Industry News

Communications World Network (CWW) SoftBank recently partnered with Nokia to conduct groundbreaking trials in Japan. They are testing the 7GHz frequency band for 6G communications. This move marks the first time that the frequency band has been used in Japan and is aimed at promoting the future development of mobile networks. The test was carried out in Tokyo, Japan's bustling capital, and utilized massive MIMO technology to evaluate new deployment scenarios in highly congested urban environments.

The 7-24 GHz frequency band (known as FR3 in the standards community) is receiving attention from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). This band is likely to become a key element of future mobile networks and will be discussed at the upcoming World Radiocommunication Conference 2027. During this trial, SoftBank installed three pre-commercial 7GHz base stations at strategic locations in Tokyo. The move aims to explore the comparison between 6G and existing 5G coverage.

"The 7GHz band offers bandwidth far beyond the Sub-6 band for 5G. Combined with the already defined 6,425-7,125 MHz 5G band, it enables nearly 2GHz of contiguous spectrum. Its propagation characteristics are similar to those of the Sub-6 band, making it ideal for high-speed communications and reliable regional coverage," SoftBank said.

The trial is expected to enable wider bandwidth and greater coverage in densely populated urban landscapes. As mobile data consumption continues to grow (driven by AI-enhanced devices and applications), addressing the problem of signal penetration in cities has become critical. SoftBank's tests are designed to test whether the 7GHz band can provide greater capabilities to balance the challenges of capacity and coverage.

In addition to its 6G ambitions, SoftBank is also making a big move in artificial intelligence. Its CEO Masayoshi Son has outlined the company's vision of leading the field of "super artificial intelligence" (ASI) within a decade. This bold strategy aims to emulate the dominance that tech giants such as Microsoft and Amazon have achieved in their respective fields. To achieve this vision, SoftBank is investing heavily in partnerships with companies such as OpenAI and Arm. These collaborations form part of its grand vision to build advanced artificial intelligence data centers across the United States through its multibillion-dollar Project Stargate.