SoftBank to tie up with Google's parent on airborne base stations

TOKYO - SoftBank Corp. will team up with Google LLC parent Alphabet Inc. to set up airborne mobile phone base stations in the stratosphere, sources close to the matter said Wednesday.SoftBank and Alphabet will launch the airborne base stations to cover wider areas for next-generation 5G wireless services, the sources said.

The next-generation services use high-frequency, short-length radio waves, meaning each base station covers a smaller area and signals sometimes cannot pass through buildings.

The companies aim to cover wider areas at lower cost by using airborne base stations.

Alphabet's subsidiary Loon LLC has conducted trial launches of balloons carrying base stations in Africa.

SoftBank said Wednesday it and Loon will hold a press conference on a new business in Tokyo on Thursday, without elaborating.

Fifth-generation services started in South Korea and the United States this month, while in Japan a trial 5G service will begin this fall.

The superfast services enable smartphone users to download a two-hour film in just three seconds.

Source: https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190425/p2g/00m/0bu/005000c