back to article Japan's Rakuten plans satellite cell service across its islands from 2026

Japan's Rakuten Mobile says it plans to offer a satellite-based mobile service that will support standard smartphones starting from 2026, although the satellites to provide this capability have yet to be launched. Rakuten, one of four mobile networks operating in Japan, said it aims to provide satellite-to-mobile services …

  1. MachDiamond Silver badge

    Compatibility

    There are sat phone services and it could make more sense to use terrestrial antennas with the towers served by satellite links. A concern I would have is if trying to have standard phones work with satellites, if that would preclude using land based service due to interference. The cost of building, launching and maintaining the satellites has always made it too expensive since the customer base they are going after are often in out of the way places with very low densities of users. I have my Ham license and a GROL (commercial) license as well so if I was going to go far out, I could still have comms if I wanted them. Last year during Field day I was taking responses from half way around the world and we could hear a satellite pass, but nobody was quick enough to get a contact before it was over the horizon.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    BlueWalker test satellite

    Will this service scale-out to multiple unmodified handsets that are in motion?

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