SoftBank Corp.Develops Excessive-capacity 6-cell Succesful HAPS Payload,Delivers 5G Connectivity from the Sky in Subject Trial – sUAS Information

• Newly developed payload integrates service-link and feeder-link tools
• Payload efficiently achieves wide-area and secure connectivity, with view to implementation in future HAPS business providers

SoftBank Corp. (President & CEO: Junichi Miyakawa, “SoftBank”) as we speak introduced it newly developed a 6-cell succesful communications payload for Excessive Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) stratospheric-based wi-fi communications that efficiently delivered 5G connectivity from the sky to the bottom in a subject trial. The newly developed payload integrates tools for a service hyperlink, which connects a HAPS platform with smartphones and different cellular units, and a feeder hyperlink, which connects a HAPS platform to a floor gateway (a station linked to a base station on the bottom).

In a subject trial performed in June 2025 on Hachijō Island, Tokyo, SoftBank mounted the newly developed payload on a lightweight plane that flew at an altitude of three,000m to relay connectivity. The configuration enabled SoftBank to efficiently show end-to-end 5G communications between a base station and cellular system, in addition to footprint fixation expertise^*1 in a service space consisting of 6 cells. Primarily based on the outcomes of this subject trial, SoftBank proved its newly developed payload can present wide-area and secure communication providers from the sky.

Constructing on the outcomes of this subject trial, SoftBank will make enhancements to the newly developed payload, with the purpose of attaining larger capability and implementing the payload in HAPS business providers.

Subject trial background

SoftBank is researching and creating multi-cell succesful payloads for HAPS platforms to understand wide-area protection of as much as 200km in diameter and high-capacity wi-fi communications. So far, SoftBank has efficiently performed a collection of subject trials to check key applied sciences, together with the utilization of a cylindrical antenna^*2 that capabilities as a service-link antenna, footprint fixation^*3, space optimization^*4 and spectrum sharing^*5. To function HAPS-based providers, it’s essential to combine each the service-link and feeder-link antennas into an aerial automobile. SoftBank’s newly developed payload can help 6 cells of space protection and used a configuration that integrates tools for the service hyperlink and feeder hyperlink, enabling the payload to efficiently ship 5G connectivity from the sky in a subject trial. A portion of the sphere trial was performed as a part of “R&D on Applied sciences for HAPS Cellular Broadband Communications” (JPJ012368C07701), a proposal chosen in 2023 by the Nationwide Institute of Data and Communications Know-how (“NICT”) in Japan for its “Modern ICT Fund Tasks for Past 5G/6G” program.

Subject trial overview

Within the subject trial, SoftBank mounted the newly developed 6-cell succesful payload onto a lightweight plane that simulated a HAPS aerial automobile. By relaying the feeder hyperlink (26 GHz band) between the gateway and the plane, in addition to the service hyperlink (1.7 GHz band) between the plane and a cellular system, SoftBank performed a subject trial that achieved end-to-end 5G communication between a base station linked to a floor gateway and a cellular system. SoftBank additionally demonstrated footprint fixation in a 6-cell protection space on the bottom shaped from an altitude of three,000m on this trial.

System configuration

The system configuration for this subject trial, as follows, is proven in Fig. 1.

• The sunshine plane circled over Hachijō Island at an altitude of three,000m whereas relaying wi-fi uplink and downlink alerts between the bottom station and a cellular system.
• The feeder-link tools was geared up with capabilities together with beam monitoring, sign reception degree compensation^*6, and Doppler shift^*7 correction, and wi-fi relay of 6-cell alerts utilizing radio waves within the 26 GHz band.
• Service-link tools carried out footprint fixation for every cell by way of digital beamforming management, and, by utilizing radio waves within the 1.7 GHz band, shaped a round communication space on the bottom consisting of 6 cells spaced each 60° in azimuth, radiating from the service-link antenna (cylindrical antenna) mounted on the underside of the plane, as proven in Fig. 2.

Subject trial outcomes

Utilizing the above system configuration, SoftBank evaluated wide-area footprint fixation efficiency and throughput between the bottom station and cellular system at lengthy vary. Measurements of the sign energy reception degree inside the communication space confirmed that, alongside the 360° azimuth circumference centered on the circling place of the sunshine plane, the cell with the very best sign energy reception switched each 60° (Fig. 3). This means that even when the plane’s place and orientation modified because of circling, the protection space for every cell remained mounted on the bottom.

As well as, utilizing a cellular system to measure throughput, a median downlink velocity of roughly 33 Mbps was achieved at a location 15 km from the middle of the sunshine plane’s circling path. This confirmed that end-to-end 5G communication by way of the service hyperlink and feeder hyperlink is feasible even on the fringe of the protection space. At some extent 15km away from the middle of the place the plane circled, the elevation angle to the plane at an altitude of three,000m was roughly 11 levels. Since that is equal to the elevation angle to a HAPS at an altitude of 20km noticed from some extent 100km away (the sting of its protection space), SoftBank confirmed that communication might be maintained even beneath circumstances equal to the periphery of a HAPS protection space.

SoftBank will leverage the outcomes and know-how obtained from this subject trial to additional enhance the payload, with the purpose of attaining larger capability and implementing the payload in HAPS business providers.

[Notes]

1. *1Footprint fixation expertise is a expertise that fixes a communication space (footprint) for every cell shaped on the bottom by altering the route of radio waves emitted from a communications payload mounted on a HAPS platform because it rotates or adjustments roll, pitch and yaw.
2. *2For extra particulars, see SoftBank Corp.’s discover dated September 2, 2021: SoftBank Corp. and HAPSMobile Speed up Excessive Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) R&D to Present Secure and Excessive-quality Connectivity for Future Industrial Providers.
3. *3For extra particulars, see SoftBank Corp.’s press launch dated June 22, 2022: SoftBank Corp. Efficiently Checks Excessive-altitude Tethered Balloon Base Station System that Makes use of Footprint Fixation Know-how.
4. *4For extra particulars, see SoftBank Corp.’s press launch dated December 20, 2023: SoftBank Corp. Efficiently Checks Protection Space Optimization Know-how that Realizes Communication Capability Maximization for HAPS.
5. *5For extra particulars, see SoftBank Corp.’s press launch dated June 26, 2024: SoftBank Corp. Efficiently Demonstrates Nullforming Know-how to Obtain Spectrum Sharing Between HAPS and Terrestrial Base Stations.
6. *6Signal reception degree compensation is a management perform that maintains a continuing sign reception degree by adjusting for variations within the radio propagation path attributable to tilt or motion of the plane.
7. *7Doppler shift is a phenomenon by which the motion of a transferring object (both the transmitter or the receiver) causes a frequency misalignment with radio waves, thereby affecting communication high quality.

• SoftBank, the SoftBank identify and brand are registered emblems or emblems of SoftBank Group Corp. in Japan and different nations.
• Different firm, product and repair names on this press launch are registered emblems or emblems of the respective corporations.

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