NTT Docomo to launch airborne telecom base stations in 2026

TOKYO — Japan’s leading wireless carrier NTT Docomo said Monday that it will launch a fleet of aerial telecommunications base stations in 2026 through a partnership with a supplier owned by Airbus.

Docomo and three other investors have pledged to invest up to $100 million into Aalto HAPS, a developer of high-altitude platform stations. The Japanese carrier would be the first in the world to use the airborne stations in commercial applications if the goal is met.