Rakuten Mobile, in partnership with U.S. satellite designer AST SpaceMobile, has announced plans to launch a commercial satellite-to-mobile service across Japan in 2026.
The broadband service, which will enable video and voice calls, will be directly accessible by regular smartphones and won’t require a connection to a terminal.
The exact timing of the roll out is uncertain, but the plans for coverage encompass mountainous and remote areas across Japan.
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