SoftBank has announced that it plans to launch pre-commercial High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) stratospheric telecommunications services in Japan in 2026. As part of this initiative, SoftBank made an equity investment in Sceye, a New Mexico, U.S.-based company that develops lighter-than-air (LTA*1)-type HAPS vehicles. SoftBank also signed an agreement with Sceye on June 20, 2025, that gives it exclusive rights to provide HAPS-based services in Japan using Sceye's platform.
In addition to its ongoing program to develop a heavier-than-air (HTA*2)-type HAPS vehicle, SoftBank will newly utilize LTA-type vehicles to accelerate the commercialization of HAPS-based telecommunication services. By providing HAPS-based commercial services, SoftBank aims to build a next-generation telecommunications network with 3D architecture to support stable and reliable connectivity for drones and uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the 6G era, in addition to providing telecommunications services during large-scale disasters when terrestrial networks are disrupted.
Sceye is a leading aerospace company specializing in HAPS to connect people and protect the planet. Sceye's HAPS platform uses the buoyant force of helium, a gas lighter than air, to remain airborne for long durations. Having completed more than 20 successful test flights, Sceye is collaborating with U.S. state governments and private enterprises. Sceye's HAPS solution aims to provide connectivity to underserved areas, enable real-time detection and response to weather-related disasters, and support advanced environmental monitoring, all to contribute to a better future for people and the planet.
SoftBank plans to begin providing pre-commercial HAPS services in Japan in 2026 using Sceye's LTA-type HAPS platform. These services are expected to support communication recovery during disruptions due to large-scale disasters, such as major earthquakes, and deliver connectivity to hard-to-reach areas, including mountainous regions and remote islands.
Junichi Miyakawa, President & CEO, SoftBank
As a global pioneer, SoftBank has been developing HAPS-based services since 2017. In addition to our research and development for HTA-type HAPS, I'm extremely pleased we'll be launching LTA-type HAPS pre-commercial services in 2026 through our new partnership with Sceye. The stratospheric-based, wide area telecommunications of HAPS will play a key role in expanding network area coverage to areas that are difficult to reach with existing mobile network infrastructure, and it will also provide a means of restoring communications when large-scale disasters strike.
Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen, Founder and CEO, Sceye
SoftBank has an extensive track record in non-terrestrial network technologies and has long viewed the stratosphere as the next frontier to tackle pressing global issues. Their investment reinforces the viability of our HAPS platform. We are proud to welcome SoftBank as a strategic partner and look forward to accelerating the commercialization of our services together.
