SoftBank beams 5G to phones from the sky in successful stratospheric test flight

SoftBank conducted a successful test flight above Hachijō Island, Japan, delivering 5G connectivity to smartphones using an airborne base station. The company utilized a light aircraft at 3,000 meters to simulate a high-altitude platform, connecting ground infrastructure to devices via 26 GHz and 1.7 GHz links. This approach differs from satellite-based systems, offering advantages like lower latency and improved stability. SoftBank's technology could extend 5G coverage to areas lacking traditional towers, such as disaster zones or remote islands. While commercial deployment timelines are unclear, the groundwork for scalable 5G service via stratospheric platforms has been established.