KDDI signed an agreement with SpaceX to act as an authorised Starlink integrator, with plans to offer the satellite internet service to its enterprise and government customers later this year.

The operator stated it conducted a series of technical demonstrations with Starlinksince 2021 which demonstrated the quality and performance of the service, including for use in mobile backhaul.

SpaceX VP of Starlink sales Jonathan Hofeller stated after recently launching in Japan, it looks forward to offering a service that “we’ve seen provide critical connectivity” in more than 40 countries.

KDDI selected Starlink as a backhaul provider in 2021.

An experimental licence was issued by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to operate a ground station for Starlink service installed at KDDI’s Yamaguchi Satellite Communication Centre.

Starlink also is preparing to launch service in India.