Millimeter-wave (mmWave) technology was previously used mainly in military and aerospace applications, where costs were extremely high. Now, as high-frequency communications and non-terrestrial network (NTN) technologies gain momentum, new opportunities are opening up across the communications industry.

Eutelsat said that it predicts at least EUR10 billion (US$11.2 billion) in revenue from 2032 to 2040 as it leads the EU's low Earth orbit (LEO) network initiative IRIS2. The European satellite player is viewed by the EU to be a homegrown alternative to SpaceX's Starlink satellite service and a key to reducing technological reliance on the US.

Amazon expects its cloud unit to keep growing faster than 40% a year through 2028, even as costs from its satellite internet project hold back fourth-quarter profit.

STMicroelectronics (ST) reported third-quarter 2026 revenue of US$3.76 billion, above the midpoint of its guidance, as AI data center and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite demand lifted communication equipment and computer peripheral sales by 64% year-over-year. Gross margin reached 37.3%, up 410 basis points from a year earlier, and non-US GAAP earnings per share came in at US$0.37. Free cash flow was US$351 million.

Taiwan's Kuen Tong Technology, a high-end precision metal components maker and major supplier to a US low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite operator, is set to list on the Taipei Exchange's Emerging Stock Board on October 29 at a reference price of NT$390 (approx. US$12.03) per share. Riding rising satellite demand, the company plans to expand production capacity in Thailand from 2027 while developing AI server liquid cooling and semiconductor equipment businesses.

SpaceX's Starship super-heavy rocket completed its 14th test flight on September 28, successfully reaching Earth orbit and deploying 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites. A 15th test flight is expected within weeks.

Elon Musk recently confirmed the possibility of a merger between SpaceX and Tesla, signaling an ambition to redefine competition in the AI era beyond individual products and technological advantages toward integration across the entire industrial value chain, encompassing semiconductors, energy, computing, communications, and autonomous systems.

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved Amazon Leo’s approximately US$11.57 billion acquisition of Globalstar, giving Amazon access to about 25 MHz of mobile satellite service (MSS) spectrum, roughly 24 satellites and related infrastructure to support its push into the direct-to-device (D2D) market.

Global satellite service revenue is projected to grow 44% over the next decade, reaching US$145 billion by 2035, according to the 33rd edition of Novaspace's Satellite Connectivity and Video Market report, released in October 2026.

FarEasTone Telecommunications signed a cooperation agreement with Direct-to-Device (D2D) satellite communications provider Elveo Mobile on October 27 to expand satellite-to-phone services in Taiwan. The partnership will integrate D2D capabilities with FarEasTone's existing terrestrial mobile network, supporting broader coverage, stronger communications resilience, and a future integrated space-and-ground network.

Since Elon Musk publicly confirmed that Tesla and SpaceX are evaluating a potential merger, the prospect has stirred widespread speculation over what could become the largest corporate transaction in history—and whether combining two of Musk's biggest technology platforms would actually create value beyond the sprawling ecosystem they already share.

SpaceX has firmly established itself in direct-to-device connectivity through Starlink's expanding satellite constellation. But the space giant is now pushing beyond orbital coverage as it seeks an equally consequential position in terrestrial mobile infrastructure.

Tech Mahindra has announced a collaboration with AI coding platform SpaceXSI to help global enterprises modernize legacy applications, accelerate software delivery, and improve developer productivity, according to a company announcement issued from Pune, India, on October 22, 2026.

The Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) said two 8U CubeSats developed by Tron Future Tech successfully reached orbit on October 20 aboard SpaceX's Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission, advancing Taiwan's low Earth orbit (LEO) communications technology program. T.MicroSat-3 and T.MicroSat-4 launched at 7:04 p.m. Taiwan time to a mid-inclination orbit and established initial contact with ground stations in Chile and Azerbaijan before 3 a.m. Taiwan time on October 21, with their systems operating normally and sufficient power available.

SpaceX has spent two decades proving that hardware once considered too complex, too capital-intensive, or too dependent on entrenched suppliers could sometimes be pulled in-house. Its Q3 earnings call suggests the company now wants to test that philosophy on perhaps the hardest manufacturing problem of all: advanced semiconductor production.

What began as a satellite broadband service is increasingly becoming SpaceX's platform for connecting homes, aircraft, mobile devices, and government networks.

Vietnam has installed 10 Starlink satellite internet terminals on islands near Haiphong, highlighting how low Earth orbit networks are being used to extend connectivity beyond conventional infrastructure. The deployment provides backup communications for emergencies and could support digital development, while also illustrating the service's regulatory limits, cost challenges, and focus on remote users.

SpaceX's third quarter of 2026 reshaped the business. Its Super Intelligence (SI) segment, the compute and AI unit previously reported as Artificial Intelligence, generated more revenue than the Starlink-led Connectivity segment, reversing the previous quarter's order, and the group posted an operating profit after losses in each of the four preceding quarters. The quarter also showed what the shift costs: capital spending again ran ahead of revenue, and most of it went into compute.

SpaceX announced on October 8, 2026, that it would acquire US 800MHz low-band spectrum licenses held by Grain Management, covering up to 14MHz of paired bandwidth. The transaction remains subject to approval by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

AUO is expanding its push into AI-related businesses, including augmented reality (AR) glasses, low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite antennas, optical communications, and advanced semiconductor packaging. The display maker has secured board approval for NT$24 billion (US$739.92 million) in planned investment for 2026, as chairman and CEO Paul Peng positions the initiatives as a route to growth and supply-chain relevance.

Amazon recently demonstrated its low Earth orbit communications satellite network, Amazon Leo, at a test site in Aberdeen, Maryland, testing high-speed connectivity in a tactical environment with the US Army. During the demonstration, a notebook transmitted data through a ground-based Leo Pro antenna, with peak download speeds exceeding 400Mbps as the satellite passed overhead, signaling Amazon’s push to challenge SpaceX’s Starlink in the satellite broadband market.

As advances in aerospace technology lower the barriers to launching and building low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, emerging satellite operators worldwide are driving demand for outsourced space solar cells and modules. Supply-chain sources say the trend is creating new opportunities for Taiwan's solar industry beyond SpaceX, which is led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

South Korean space AI solutions provider TelePIX is accelerating the development of high-resolution optical payloads and onboard AI technologies, with plans to launch its next-generation system into space for validation in 2027.

The global space market has become increasingly dominated by SpaceX, while China continues to press forward with state-backed launch and satellite projects. That shift has sharpened Europe's concerns over strategic dependence and its relatively fragmented industrial base.

Iridium Communications and Altair Semiconductor are joining forces to help IoT devices stay connected outside terrestrial coverage, a move that could affect industries from logistics to wearables worldwide. The partnership aims to give manufacturers a simpler path to global satellite-enabled connectivity, without adding separate satellite hardware to existing designs.