SoftBank Corp., Intelsat Forge Partnership to Enhance Connectivity

SoftBank Corp. and Intelsat have announced a pioneering partnership to develop a unified ubiquitous network designed to provide constant connectivity for users regardless of their location.
The collaboration will see the two companies working together on research and development (R&D) initiatives to achieve seamless 5G integration between terrestrial mobile networks and satellite communications.

Under their new partnership, SoftBank and Intelsat aim to create a hybrid communication solution that will keep users connected globally, whether it be via terrestrial or satellite networks or using a single device and account.

This solution will utilize standard architectures, interfaces, and processes similar to those that currently facilitate device roaming between cellular networks. It is expected to accelerate the commercial deployment of mobility solutions based on the latest 3GPP 5G standards for non-terrestrial networks.

A primary objective of the SoftBank-Intelsat collaboration is to create a universal device that remains connected in different regions and scenarios.

For instance, a connected vehicle equipped with this device would automatically switch to satellite communication when out of range of terrestrial networks. This innovative solution is anticipated to have broad commercial applications, including in land transportation, maritime operations, and disaster response and recovery.

The project will proceed through several phases including design, development, field testing, and commercialization. These efforts will synchronize with the evolution of new 3GPP 5G non-terrestrial network standards. The hybrid solutions developed will support both existing satellite terminals and future 5G-based terminals as they become available.

“Intelsat and SoftBank share a pioneering vision of ubiquitous networking and seamless interoperability between satellite and terrestrial networks,” said Bruno Fromont, Intelsat Chief Technology Officer. “Until now, the challenge was aligning standards that allowed the two different networks to connect. With recent progress on 5G-based standardization of non-terrestrial networks led by Intelsat at 3GPP and this strategic collaboration with SoftBank, we are ideally positioned to accelerate the design and practical implementation of commercial hybrid services that will allow devices to freely roam between satellite and terrestrial networks.”

Hideyuki Tsukuda, Executive Vice President and CTO of SoftBank, emphasized that integrating terrestrial mobile networks with satellite communication through advanced roaming technology could merge these previously separate networks.