Rakuten Mobile and AST SpaceMobile announced the successful completion of Japan’s first satellite-to-smartphone broadband video call using unmodified smartphones and a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite. The test, conducted in April 2025, demonstrated real-time communication between Tokyo and Fukushima using AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird Block 1 satellite and Rakuten Mobile’s ground infrastructure, with no special hardware required on the user side.
This milestone marks a key advancement toward the launch of Rakuten Saikyo Satellite Service Powered by AST SpaceMobile, a next-generation mobile offering slated to begin in Q4 2026. The service aims to deliver reliable satellite-based broadband across Japan, with a focus on remote islands, mountainous terrain, and areas affected by natural disasters—places traditionally difficult to reach with terrestrial mobile networks.
The demonstration builds on a strategic partnership between Rakuten and AST SpaceMobile that began in 2020. During the video call, Rakuten transmitted signals from its Fukushima gateway station to an orbiting BlueBird satellite, which relayed the data to a smartphone in Tokyo. The successful test was conducted under a preliminary license for experimental communications, with Rakuten planning to expand testing under a full license in the coming months.
- First-ever satellite-to-smartphone video call completed in Japan using standard smartphones.
- Communication occurred between Fukushima and Tokyo via AST SpaceMobile’s LEO satellite.
- Service aims to cover remote and disaster-prone areas across Japan.
- Rakuten’s Saikyo Satellite Service is expected to launch commercially in Q4 2026.
- Rakuten Mobile will continue development following this successful proof-of-concept test.
Rakuten Group CEO Mickey Mikitani:
“We are delighted to achieve the first-ever mobile broadband video call in Japan between a smartphone and satellite. Rakuten Mobile will continue to accelerate this project until we realize a future in which mobile communication is accessible to all.”
AST SpaceMobile CEO Abel Avellan:
“These partners, including Rakuten Mobile, believe wholeheartedly in our mission to build the first and only space-based cellular broadband network to eliminate coverage gaps and bridge the digital divide.”
Other Mobile Operators Partnered with AST SpaceMobile:
- Vodafone Group (Europe, Africa)
- AT&T (United States)
- Bell Canada
- Rogers Communications (Canada)
- TIM Brasil
- MTN Group (Africa)
- Orange (Africa & Middle East)
- Saudi Telecom Company (stc)
- Zain Group
- Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (Indonesia)
- Smart Communications (Philippines)