate Eutelsat’s OneWeb low Earth orbit (LEO) connectivity into its services targeted at businesses and government agencies throughout Japan.

The multi-year partnership will enable SoftBank to deliver a ‘high quality, robust bandwidth- and communication speed-guaranteed service’, and is touted as providing momentum for SoftBank’s satellite communication services.

It directly interconnects with SoftBank's closed network service SmartVPN, and the scope will initially target the Japanese market, though there is apparently potential to expand to Japanese customers in other territories.

Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications previously granted SoftBank a ‘blanket license’ for specific radio stations, including VSAT earth stations and mobile earth stations, while it also granted Eutelsat OneWeb a gateway station license.

“Our partnership with SoftBank is a significant milestone in our mission to deliver innovative connectivity solutions globally,” said Cyril Dujardin, Co-President of Eutelsat’s Connectivity Business Unit. “We are delighted to rely on SoftBank as our partner to enter the Japanese market, and we look forward to cementing and expanding our collaboration in the years to come."

Masakatsu Kawahara, SoftBank Corp. Vice President, Head of Communication Service Division added: "We are excited to partner with Eutelsat. By using the OneWeb low Earth orbit constellation it becomes possible to use high-quality, highly secure satellite communications services in places such as maritime and mountainous areas where connectivity is difficult to provide with terrestrial mobile networks. This will enable us to promote digital transformation in various industries and for local governments, heralding a new era in secure, ubiquitous connectivity services."

Earlier this month, Eutelsat OneWeb landed a deal with MTN's carrier unit Bayobab to use its satellite constellation to improve enterprise connectivity and provide mobile backhaul services. The agreement covers Bayobab's entire footprint – which currently comprises fibre networks in seven sub-Saharan African countries, plus access to 20 major subsea routes that boast a combined 235 landing stations, and 64 PoPs in 47 countries globally.

Meanwhile back in February, it was drafted in by Australian operator Telstra for a backhaul upgrade which involved switching its remote mobile sites over to the former’s LEO satellite network from the existing geostationary (GEO) satellites. Eutelsat agreed to provide 25 Gbps of capacity to connect hundreds of cell sites as part of the deal.