HAPS (High Altitude Platform Station): Internet Access for all from the Stratosphere | IGF 2023 Day 0 Event #205

Hiroyuki Tsuji

The emerging field of future network technology, which includes systems in both terrestrial and non-terrestrial environments, merges into a 3-dimensional network. This frontier of networking innovation comprises the integration of various high-altitude entities, such as drones, airplanes, High Altitude Pseudo Satellites (HAPS), and traditional satellites. The role of HAPS is especially prominent due to its crucial function as a connecting link between the terrestrial network and the non-terrestrial network.

This essential role of HAPS doesn’t remain merely theoretical – its significance was convincingly demonstrated roughly two decades ago. HAPS played a central role in a successful technological demonstration, substantiating the benefits of their functionality, as well as their direct communication link with existing mobile phone networks. This significant leap affirms HAPS’ indispensable contribution to the expansion and advancement of future networks.

An inherent limitation associated with future network technology is spectral space. The usage of radio frequency systems has underscored this constraint. However, optical links have emerged as an effective alternative, offering promising solutions to these spectrum challenges.

Leading the technological advances in this area is the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT). They are at the cutting-edge of innovation, developing a small optical terminal capable of being mounted upon HAPS and small satellites. This development solidifies the potential of optical links in non-terrestrial settings, adding another link in the chain of future network technologies.

In alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) numbers 9 and 17, these technological leaps and advancements bolster the push towards building resilient infrastructure, fostering inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and encouraging innovation. The integration of traditional and innovative network technologies into a 3-dimensional network not only exemplifies technological advancement but also underscores the merit and value of partnerships in facilitating progress towards sustainable development.

Geraldo Neto

Regulation plays a crucial role in facilitating global technology deployment, making direct contributions towards Sustainable Development Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure. This process involves strategic approaches such as the four-yearly coordinated International Telecommunication Union (ITU) regulatory process. Additionally, Technology Media Group (TMG) assists by developing regulatory frameworks at both international and national levels, fostering systematic technology deployment worldwide.

Within the sphere of expanding connectivity and coverage, High-Altitude Platforms (HIPs) have surfaced as an innovative and promising solution. They offer connectivity especially in economically non-viable areas where terrestrial or satellite networks fail to provide feasible solutions. Further, HIPs maintain a user-friendly approach, leaving the user device unchanged. They also prove to be invaluable during emergency situations, such as disasters, providing consistent connectivity.

Regarding the role of High-Altitude Internet Bases (HIBs) at a national level, their implementation can be relatively straightforward due to the presence of an international framework designed to manage potential cross-border interferences effectively. This implementation may require only minimal regulatory adjustments, and offers tremendous potential for public-private partnerships. Importantly, HIBs should be viewed as an enhancement to the current telecommunications infrastructure rather than a replacement for current operators. By integrating HIB connectivity into standard mobile networks and contributing to terrestrial and satellite network capacity, HIBs could be commercially deployed.

Decisions taken by the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) are of paramount importance and must be considered when permitting operations to ensure spectrum availability for applications. Hence, the role of regulatory bodies in this aspect provides an essential move forward.

Government plays a fundamental part in advancing this technology. It forms the bridge connecting different entities effectively, making use of Universal Service Funds(USF) and facilitating the regulatory negotiations for forming partnerships with mobile operators and local connectivity companies. HIBs would be especially effective in regions that are commercially unviable for conventional mobile operators, showing a need for proactive public-private partnerships.

Lastly, harmonising public policies with the offerings of technology is essential. Understanding the potential benefits and challenges of technological applications in different scenarios can ensure their adequate usage. Although commercial viability may seem daunting for certain areas, a proper understanding and leveraging of technology can lead to major accomplishments. Consequently, the alignment of technological capabilities with public policies can catalyse the achievement of SDG 9 on Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.

Moderator

High Altitude Internet Broadcasting Systems (HIBS) is garnering positive acclaim as a promising solution to bridge the digital divide, particularly in rural or geographically challenging areas. HIBS are engineered to cover large expanses using a single base station positioned at high altitudes, making these systems ideal for regions lacking robust terrestrial network infrastructure. Furthermore, their reliance on solar energy promises sustainability, with the sun-powered system avoiding carbon emissions, thereby contributing to global sustainability efforts. This innovative technology holds the potential to help reduce the prevalent urban-rural and gender digital divides.

However, while novel technologies like HIBS offer a beacon of hope in bridging the digital divide, affordability persists as a significant constraint for many. This issue is particularly pronounced in regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa where, despite 61% of the population dwelling within mobile broadband coverage areas, usage is limited due to the prohibitive costs of services. Geographical factors and population distribution also contribute to the underutilisation of mobile internet in countries like Mozambique and Namibia. Additionally, internet usage across the African continent is notably lower than the global average – a mere 40% compared to the worldwide average of 66%.

Nonetheless, optimism surrounds HIBS’ potential to tackle affordability concerns. Its innovative nature could herald an affordable solution to not only widen coverage but also assure accessibility. Leveraging solar energy while offering broad coverage, this advanced technology could potentially help dissolve cost barriers faced by many individuals.

Progress can also be seen in the field of space technology, with notable strategic partnerships being established. Japanese heavyweights NTT and SkyPerfect JSAT have formed a joint venture named Space Compass, with a focus on the Space Data Centre and the Space Run Radio Access Network. Space Compass is also reportedly collaborating with Airbus Zephyr, a hub station utilising solar electric power.

In addition, the deployment of the High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) system is gaining momentum. This system promises to deliver internet service directly to existing smartphones and boasts significant data transmission rates. HAPS features the capacity to expand coverage to remote zones such as the sea and sky, and provide exceptional high-resolution remote sensing capabilities, affording more accurate data compared to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. Ambitious deployment goals have been set for HAPS, with a target date of fiscal year 2025 in Japan.

Crucially, governmental support is vital for the effective deployment and operation of High Altitude Platforms (HIPS). Necessary regulations required from the World Radio Communication Conference need to be implemented, and suitable authorisations must be granted by each country’s relevant authorities to enable HIPs to operate proficiently. These authorisations extend beyond the realm of telecommunications, also necessitating the involvement of Civil Aviation Authorities and law enforcement agencies.

Finally, governments and institutional bodies can play a proactive role in helping to deploy networks by employing both demand-side and supply-side measures. The Universal Service Fund could prove instrumental in aiding network construction, and subsidies can enable users to obtain devices and access internet services. This approach is particularly critical in areas like Africa where the cost of devices is relatively high. Proactive government intervention can thus contribute to reducing inequalities.

Mortimer Hope

High Altitude Platform Station Internet Access (HAPS or HIBS) emerges as a pioneering solution to combat the digital divide within Africa, a region grappling with significant internet access problems primarily due to affordability constraints. Thus, the analysis largely portrays a positive sentiment towards the utilisation of this innovative technology.

Internet access remains an acute concern in Africa. In 2021, whilst mobile broadband coverage reached 78% of the Sub-Saharan African population, just 22% utilised the internet. Affordability appears as a major stumbling block; a robust 61% of the populace have access, yet financial deterrents render most of them unable to exploit this service. The digital divide was further exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the shift towards remote working and digital classrooms became non-negotiable. Undeniably, this digital void urgently requires comprehensive solutions.

HIBS offers a promising potential solution. It has been demonstrated to cover vast swathes of land even with a single unit, with countries like Mozambique and Namibia presenting candidate case studies. Coupled with the positive economic impacts of increased mobile penetration, HIBS advocates a hopeful ray for digital inclusivity.

Looking forward, the World Radio Communication Conference presents a favourable juncture to discuss and allocate additional frequency bands favourable for HIBS. Frequencies under consideration include popular bands such as the 700, 800, and 900 megahertz bands which are particularly suited for rural regions, thus enabling possible extensive and effective internet access in remote areas.

However, for such innovative initiatives to successfully take-off, the essential role of government support cannot be overstated. This includes developing robust regulatory frameworks and procuring authorisations from a range of sectors, encompassing telecoms, civil aviation and law enforcement agencies. Additionally, addressing supply-side measures and enhancing network deployment can be facilitated using the Universal Service Fund.

Furthermore, the high device prices in Africa necessitate subsidising users for buying devices and utilising internet services, to address the affordability issue. These strategic subsidies can significantly boost adoption rates, thereby progressively nullifying digital inequality.

In conclusion, most analyses share a consensus on the potential of HIBS in significantly contributing towards diverse Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These notably include quality education, industry, innovation and infrastructure, affordable and clean energy, reduced inequalities, and climate action. With improved digital accessibility having the potential to empower communities and induce significant positive change, the prospect of HIBS delivering widespread impact looks promising.

Yoshihisa Kishiyama

Space Compass, the result of a pioneering joint venture between top-tier tech firm NTT and satellite operator SkyPerfect JSAT, chiefly focuses on the Space Data Centre and the Space Run Radio Access Network. This innovative enterprise, established merely last year, is already gaining recognition in the field, with its operations covering areas such as optical data array and computing.

A key part of Space Compass’s strategy centres around the employment of High Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS) during its initial phase of deployment. This approach provides numerous advantages – its most significant being the provision of direct, reliable, and robust connectivity to smartphones without the dependency on terrestrial infrastructure. Such capabilities make HAPS invaluable in regions not served by traditional terrestrial networks, and their inherent resilience to ground-based disasters further expands their potential application in disaster-stricken areas.

A primary objective for the team at Space Compass is their ambitious goal to commercialise HAPS by 2025. To achieve this, the company has strategically decided to initially focus on granting direct access to smartphone devices and leading advancements in remote sensing. They are bolstered in these efforts by their collaboration with Airbus Zephyr, which augments the potential for future innovation in the field.

In the sphere of communication systems, Space Compass’s selected design is especially unique. Adopting International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) frequency bands for the scheme allows for rapid and precise communication. For the initial phase of deployment, two GHz FDD bands are currently available and may be top candidates. However, the possible use of higher frequency bands – specifically the millimetre wave – in future deployments constitutes a fascinating prospect for the link between HAPS and the Gateway station.

To summarise, Space Compass, an innovative collaboration between NTT and SkyPerfect JSAT, has developed a forward-thinking business model centred around HAPS. Their groundbreaking approach guarantees enhanced connectivity and coverage, outlines a path for future commercialisation efforts, and presages further technological advancements. With significant partnerships such as the connection with Airbus Zephyr already established, and the potential to employ high-frequency communication channels, this venture epitomises the very essence of state-of-the-art innovation and infrastructural development.

Moderator:
Well I thank you very much for your patience and actually the situation has not changed but I’d like to start a session today. So this is the IGF 2030 Day Zero event number 205 HAPS, High Altitude Platform Station Internet access for all from the stratosphere. My name is Shiro Fukumoto from SoftBank. I would like to moderate this session with the four panelists. And this session treats HAPS, high-altitude platform station, and HAPS is expected to be used as a solution to connect the unconnected area from the stratosphere at an altitude of about 20 kilometers, taking advantage of the characteristics of being able to provide Internet connection. connectivity to a wide area and applying continuous connection even in natural disasters. Currently, various players, including aircraft and network vendors, telecom operators and research institutions and academia, conducting research, development and demonstration to realize HAP’s commercialization near future. In addition, ITU, International Telecommunication Union, is studying the expansion of frequencies for use of HAPs as IMT base station, HIBS. and Hibis has agendized 1.4 of World Radio Communication Conference 2023, named WRC23. Considering the situation surrounding HAPS, this session will discuss about expectation challenging and prospects for HAPS and Hibis. And here is the speaker for today, from my left side, Mr. Mortimer Hope, Associate Director and Africa Leads Policy Impact Partner, and Dr. Hiroyuki Tsuji, Director, Space Communication System Laboratory from NICT. and Dr. Yoshihisa Kishiyama, Senior Manager, Space Run Business, Space Compass Corporation, and Mr. Gerald Neto, Vice President, TMG, and he is also working for Chair of Sub-Working Group, Agenda Item 1.4 of ITUR Working Party 5D, and my name is Shirofukumoto again. And in this session, each panelist will first give a ten-minute presentation, and after we will discuss based on the question from the moderator, and we’d like to take question from the participants if there is a time. And before we get into the presentation, I’d like to add one point about the terminology. In addition to apps, the term HIBIS will be used in this session. As shown here, HIBIS is one of the applications of Hadoop. HAPS, so you can understand it as a cell phone base station flying in the sky. And HAPS, on the other hand, is a more general term. So please be aware that when we say HAPS, we may be referring to HIBIS as well. Okay. So now I’d like to start the presentation by panelists. First, I’d like to invite Mr. Mortimer Hope. So Motima, welcome to Japan. Please get started. I’m going to ask you to introduce yourself. And then we will start your presentation.

Mortimer Hope:
Thank you very much, Shiro. It’s my pleasure and privilege to be here. I’m going to speak about HIBS and how it can help us in the African continent to bridge the digital divide. Thank you very much. We have a research from the ITU which has shown that providing mobile broadband has a positive effect on economic development. And there are figures that show that a 10% increase in mobile penetration can have up to 1.5% increase in GDP. We know that during the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us were able to continue working remotely because of the connectivity that we had. Others were able to continue studying, they kept in contact with friends and family, there was entertainment, all of this was facilitated by the access to internet, to broadband internet. Now, internet usage, in Africa is quite low, and just to give an idea of how bad the situation is, in 2022 only 40% of the African population use the Internet, which is well below the global average of 66%. Africa also has a larger gender divide than the rest of the world. to the urban-rural-digital divide. Now, most Africans connect to the internet using mobile broadband. And if you look at the bottom left, it just shows that only 1% of Africans have access to fixed broadband. This is quite below the global average of 18%. And this has resulted in most Africans accessing the Internet using mobile broadband. And on the right, we see that in 2021, in sub-Saharan Africa, only 22% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa in 2021 used the Internet. What is interesting is that 61% of the population lived within the coverage area. of a mobile broadband network but did not use the Internet, and this was mostly due to affordability issues, affordability around the access to devices, so smartphones, and affordability of the services, the mobile broadband service. HIBSS can play a role in addressing the coverage gap, and that 17% of the Sub-Saharan African population were outside of the coverage area of a mobile broadband signal. So this is where Hibbs has a role to play, to help to address that coverage gap. Now, research conducted by the GSMA, that’s the Association of the Mobile Operators Worldwide. Identified a number of factors that inhibit the use of. of the Internet, and some of these factors are knowledge and skills of the population, affordability of devices and services, safety and security or concerns about safety and security, relevance of the content, and access, access in terms of access to networks and enablers such as the devices. In Africa, if you look at the refer back to the previous slide, we saw that we have issues around the access where 17% of the population do not have access and then affordability where 61% of the sub-saharan African population cannot afford the service, hence they do not use it. Now, the coverage gap in Africa, it’s not uniform throughout the continent. We have some areas where there is very good coverage. Mauritius, for instance, it’s an island state, and they have very high mobile broadband coverage. There are other parts of the continent, and I’ll use Mozambique as an example. quite large country, physically large, the population is spread throughout the country, but there are some areas where there’s low population density there which are quite rural, and so the country as a whole has very low mobile internet usage. Namibia is in a similar position where it’s a large country with a small population. that is spread thinly across the country. So these are some of the countries where it would be, HIBSS would be a good solution or one of the solutions to help to address the internet access challenge. Now HIBSS, I’m hoping that one of my fellow panelists will describe the technology of HIBSS, but for this presentation I just mentioned that HIBSS it’s it’s the equivalent of a mobile base station which is on a platform which could be you you A craft or a balloon That is between 20 and 50 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. It covers a large area, up to 100 kilometers in radius. If you compare this with a ground-based base station, which covers sometimes up to 10 kilometers in rural areas. So HIBS would allow us to cover large areas using a single HIBS. So I’ve come to the end of the presentation. So in summary, HIBS’s internet usage is important for economic development, education… We’ve noted that fixed broadband plays a very minimal role in Africa, where the majority of people connect to the Internet using mobile broadband services. In Africa, we find that affordability is a major issue, resulting in a shortage of access to broadband. We’ve noted that fixed broadband plays a very minimal role in Africa, where the majority of people connect to the Internet using mobile broadband services. We’ve noted that affordability is a major issue, resulting in a shortage of access to broadband. many people being within the coverage area of a broadband signal but not being able to afford that signal so they are not using the the internet because of issues with affordability of the device and affordability of the service. HIBs can help to address these issues, the access gap which is the coverage issue and even a bit of the affordability gap by providing services to those previously unconnected parts of the population. Now in terms of the sustainable development goals, HIBs can help to address some of these. We have goal four, where HIBs will bring quality education to remote areas. we have numbers 7 and 13, so zero carbon dioxide emissions during flight because HIBS uses the energy from the Sun, solar energy, there are no carbon dioxide emissions so HIBS would address affordable and clean energy and also climate action in terms of SDG number nine, it’s HIBS, it’s innovative technology. So it’s infrastructure that would be in the stratosphere. And then finally, with SDG 10, reducing inequality. So it would help to reduce the urban rural divide and also the gender inequality in use of internet services. Now, in terms of. the ITU process, we have the World Radio Communication Conference which is coming up in November and December of this year in Dubai, and there we’re going to be discussing ways of allowing HIBS to use additional frequency bands. you . Frequency bands that are currently used for mobile broadband could be used by HIBSS in different parts of the world. This is an opportunity for governments to make this possible. For more information, visit www.fema.gov In terms of the frequencies, the specific frequencies that are under discussion, we have the frequencies that are quite popular for use in in rural areas, so the 700, 800, and 900 megahertz bands. And we have other frequencies that can be used for additional capacity. So I’d like to end there now, and thank you very much.

Moderator:
Thank you, Mortimer, for explaining the importance of the internet and the current challenges of the internet community in Africa and his expression of his, or let’s discuss later. And next, on behalf of the Japanese Research Institute. I would like to ask Dr. Tsuji to give his presentation. So Tsuji-san, thank you very much for your time. Please provide your presentation.

Hiroyuki Tsuji:
Okay, thank you very much for my introduction and welcome to Japan. My name is Hiroyuki Tsuji, working for NICT. First of all, I would like to just explain briefly in the introduction of NICT. NICT is a Japan’s sole national organization. research and development agency specialising in the field of the information and communication technologies. The NICT is just a variation of the National Institute of Information and Communication Technologies. So this slide just shows our future image of the expanding in the network, not only just the audio. but also the space and just the moon. And because it’s currently new technology is coming and also have developed, for example is real constellation is just now in on sale and also just providing in the internet access all over the world. And the NICT is just aiming for not only expanding the network but also non-telecine network. Some are not familiar with HAPs and HIBs. And this slide just summarises what’s the merit of the HAPs and HIBs. I think the most important role of the HAPs and HIBs is very sort of useful, so the platform base station and just connecting NTL and TL network. Because HAPS is over 20 kilometre altitude, then distance is from terrestrial is from 20 kilometres is 100 kilometres, then the propagation delay is almost round trip is 0.3 milliseconds, it’s 1 over 800th of a second. of the geostationary orbits of the satellites. This is one of the merits of the HAPs. And also, we can use the very small antenna for the HAPs to connecting the terrestrial network. So mobile phone can directly access to the HIPs without any devices, just like the terrestrial base stations. is an old player for developing HAPS. This slide shows over 20 years ago, we successfully conducted just a demonstration using HAPS, just fly over 20 kilometers with a solar panel and electricity. Then this is a Pathfinder Plus, namely Pathfinder Plus, developed by NASA. We conducted it jointly with NASA and to fly over to the 20 kilometers. Then we conducted two types of the experiment over 20 years ago, just 2002, over the Hawaii and Kauai land. We confirmed the merit of the HAPs using this sort of experiment. One of our experiments showed the merit of the mobile phone and this sort of mobile phone that IMT-2000, just a third generation of the mobile phone, is connecting directly to the HAPs. And also, we conducted a sort of experiment. so the broadband, so the TV, digital TV, so the system, only two watt over 20 kilometers from the solar sphere. Anyway, and back then, and okay, and WRC23 is coming soon, but we, over 20 years ago, WRC was discussing with a new spectrum, perhaps. And we think, we believe that, This experiment introduced a new spectrum for HABs, for example, 2 GHz and 47 GHz, and after that 5 GHz and 28 GHz for the HABs. Anyway, over 20 years ago, we noticed the merit of the HABs and the HIBs. Okay, then, currently, just I summarize the current situation. of the HAPs development platform, and back over 20 years ago, the main platform is considered to the airships, but nowadays several types of the HAPs platform is considered. For example, source bus is a terrace, is just developing, sorry, developing airship type, and also therefore maybe airbus is developing the peak swing. type, and this system is a record of over 3,000 hours in the stratosphere. And also, Stratospheric Solar Platform Limited from UK is another type of the HAPS platform. This type is a platform used for hydrogen energy. And also, HAPS Mobile in Japan is also considering developing in the air-solar plane type, fixed wind type. And just over similar to the two solar planes that we used in 2002, anyway, this is just a current situation of the HAPS solar platform development. And also, Japan is and some sort of institution is trying to develop the HAPS network system using HAPS. One is the project now being conducted is a space integrated computing network concept and using satellite and the hubs by the space compass and after that, Kichiyama-san will introduce the details of this project. And also some carriers of the mobile network and also in the conducting and developing and the hub system, a new network system. using HAPS. For example, the NTT Docomo is just a concept of the non-trivial network system using HAPS and also I just introduced before and Sotobank and HAPS mobile is also developing in fixed wind type using solar panels. This is the current situation in Japan in development. And finally, we believe the future network is not only just a network. on includes, but also on the drones and the airplane, HAPS, and satellites, just so the 3D network and each sort of platform and the connecting each other. This is just an important point for this concept. HAPS is just a very player, a very important role of sort of connecting in the, I think that connecting in a trusted network and also the non-trusted network. network, because of the HAPs is just allocated from just 20 kilometres, just between and the rail constellation and also a tuition network. As I explained just before, HAPs is a can direct, HAPs also can directly connect the mobile phone system and also HAPs is easy to connect the satellite system. So we believe that HAPs and HIPs play an important role in the concept of the Beyond 5G network system. Finally, and currently considering the situation of the spectrum, spectrum is very limited and also in the mobile phone system, TSM network is required a new source of spectrum and also have also required a new spectrum. Our idea is to use optical link instead of the radio RF system. and directly to connect to the HABs, HIBs and to satellite, sometimes HABs, HIBs can connect to the direct to the terrestrial network. NYCT is now developing the small optical terminal, just can be mounted on the HABs and also small satellites. Okay. Anyway. And my presentation is just over. Thank you very much.

Moderator:
Thank you very much, Tsuji. for explaining about the non-terrestrial network around the situation in Japan. And actually, NTN is a broad term that includes satellite and the US as well. So I’m very interested in the position of HABS among NTN component. So I’d like to ask you about it later. So now next, I’d like to invite Dr. Kishiyama on behalf of the Japanese operator. So Kishiyama-san, please give your presentation.

Yoshihisa Kishiyama:
Thank you for your introduction. I’m very pleasured to be here. And today, I will introduce a space compass. activities for re-commercialization of hubs in Japan. First of all, I will introduce Space Compass. Space Compass is a joint venture company established by NTT and SkyPerfect JSAT. NTT is one of the largest communication companies in Japan, and SkyPerfect JSAT is the largest satellite company in Japan. in Asia and Space Compass was established in the last year and our business focus is Space Data Center and Space Run Radio Access Network. Space Data Center includes optical data array and computing as described in the slide. This slide shows our company vision. In the, using the optical communication between the NTN nodes, for example, a real satellite gathers information from sensing, and we have a data center on the geo-satellite. And computing is processing. And the space line is a communication system using NTN nodes such as GeoREO and HAP. Among the NTN nodes, Space Compass will focus on hubs in the initial phase of the deployment. This slide shows the characteristics of the hubs and that implies the reason why we first focus on the hubs for initial commercialization. The first important reason is direct access to the smartphone. Compared with Leo Satellite and Joe Satellite, HAPS system can provide service to the existing smartphone directory with sufficient data rate for the Internet service. The second is the coverage expansion. Compared with the terrestrial network, HAPS channel supports the HAPS network. areas not covered by terrestrial networks such as sea and sky and some mountain areas and so on. And the third reason is a disaster resilient operation perhaps can provide a service from the sky. Sky is safe compared with ground, for example, for earthquake and so on. Also, we should consider some ground station perhaps, but And fundamentally, HAPS is safe from the ground disasters. And the fourth reason is remote sensing. LEO satellite also can provide remote sensing, but HAPS can stay in the fixed point from the ground, and the altitude is short compared with LEO, therefore HAPS can provide more accurate sensing. sensing, remote sensing, compared with LEO, with high resolution. Fifth reason is flexible service. Service area of HAPS is relatively limited with LEO satellite. For example, cell radius of 50 km. On the other hand, HAPS can start the service from a single aircraft compared with a level satellite. A level satellite requires many, many satellites to make a constellation. So a small start of the deployment is possible. And the last reason is sustainability, and basically HAARP sees 100% solar power, so good for environments. And we can consider many use cases of hubs, as described in the slide. Hubs can provide coverage extensions, such as sea and sky. So we can provide a new use case, such as drone in the sky and ship on the sea. And we can extend the coverage of mobile networks into such ads. mountain area that terrestrial network is difficult. And HAPCE is also used for backhaul type of service using, for example, millimetre wave and that can be a backup for fixed line for MNO network and that can provide high capacity backhaul service, for example, to the airplane and so on. And as I explained in the HAPCE is. useful, not only for communication but also for remote sensing. But in the initial stage of the commercialization, it would be difficult to provide all type of use case. Therefore, in the initial phase, we will focus on some limited and important use case to make our activity for business. And our target is fiscal year of 2025 for HAARP’s deployment in Japan. And we will focus on direct access to the smartphone device with mobile operator network. And also remote sensing is we can consider fast target use case. And the Space Compass is collaborating with Airbus Zephyr. Zephyr is a solar electric type of hub station, and we have some press release for jointly study the commercialization, realization of the hubs for communication systems. And this is an image of, sample image of the hub. picture, sensing picture from the hubs and we can get this kind of high-resolution image from the sky. And for the communication system, we can consider this kind of network architecture in the initial stage with collaborating with 5G network. And basically, we will reuse the core network and base station feature. which are used in the current terrestrial network. And for example, mobile operator provide this kind of base station and 5G network. And Airbus, for example, perhaps operators such as Airbus will provide perhaps aircraft and gateway station. And the Space Compass will conduct some coordination for interface between mobile. net mobile operator and hub spenders. And in the system, we will use a service link, which is a link between hubs and mobile phones. We will use current IMT frequency bands. And in the feeder link, feeder link is a hub link between hubs and the gateway station. In this link, we will use. use a higher frequency band such as millimetre wave. And this is a frequency situation. And currently in the ITU, in the ITU are only two gigahertz FDD bands available. Therefore, our initial deployment, maybe this band is the main candidate. But in the future, we can consider as an expansion. considering the WRC23, which considering some expansion of the frequency bands. And in the feeder link, some candidate bands identified in WRC19. And among the candidates in our activity, 38 gigahertz band is a major candidate because of the wider frequency bandwidth. compared with other candidates. Yes, this is my final slide. This is a space compass business roadmap. And our target is fiscal year 2025 for early commercialization of hubs. And before the commercialization, we will have some work activities this year and the next year. And in the future phase, we will increase the number of hubs. and we will increase the capability of the communication system using HARPS. Yes. That’s all. Thank you.

Moderator:
Thank you very much, Kishiyama. I understand many things are necessary to achieve commercialisation. Yeah, but please let us discuss it later. So the last but not least, Mr Gerard Neto will make his presentation. Gerard, welcome to Japan and thank you. for your patience. It’s your turn. Thank you.

Geraldo Neto:
Thank you, Shiro. And good morning to all, and good day to those that are joining us online today. And yeah, it’s interesting to be at the last in this panel. But my idea here is to go through some of the regulatory steps that we need to take to make this technology available and deployed in different countries. As indicated by Shiro, I’m Geraldo Neto from TMG, and we, among several of the companies here, have been part of the Hubs Alliance supporting the development of these frameworks in the international and national level, and I think we’ve heard from my fellow panelists the importance of expanding connectivity. especially in emerging countries, the situation in Africa like Mortimer indicated, but we also saw all the developments in terms of technology so far, and this has been going on for several years, and I’m very happy to see as well from Spence Compass a timeline for actual commercial deployment. So we see that this is a technology that is getting mature and will be available soon. And from my point of view, that’s it. I’ve been working on this ITU process for the past four years and we are in a very important year this year. But why are we doing this and why this is connected to all the discussions we are going to have in this five days of the IHF? Because I understand the IHF is usually focused on all the aspects of the Internet and the content side and how to manage the Internet, but the connectivity is an important part of that. we have a great number of countries and areas covered by terrestrial networks and now more and more new technologies of satellite networks but we still have a great amount of people that does not have connectivity. And we talk about meaningful connectivity which is addressing not only the coverage issue but the costs for those populations to access them. And that’s where, in our view, the HIPs. gets into this multi-layered network where it’s not feasible for a terrestrial network to be installed because it might be too expensive. It may not be feasible to have or economically viable to have a satellite coverage and in this case you have this middle layer that we can have an access that is similar and we have seen a lot of the presentations here. as a terrestrial network, whether we are talking 5G or in the future 6G networks. The important aspect here in terms of cost is that the device from the user perspective is the same device, so they’re going to use the same cell phone or the same fixed access to reach these networks. We have this expanded coverage, but we have seen some of the examples not only that, in the past one of the companies providing this type of service were able to provide connectivity in a situation of disaster in the U.S. where all the terrestrial network was off after a hurricane and in a few hours launching one of these platforms it was possible to establish those connectivities. So there are different aspects of an importance of having this type of stratospheric stations that are very important as we are talking about the future of expanding. and internet connectivity. So not going over so many of the details that have been explained before. My main point here is really what is being done on a regulatory standpoint and what we are looking at. So it has been mentioned here several times about the ITU process. The ITU is the International Telecommunications Union. It is one of the UN agencies. And there, every four years, we have the World Radio Conference, which is going to, the next one is going to take place one month from now, basically defining the spectral access for the different services and defining how the services can operate for the following years. That’s a very important step when we’re talking about HIPs because, of course, we see that those platforms, they have a wide area of coverage, about 200 kilometers in total, and before a administration country can implement there, it’s necessary to have this international framework established to avoid interference problems with other nations. So we are very hopeful as we get to that conference in Dubai next month because this work we’ve been doing together for the past years has led to all the regions in the world to agree that HIBSS is necessary. the regions from Asia, Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, they all agreed that these new frequencies for HIBs are important. So by the end of that, in December, we will have that international framework established. It has been mentioned before about the previous frequencies that were those feeder links or the fixed links that allow the core network to be connected to the station, but now we are talking about the frequencies that will basically connect to the user. directly. And with that, starting next year, at the end of this year, the idea is to start engaging in the national administrations with regulators worldwide to make them understand those decisions and implement it at the national level. It’s interesting to see because for us, basically, the HIBs is a very high tower, a very high base station for mobile connectivity. So from a regulatory standpoint, in most countries the changes that needed to implement might be minimal because the international framework already covered the issue of cross-border possible interference. So we see the take-up on the national level being easy in that front and also a potential for public-private partnerships because we are talking about coverage areas that might not be commercially viable otherwise. So it’s really important to look at how governments can also participate in this process. And here, we are not replacing the existing operators. It’s really another layer of infrastructure, so the existing operators can expand that. And in parallel to all of that, we have the discussions on standards, which is very important when I talk about scale for these types of services. And a lot of those companies here have been participating in the organizations such as 3G. to make sure that the HIBSS connectivity is integrated to the regular mobile standards. So when you’re talking about 5G, in the future when I talk about 6G, the HIBSS connectivity is integrated in those standards. So basically, here’s just to give this, connect all the dots here of what we’ve been saying, but I think the most important, as we have seen, the technology has advanced it, not only from the telecommunications side, but mainly from the aviation side, we have among the HIBSS alliances. It accompanies several types of stratospheric platforms, all forms and types. We’ve seen how much HIBSS can support as one extra layer of connectivity. We’re not replacing, but adding to a terrestrial network, adding to the satellite capacity. And we are here now at this cornerstone in terms of international framework with the ITU-WRC coming up into PAI in one month. So we are very happy to see all these developments and possible commercial deployments and by the end of this seminar, if there is any questions, please let us know. Thank you so much.

Moderator:
Thank you, Gerald, for your explanation about regulatory point of view. So I was asked to finish this session by 10 a.m. sharp and now 10 a.m., but I would like to ask one question for Gerald and and Mortimer about the support for government, from the government. Actually, in Japan, discussions are just about to begin for the domestic use of HAPs, which is target for 2025. However, what about other countries? So this is my question for Mortimer and Gerard. How can government support to facilitate the development and use of HIBs?

Mortimer Hope:
Okay, thank you. So, thank you very much for that question. So, governments can support in a number of ways. Firstly, by putting the regulatory framework in place, and that starts with the World Radio Communication Conference next month, and then within each country they would need to issue the authorizations for HIPs to operate. So it wouldn’t just be telecommunications authorizations. You would need authorizations from the Civil Aviation Authority, for instance, and probably from the law enforcement agencies. Then the other thing that governments can do, they can address the supply-side measures by using the Universal Service Fund to help in building the… to help to deploy the networks, and they can also address the demand side by subsidizing users to obtain devices. We know devices are an issue, they are expensive in Africa, so subsidies for devices and subsidies for usage of the Internet service. Thank you very much.

Moderator:
Thank you. How about Gerardo?

Geraldo Neto:
Thank you, Shiro, for this question. I think what Morten indicated is correct, I mean, the first step is really allowing those stations to operate, and of course, following up on the decisions of the WRC, making the spectrum available for this type of applications. But there is an important role of the government, and we’ve seen throughout these years, because a lot of the countries that are participating in these ITU discussions, they want to have a trial, they want to have a deployment of such a station in their country. And the way to do it is really not only facilitate on the regulatory side, but being one of the key stakeholders in connecting the companies. The HIBs is just one infrastructure that needs a partnership with the mobile operator, that needs a partnership with local connectivity companies that are sometimes related to the government. So the government can connect those entities and, as Mark indicated, use USF funds. because a lot of the places that the HIBs would be used for, they are not necessarily commercially viable for a normal mobile operator, so there needs to be public-private partnerships in terms of expanding connectivities in those areas. So it’s really understanding the public policies of the country and understanding what this technology can do and try to allow them to operate in the country. Thank you.

Moderator:
Thank you very much. Yeah, actually, I have so many questions on this matter. But I have to finish this session soon. So finally, I would like to inform one thing. SoftBank is currently the provider expert about the apps in their area. So if you are interested in apps, please stop by SoftBank stand. And with that, I’d like to conclude this session. So thank you all very much. Please give a big applause to the end. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much.