
TOKYO -- Japan's SoftBank will work with compatriots including shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines on a fast maritime communications network that will open the door to remote-controlled ships.
The service will use a satellite constellation operated by U.K.-based OneWeb, which is roughly 50% owned by SoftBank. OneWeb anticipates speeds of 400 megabits per second -- 100 times as fast as current maritime networks, which are a decade behind land-based telecommunications.