News Release & IR News
With the business partnership
between KDDI and SpaceX,
we are moving towards a
"New dimension of coverage"
Wherever you see the sky,
you can contact your family and friends
with your exiting smartphone,
even at sea.
Wherever you see the sky,
you can get information
with your exiting smartphone,
even in an emergency.
Wherever you see the sky,
you can share your experiences
with your exiting smartphone,
even in the mountains.
Wherever you see the sky,
you‘re connected to our network
Your existing smartphone will soon be connected from space using the next generation satellite technology
Preparing for launch in 2024
Starting with messaging, the Au team is excited to bring voice and data services shortly after.
Concept video
- ・KDDI’s Au network enables our customer’s daily lives and helps them share unforgettable moments. We are proud of providing 99.9% population to the people of Japan. Unfortunately, only a small portion of the Japanese land mass is habitable and often it is difficult to use traditional technologies to provide coverage from coast to coast.
- ・Our extensive network continues to grow in coverage as we deploy more fiber and satellite backhauled base stations.
We are excited to announce that In August 2023, KDDI and SpaceX agreed, as a next level of collaboration, to provide satellite-to-cellular service leveraging SpaceX’s Starlink low earth orbit satellites and KDDI national wireless spectrum nationwide. - ・KDDI and SpaceX have a common vision of “Improving connectivity” to empower customers to stay connected even in places where there is currently no cellular coverage from any provider.
- * Connectivity is not guaranteed in all locations. Line of sight is required.
- * It does not guarantee actual service specifications since it is still under development.
- * The service is planned to be provided based on the establishment of radio-related laws and regulations in Japan.
FAQ
SpaceX's largest satellite constellation in the world,
Starlink
Starlink delivers high-speed, low-latency internet to users all over the world. As the world's first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit, Starlink delivers broadband internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, video calls and more. Starlink is engineered and operated by SpaceX. As the world’s leading provider of launch services, SpaceX is leveraging its deep experience with both spacecraft and on-orbit operations to deploy the world’s most advanced broadband internet system, as well as a Direct to Cell constellation of satellites to provide connectivity directly to unmodified LTE cell phones.
KDDI will act as “authorized Starlink integrator,” enhancing the company’s ability to deliver best-in-class network service to its customers who require stable, reliable connectivity in rural and remote areas, even during events such as natural disasters.
KDDI will begin offering Starlink
connectivity to its enterprise and civil government customers later this year.
Low-Earth orbit satellite
Developed by SpaceX, Starlink provides high-speed, low-latency satellite broadband internet around the globe. Starlink satellites are positioned in low-Earth orbit at an altitude of 550 km, so it can achieve significantly lower latency and higher transmission speeds for its end users.
For cellular backhaul
KDDI has selected Starlink for au’s 1,200 remote mobile towers as its network backhaul provider.
Using Starlink to backhaul service from these remote stations complements KDDI’s urban towers that utilize fiber for backhaul.
As soon as 2022, KDDI will be able to offer an urban mobile connectivity experience to its rural mobile customers.
Starlink will enable communication speeds of over 100Mbps in mountainous areas and island areas, which were previously considered difficult to provide.
