SoftBank

is a Japanese multinational holding conglomerate headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. SoftBank was ranked in the Forbes Global 2000 list as the 39th largest public company in the world, and the 4th largest publicly traded company in Japan after Toyota, MUFG, NTT.

Broadband

Alphabet's Loon and SoftBank's HAPSMobile form strategic relationship to advance high altitude network connectivity HAPSMobile to Invest $125 Million in Loon

Radio Access Network

SoftBank Corp. Develops Aircraft That Delivers Telecommunications Connectivity from the Stratosphere New business to be launched through HAPSMobile Inc.

via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

5G

Tokyo power company orchestrates 5G infrastructure sharing

IoT

SoftBank and Chunghwa Telecom to collaborate in AI and IoT

Security

Global cyber security alliance formed by Etisalat, Singtel, Softbank and Telefónica welcomes AT&T

Blockchain

Carrier Blockchain Study Group (CBSG) Consortium Adds New Members And Completes Cross-Carrier, Cross-Border Mobile Payment Field Trials

via Flickr © Pug50 (CC BY 2.0)

Fronthaul

Fronthaul specifications released by O-RAN Alliance to open 5G RAN

Fronthaul

Mobile industry leaders to develop O-RAN fronthaul-compliant products and drive multi-vendor radio access networks —Commercial launch expected from 2019 onwards— (PDF)

The Great Telco Debate

Debate 1: The role of the telco in the broader digital economy

Ericsson blade system for SGSN–MME © Ericsson

Mobile

Ericsson apologises for software fault that brought down cellular networks

Telco & CSP

Apology for mobile communication service troubles

Finance & Banking

Dynamics Inc., SoftBank Corp. and SoftBank Commerce & Service Corp. agree to comprehensive collaboration in the field of battery-powered interactive cards

via Flickr © Kojach (CC BY 2.0)

Automotive

Toyota and SoftBank partner to make Toyota a ‘mobility company’

IoT

SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son: cash splasher extraordinaire

IoT

Sprint and SoftBank family team to create Curiosity IoT

Blockchain

SoftBank, Synchronoss and TBCASoft partner on a Proof of Concept for an RCS and blockchain-based mobile payments service

Device Software & Apps

SoftBank and Yahoo Japan JV to launch “PayPay,” barcode-based smartphone payment services

Device Software & Apps

DiDi and SoftBank's joint venture to launch Taxi-Hailing Platform Pilot operation to begin in autumn with no service charge to taxi companies

Blockchain

Axiata, PLDT, Telin, Turkcell, Viettel and Zain join the Carrier Blockchain Study Group

IoT

SoftBank Corp. and Lippo Group's Link Net sign agreement to collaborate on ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) solutions

Smart Cities

SoftBank and Dublin City Council announce landmark partnership to help shape global smart city deployments in Dublin

Data & Analytics

SoftBank leverages Ribbon Protect Platform for business-critical network visibility and monitoring

AI & ML

Ericsson pioneers machine learning network design for SoftBank

via Flickr © Luca Venturi Oslo (CC BY 2.0)

Telco & CSP

Will a revived RCS make mobile telcos rich?