Boeing to Help Develop Emergency Satcom System in Japan

An aerial view of Oshima-Mura, Japan, 11 days after a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 2001. Photo: U.S. Navy/ Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Dylan McCord

[Via Satellite 03-09-2015] Boeing announced an equity stake in Softbank Satellite Planning Corp., a division of the Tokyo-based Softbank Group, to help create concepts for a national satellite-based disaster response communications system. Softbank plans to evaluate concepts from Boeing and propose them to Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

“As we’ve seen with hurricanes, tsunamis, and earthquakes, the presence of a communications infrastructure can mean the difference between life and death,” said Mark Spiwak, president of Boeing Satellite Systems International. “The Boeing portfolio includes a version of the Boeing 702HP (high-power) satellite that is designed for mobile communications. We come to the SoftBank team with a deep knowledge of system technical requirements and a solid track record of on-orbit experience.”

Previous Boeing emergency satcom projects include a disaster response system developed with Thuraya in the late 1990s, and a current contract with Mexsat to provide a communications system for emergency services, telemedicine, and telecommunications, with an operational date set for 2016.