Japanese billionaire Hiroshi Mikitani's Rakuten gets $1 billion state backing for Starlink rival
Billionaires Africa | 13.11.2026 19:55
Rakuten Group Inc., the Japanese internet company founded and run by billionaire Hiroshi Mikitani, has formed a joint venture with AST SpaceMobile Inc. to connect ordinary smartphones directly to satellites across Japan, backed by about $1 billion in government grants.
