KDDI Corporation, one of Japan's leading mobile network operators, provides nationwide telecommunications infrastructure with a mission to deliver stable, 24/7 connectivity across all regions, including remote islands and mountainous areas where fiber-optic deployment is challenging.

To deliver reliable connectivity in these demanding environments, KDDI proudly became one of the world’s first operators to deploy cellular backhaul using Starlink. Satellite-based network configuration has also been adopted as a recovery solution for Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) during disasters. 

The major recovery solutions include:

• Vehicle-mounted base station: A system installed on vehicles to provide temporary connectivity on-site as a substitute for damaged base stations during disasters. First introduced by KDDI in 2006, this solution has now been miniaturized to the size of a compact car. 
• Portable base station: Compact and lightweight enough to be carried on a person’s back, enabling installation even in locations inaccessible to vehicles. 

Thanks to the adoption of Starlink, KDDI is now able to restore connectivity more rapidly, even during disasters such as the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake.

Traditional GEO satellite circuits offer limited throughput and high latency. Additionally, the procedures required to establish connectivity were complicated and time-consuming. 

In major disasters such as the Noto Peninsula earthquake, further challenges arise—road collapses, landslides, power outages, and widespread infrastructure destruction severely impact evacuation efforts and medical support. There is a clear demand for solutions that are more agile and compact, enable faster restoration, and provide high-capacity, high-speed communication.

Since 2023, Starlink has been utilized as a key solution for restoring base stations. As a result, KDDI achieved: 

• 10X: Higher throughput, supporting even video streaming 
• 50–75%: Reduction in installation time
• 80%: Reduction in equipment size
• 200+ units: Nationwide deployment of vehicle-mounted and portable base stations

Transformations achieved include revolutionary improvement in disaster recovery speed, greater flexibility in installation locations, and enhanced access to information and improved quality of life in disaster-affected areas.