Rakuten Group of Japan and Amazon.com of the United States are reportedly set to enter the Japanese satellite communication market as early as next year, according to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) on the 19th.
The Japanese satellite communication market has relied on SpaceX's satellite internet service, 'Starlink,' led by Elon Musk. However, it is expected that competition will intensify with the participation of these corporations.
In Japan, KDDI has been providing a service that allows direct communication between smartphones and satellites without ground relays, relying on Starlink.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has begun discussions on radio frequencies and output to facilitate participation in the satellite communication market by domestic corporations and plans to accept new entrants as early as next year.
Rakuten Mobile plans to launch a new satellite communication service around October to December next year. Rakuten Group has invested in the American startup AST SpaceMobile, which is pushing forward with the development of communication satellites.
Rakuten Mobile first plans to introduce a text messaging service and subsequently expand the service to include currency exchanges, video viewing, and more.
Additionally, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications plans to revise related regulations to allow Amazon to enter the Japanese satellite communication market after April next year, considering that it plans to launch more than 3,200 satellites by 2029.
However, the Japan division of Amazon stated, 'We will refrain from commenting on future plans.'
Nikkei analyzed, 'Satellite communications can be utilized in mountainous areas without base stations and remote islands, thereby alleviating communication gaps. It also serves as an alternative when base stations are damaged due to disasters such as earthquakes.'