SoftBank tests new HAPS 5G payload

Details: Manny Pham; Category: Satellite Networks; 18 September 2025; 8329 views

SoftBank Corp tested new innovation in High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) technology that can beam stable 5G connectivity from the sky to the ground, as the company advances in the nascent technology that can plug coverage gap in rural areas.

In a statement, the company detailed that it trialled its newly developed 6-cell payload, which delivered 5G from a light aircraft to devices on the ground in a field trial held in June on Hachijō Island, Tokyo.

The aircraft flew at an altitude of 3,000 metres and successfully demonstrated end-to-end 5G communication between a base station and mobile devices, said SoftBank.

A mobile device on the ground recorded an average downlink speed of 33Mb/s, 15km away from the centre of the aircraft’s circling path.

SoftBank explained the new payload integrates equipment for a service link, which connects a HAPS platform with devices such as smartphones, and a feeder link, which connects a HAPS platform to a ground gateway that provides the link to a base station.

This development is the latest step towards equipping HAPS platforms with multicell payloads capable of blanketing 200km of land with connectivity.

The company is aiming to upgrade the new payload with higher capacity and roll it out in future HAPS commercial services.

According to a recent study from the GSMA, around 3.4 billion people are unconnected to the internet due to a combination of device affordability and lack of coverage.