Gilat, SoftBank To Provide High-Speed LTE in Japan; Could Help US Digital Divide

SoftBank will provide high-speed commercial LTE service in Japan this year using Gilat's satellite-based cellular capabilities, the companies said in an announcement Tuesday. SoftBank said it already provides 3G mobile communications in Japan using satellite communications as backhaul. The LTE service announcement follows trials demonstrating file transfer protocol downlink rates of up to 100 Mbps using actual mobile handsets, the two said. “We will be able to also offer high-speed LTE services in mountainous regions, remote islands and other areas in Japan where it is difficult to install fixed-line backhaul cost-effectively and quickly," said SoftBank Head-Technology Unit Yasuyuki Imai. "We already have satellite-based backhaul in those regions, but now we will be able to offer our customers LTE speeds. We also expect to see the application of this technology to the mobile network of our group company Sprint in the U.S. Our hope is that this technology will help play a role in bridging the digital divide.”