"Future Stories" is a series of interviews with employees of the Group about their efforts to lead to a future of Space for your Smile.

Even Japan Ground-based There are limits to the communication area of base stations, and there are still areas where data communication is not possible in mountainous areas and depopulated areas. In order to "respond to all demands anytime, anywhere," SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation aims to build a non- Ground-based network (Universal NTN) by greatly expanding the range of experience in the space and satellite business that it has cultivated over more than 30 years.

We interviewed two members of Universal NTN about how they are contributing to solving environmental and social issues.

―――Members Interviewed

From left to right: Mr. Kishiro and Mr. Ogawa

What is NTN Business Unit's vision for the future and business initiatives for 2030

―――Our vision for 2030 is to build an innovative communication network for all spaces and contribute to the realization of a super-smart society.

Mr. Ogawa: We are working on the development of "Universal NTN" with the vision of "responding to all kinds of requests anytime, anywhere." People around me often ask me, "What is Universal?" or "I don't know much about NTN in the first place." NTN stands for "Non terrestrial Network" and is a non- Ground-based network in Japanese. Since we are doing networks in space, it can be said that we have been doing NTN until now. Universal NTN is an image of further evolution of this concept.

―――What do we mean by "universal" and "anytime, anywhere"?

Mr. Ogawa: As we move toward 2030, the number of customers will increase, and the use cases and applications will diversify. That's how I interpret it. By the way, this Universal NTN is our original concept.

―――It's a unique concept for us, can you tell us a little bit more about what you're working on?

Mr. Ogawa: Yes, in order to realize everything we have in mind, we believe that our GEO (geostationary orbit satellites) alone will not be sufficient, and that it will be necessary to include not only GEO but also non-GEO (non-geostationary orbit satellites) and HAPS (high-altitude platforms) in multi-layering.

Mr. Ogawa: However, if each of them works independently without coordination, it will not be possible to become an NTN Infrastructure that is flexible and optimized for each application. In addition to GEO, when communication Infrastructure is held in various layers such as non-GEO and HAPS, it is necessary to have a mechanism to link each of them and make effective use of them, so we are also studying this.

In order to do this, we need to invest in various technological elements, R&D, M&A and alliances. We are trying to ensure that we are firmly in the lead in what we want to be in the future.

Mr. Ogawa speaking at a conference in the UK on October 25, 2023

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SKY Perfect JSAT

What kind of social issues do you want to solve and help people in need by providing services?

―――What social issues do you hope to solve and help people in need by providing services in the future?

Mr. Kishiro: In the future, satellite communications will become the same 5G communication standard as mobile phones. If the communication standards of Ground-based(mobile) and satellite are the same, it will be possible to communicate with a single terminal, so we believe that the advantage is that users can move anywhere with communication connected, without being aware of whether or not they are in a blank area of Ground-based communication. With the realization of NTN, there is a possibility that communication can be used in any place, even if the communication is cut off in the event of a disaster Ground-based if you have a mobile phone.

We have a goal to close the communication gap, and we want to use better Infrastructure to close the gap, especially in places where connectivity is problematic. When we are alone, we can only see our own space. I hope that we can co-create together with other businesses.

New challenges, initiatives, and things you want to try

―――Please tell us if there is anything you would like to take on a new challenge or something you would like to do.

Mr. Ogawa: We have started this and launched the "NTN Open Innovation Activity" in April of this year.\nIn order to create an ecosystem in which NTN is used, it is necessary to collaborate with various companies. I believe that we need to work not only with the companies we have done business with in the past, but also with mobile and software companies, for example, to realize the "Universal NTN" of the future. We are conducting a series of such activities under the name "NTN Open Innovation Activities.

―――What are we at now?

Mr. Ogawa: We are now in a phase where we exchange information with other companies, discuss them in our activities, and make them concrete. I think open innovation and collaboration with external parties are very important. I would like to raise NTN together!

―――How about you, Mr. Kishiro?

Mr. Kishiro: Satellites are often used for backup and disasters, but we are thinking about how to use satellites that are more familiar to us. I would like to see if I can use satellites as close to me as I would on my phone, and I like my company and I like satellites, so I would like to make it happen within NTN.

(Interview date: October 2, 2023)

Universal NTN aims to be a non- Ground-based network to meet all needs such as wide area, large capacity, low latency, safety, high reliability, and low power consumption. In the future, we will work on open innovation and external collaboration, and promote collaboration with other companies to eliminate disparities in the communication area.

Contact
SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation Space Business Division new business fields Business Headquarters NTN Division