The build–up to IBC has influenced Eutelsat [and SES] to announce new business — the satellite provider has signed an partnership agreement with Japan’s SoftBank Corp.
Eutelsat’s deal with SoftBank will offer low latency, secure connectivity for businesses and government agencies throughout Japan, and sees Eutelsat enter the Japanese market for the first time.
The agreement will tap into Eutelsat’s OneWeb fleet of LEO satellites. The multi–year partnership will enable SoftBank to deliver a robust bandwidth – and communication speed – guaranteed service to customers including corporations and government entities, notably providing momentum for SoftBank’s satellite communication services. It will directly interconnect with SoftBank’s closed network service, SmartVPN, for additional security communications. The scope will initially target the Japanese market, with potential to expand to Japanese customers in other territories.
The agreement follows the granting to SoftBank by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of a blanket licence for specific radio stations, including VSAT Earth stations and mobile Earth stations, while the same ministry granted Eutelsat OneWeb a gateway station license.
Cyril Dujardin, Co-President of Eutelsat’s Connectivity Business Unit, said, “Our partnership with SoftBank is a significant milestone in our mission to deliver innovative connectivity solutions globally. We are delighted to rely on SoftBank as our partner to enter the Japanese market, and we look forward to cementing and expanding our collaboration in the years to come.”
Masakatsu Kawahara, SoftBank Corp. Vice President, Head of Communication Service Division, said, ”We are excited to partner with Eutelsat. By using the OneWeb low Earth orbit constellation it becomes possible to use high-quality, highly secure satellite communications services in places such as maritime and mountainous areas where connectivity is difficult to provide with terrestrial mobile networks. This will enable us to promote digital transformation in various industries and for local governments, heralding a new era in secure, ubiquitous connectivity services.”
