A series of airborne telecommunications base stations should fly over Japan in about two years – thanks to Airbus subsidiary AALTO and a consortium led by Japanese mobile operator NTT Docomo.
Flight attendants trying to close the door 😅 #shorts
The consortium – which includes Space Compass, Mizuho Bank and the Development Bank of Japan, all led by NTT Docomo – will invest $100 million in AALTO through the investment vehicle HAPS JAPAN.
AALTO is the manufacturer of the Zephyr High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) – a solar-powered fixed-wing drone designed to operate in the stratosphere, where it provides cellular connectivity plus Earth observation services.
"This investment marks the beginning of a strategic alliance to commercialize connectivity and Earth observation services using HAPS in Japan and across Asia," a press release explains.
