Japan plans to invest ?150 billion in Rakuten Mobile in a push to develop a homegrown satellite communication system and reduce reliance on firms such as Starlink.
The funds will be released over a period of three years to cover costs for procuring the satellites and launching the network, media reports said Tuesday.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications had secured the funds for the project ¡ª known as the Japan Low Earth Orbit Satellite Communications Project (J-LEO) ¡ª in the supplementary budget for fiscal year 2025 and began taking bids from companies willing to take on the job. The bidding process ended late last month.
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