Japanese telecommunications company SoftBank plans to deploy high-altitude solar-powered drones to deliver internet and IoT connectivity by 2023.
SoftBank has partnered with US drone manufacturer AeroVironment to develop the HAWK30, a solar-electric aircraft designed to operate at stratospheric altitudes. The HAWK30 stores solar energy and uses ten electric motors to sustain flight up to approximately 65,000 feet (around 12 miles), which is about twice the cruising altitude of typical commercial airliners.
Operating at such high altitudes offers several advantages: a more stable power supply from continuous solar exposure, reduced atmospheric turbulence, and an expanded coverage footprint for LTE and 5G services. SoftBank states that a single HAWK30 base station—referred to as a High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS)—could cover a radius that serves an area up to roughly 125 miles. Deploying a fleet of around 40 HAPS vehicles could potentially provide wireless coverage for Japan’s island territories.
One of the project’s aims is to create a connectivity solution that is more resilient to natural disasters. Traditional land-based infrastructure, including wired networks and ground radio towers, is vulnerable to events such as earthquakes. High-altitude platforms can remain operational when ground infrastructure is damaged, helping maintain communications during emergencies.
SoftBank also highlights network continuity: “Smooth handovers between networks provided by terrestrial base stations and by HAWK30 will also be possible,” the company says. This capability is intended to prevent communication interruptions when a user moves between areas served by terrestrial base stations and areas served by a HAWK30 platform.
In addition to consumer broadband, the project explores support for a broad range of Internet of Things (IoT) applications. HAPSMobile—SoftBank’s subsidiary responsible for the infrastructure—states it will support relevant telecom standards for IoT to enable various IoT solutions, from remote sensors to large-scale device deployments.
The SoftBank–AeroVironment HAWK30 initiative offers a glimpse into how future resilient and wide-area connectivity might be delivered, particularly in disaster response and remote coverage scenarios. Operating above typical air traffic and offering large coverage areas, HAPS platforms present an alternative or complement to terrestrial networks for both broadband and IoT services.
The project remains under development, and stakeholders are continuing to evaluate technical, regulatory, and operational factors such as flight endurance, spectrum coordination, airspace integration, and long-term system reliability. As the program progresses, further updates will clarify deployment timelines, specific service capabilities, and how HAPS-based connectivity will integrate with existing mobile networks.
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