Key facts
- Rakuten Mobile and AST SpaceMobile conducted the first broadband video call between unmodified smartphones in Japan using a satellite.
- The companies plan to launch a satellite-to-mobile service in Japan by the fourth quarter of 2026.
- China's SpaceSail Technologies is seeking up to 15 billion yuan ($2.2 billion).
- SpaceSail Technologies aims to build a satellite network to rival SpaceX's Starlink.
- SpaceSail Technologies seeks to capture a share of the global satellite communications market.
Rakuten Mobile, in collaboration with U.S. startup AST SpaceMobile, has achieved a significant milestone by conducting the first-ever broadband video call between unmodified smartphones in Japan utilizing a low Earth orbit satellite. This successful test paves the way for a planned satellite-to-mobile service launch in Japan, targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026. The service aims to provide mobile connectivity directly from space to standard mobile devices.