SoftBank and Nokia Launch 7GHz Band Demonstration Experiment for 6G Practical Use

On July 8, 2025, SoftBank announced that it has started outdoor demonstration tests in the 7GHz band (7125M-8400MHz) for future 6G communications in Tokyo in cooperation with Nokia of Finland. 7GHz band outdoor tests are the first for a Japanese telecommunications carrier, and are attracting attention as a strong candidate for the 6G intermediate band (FR3) for high density and high capacity communications in urban areas. The 7GHz band is attracting attention as a strong candidate for the intermediate band (FR3) of 6G, which will support high-density, high-capacity communications in urban areas.

In this verification experiment, pre-commercial 7GHz base stations were installed on three rooftops of buildings in the Ginza area to compare coverage and radio wave characteristics with adjacent 5G Sub6 (3.9GHz) band base stations. The company also aims to establish a continuous communication area in the surrounding area by utilizing Massive MIMO technology. Further measurements in an indoor environment are planned in the future, and further R&D will be promoted with a view to commercial deployment.

The 7 GHz band is the subject of discussion as a candidate frequency for 6G at the ITU-R's 2027 World Radio Communication Conference (WRC-27). At present, no country is utilizing the 7 GHz band in its existing telecommunications network, but in Hong Kong, 300 MHz of the 6-7 GHz band will be auctioned in 2024, and three companies including China Mobile HK and SmarTone have acquired it. SoftBank commented on the 7GHz band, saying that it is a promising 6G solution that maintains a balance between signal penetration and high-speed communication in urban areas.

Materials

• SoftBank Corp. First Telecommunications Carrier in Japan to Launch Outdoor Trial of 7GHz Band for 6G
• SoftBank roadtests 7GHz with Tokyo trial
• Softbank tests 7GHz band for 6G with Nokia in Tokyo
• SoftBank makes 6G inroads with 7GHz trial