Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo.
1:00 JST, October 30, 2025
High-altitude platform stations (HAPS), large unmanned aircraft that function as base stations for mobile phones, will likely start seeing real-world use in Japan as early as 2026, according to sources.
The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry plans to smooth the way for their introduction, including by updating its ordinances, by the end of the fiscal year ending March 2026. There are high hopes that the technology will help in mountainous areas with poor cell coverage as well as during disasters.
HAPS are designed to operate in the stratosphere, typically at an altitude of about 20 kilometers. Their antennas and other equipment provide access to communication networks over a wide area, enabling communication in hard-to-reach areas like mountains and over the sea.
HAPS can also be used during disasters. The Noto Peninsula Earthquake in January 2024 caused a prolonged disruption to mobile phone services as power outages and damaged communication networks made many base stations inoperable. Major mobile phone carriers used the Starlink satellite network from U.S.-based SpaceX to restore services.
While a single high-altitude station cannot offer as much coverage as a system like Starlink, the stations are closer to the ground, so they can transmit large volumes of data. Powered by solar cells, the stations can operate even during power outages.
Major Japanese carriers have been eager to provide services that use HAPS. NTT Docomo Inc. has invested in a subsidiary of Airbus SE, the major European aerospace company, to develop a HAPS. The carrier aims to commercialize the station in 2026. SoftBank Corp. has introduced a blimp-shaped station produced in the United States. It plans to trial the station in Japan in 2026.
Previously, base stations were only allowed on the ground, but the communications ministry had the Radio Law revised in April, and the stations can now be placed in “the stratosphere and the airspace below.” An expert panel is examining the technical challenges around HAPS; it plans to submit a report as early as this month. The ministry then plans to revise its ordinances to establish detailed rules.
In particular, the ministry plans to require that the new stations only occupy altitudes of around 20 kilometers to prevent interference with signals from ground-based digital broadcasts and weather radar. HAPS operators will also have to take measures to prevent signal interference with neighboring countries, as the stations are also expected to be used over the sea.
HAPS will use the 2 GHz frequency band, which is now used at ground-based stations for mobile phones. Users will be able to communicate with the stations using their smartphones and other devices without any special antenna.
