SoftBank Corp. Keeps Comic Fans Connected at Tokyo’s Comiket Convention

Since its debut in 1975, Tokyo's semiannual Comic Market, also commonly known as "Comike" or "Comiket," has been a cornerstone event for manga and anime fans from all over Japan, and around the world. Held in December and August at Tokyo's Big Sight convention center, Comiket, with its focus on self-published works, attracts massive crowds-sometimes numbering over 100,000 in a single day. To ensure attendees can enjoy seamless smartphone connectivity, even in the most crowded spaces, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) has been strengthening its network measures at the event over the years.

This summer, SoftBank introduced new connectivity initiatives, including the deployment of 5G Standalone (SA) infrastructure and the use of Starlink Business satellite connectivity services to provide robust Wi-Fi coverage.

SoftBank's measures to ensure stress-free connectivity

At large-scale events like Comiket, tens of thousands of visitors gather in certain areas, making it difficult to maintain network quality. Attendees often stream videos, chat with friends over video calls, or upload posts to social media while waiting in long queues or attending outdoor attractions. These conditions can cause network congestion, leading to slow speeds and dropped connections.

Expanding network capacity with 5G SA

This year, SoftBank's network equipment covering the entire venue was upgraded to support 5G SA technology, meaning both the core system and base stations were dedicated exclusively to 5G. Unlike Non-Standalone (NSA) technology, which partially relies on 4G infrastructure, 5G SA provides a full 5G-driven experience. By enabling more customers to connect to 5G SA, overall network load was balanced more efficiently, resulting in stable connectivity even during traffic spikes.

In addition, network servers located away from the base stations analyzed traffic conditions every minute and automatically optimized traffic flows, providing a significant improvement over the previous system that required manual adjustments every 15 minutes. This enabled faster and more precise network management.

Boosting bandwidth in crowded areas with 5G Sub6 antennas

SoftBank reinforced existing base stations with 5G Sub6 (3.9 GHz band) antennas in certain locations where people tend to cluster. 5G Sub6 antennas offer higher bandwidth and improved data processing capacity, making them ideal for event venues with high user density. As a result, Comiket visitors using SoftBank's network benefitted from smooth connectivity and high-capacity data transmission, even in dense areas.

Starlink Business: a new Wi-Fi solution

To further enhance connectivity, SoftBank introduced Wi-Fi zones powered by satellite-based Starlink Business in the east-side waiting areas. By offloading some smartphone traffic onto Wi-Fi, network congestion was reduced, ensuring smoother communication. Leveraging Starlink Business as a backhaul connection also meant that Internet access remained stable, regardless of network congestion in ground-based lines.

During the event, SoftBank staff actively monitored network performance by measuring frequency usage, signal strength and base station load. Thanks to these efforts to ensure stable connectivity, visitors posted positive feedback on social media platforms, with many of them noting that SoftBank's network performed reliably even in crowded conditions.

As Comiket continues to grow and attract global attention, SoftBank will keep evolving its network technology to deliver fast, stable and stress-free mobile connectivity.

(Posted on September 8, 2025)
by SoftBank News Editors