Sceye and SoftBank plan HAPS network over Japan

Sceye said it has signed a five-year agreement with SoftBank Corp. to manufacture, launch and operate a fleet of high-altitude platform systems over Japan, with the aim of providing nationwide coverage.

The U.S. aerospace company said most of the initial fleet would provide mobile broadband across Japan, while some platforms would support a free-space optical network in the stratosphere. Sceye and SoftBank said the deployments are intended to connect terrestrial infrastructure, stratospheric platforms and satellites.

Sceye said the agreement follows a 30-day Service Test 1 mission launched from New Mexico on August 9, 2026, which travelled to Japan and back through the stratosphere. During a week over Japan, the companies said they demonstrated text messaging, voice calls, internet access and video streaming.

Sceye founder and chief executive Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen said the company was moving into full-scale production of its stratospheric platforms. Masayuki Kamimura, a senior director at SoftBank, said the agreement was a step toward commercial use of stratospheric connectivity.