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.

Huawei has extended its semiconductor-focused "Tau (τ) Law" framework to 5G base station design, using co-design across algorithms, chip architectures, and high-speed interconnects to boost baseband processing efficiency and enhance the wireless user experience. The company unveiled its OSCAR intelligent channel-processing solution, its next-generation UBBPi baseband series, and the VitaAAU active antenna unit for the U6GHz band, with the VitaAAU already entering commercial deployment in select overseas markets.

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.

South Korean telecommunications provider SK Telecom (SKT) has reportedly established Hy-TF, a task force dedicated to AI collaboration with SK Hynix, to upgrade its digital-twin and data-platform businesses and develop new B2B services.

Tata Communications announced on October 26 that it plans to invest US$400-450 million in approximately 10,000 kilometers of long-haul fiber across India, linking data centers and AI hubs as it expands its connectivity business. The network will connect domestic corridors with its global backbone.

India's tech push opens markets unevenly: foreign suppliers get first crack at Tata's fab, Lam courts local vendors, Jio's IPO tests its 5G pitch, and CleanMax powers AI data centers.

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.

Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) has established a new subsidiary, CHT Intelligent Vision Solutions (IVS), spinning off an internal team focused on smart security and intelligent video analytics. The new company will target enterprise security, public safety, and smart-city applications, while taking Taiwanese hardware partners overseas.

Jio Platforms' initial public offering, the largest in India's history, asks investors to back more than a mobile network. In its prospectus, the operator that built its business on cheap data pitches a home-grown 5G stack and an AI engine it plans to sell to operators abroad, even though telecom still generates almost 90% of its revenue, according to Reuters.

Chief Telecom has begun construction of its new AI data center in the Huwei section of the Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP), with an investment of NT$3.3 billion (US$101.8 million). Chairman Jerry Shao said the facility's reservation and contract rate has exceeded 50%, with international cloud service providers (CSPs) and fintech companies making up most of the customers.

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

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).

Chunghwa Telecom president Rong-shy Lin said the shift from conversational AI to autonomous AI agents is reshaping enterprise adoption, making data governance, access controls and accountability critical to deployment at scale.

Largan Precision chairman En-ping Lin has questioned the viability of Micro LED-based optical links for AI data centers, citing concerns over power consumption, size, and transmission efficiency. Industry sources interviewed by DIGITIMES counter that while individual Micro LEDs transmit data more slowly than lasers, using hundreds of parallel channels could reduce overall system power consumption by simplifying the transmission architecture.

From constellation-scale satellite deployment to terrestrial network expansion, SpaceX is deepening Starlink's reach across the connectivity stack. The latest moves suggest the company is no longer positioning direct-to-device (D2D) merely as a way to fill cellular dead zones, but as a foundation for a broader hybrid mobile network capable of competing more directly with US carriers.

Taiwanese optical networking suppliers reported strong September and third-quarter 2026 revenue growth, with EZconn and LuxNet posting record monthly sales as demand for high-speed connectivity in AI data centers continued to rise. The results come as US optical component maker Lumentum warns that its production capacity is booked into early 2029, with significant supply shortages expected to persist for several years.

Taiwan's three leading telecom operators reported strong revenue and earnings growth in September 2026, driven by replacement demand following the launch of Apple's iPhone 18 Pro series and continued expansion in enterprise services, including AI data centers (AIDC), cloud computing, and information and communications technology (ICT) projects.

AI data centers are shifting toward faster networking architectures, with optical transceivers advancing from 800G and 1.6T toward 3.2T. Yet China's ability to retain its position in the global AI data center supply chain may increasingly depend on more than technology and manufacturing capacity. Potential US supply-chain restrictions are emerging as another critical variable.

AI is changing the logic of telecom traffic growth, with Ericsson and industry researchers warning that mobile networks must now handle not only more data, but also more uplink traffic, real-time interaction, and connected-on-the-move usage. As generative AI, agentic AI, and multimodal interactions spread, telecom operators are being pushed to rethink network investment beyond downlink capacity.

Chunghwa Telecom's New Taipei operations division and the New Taipei City Fire Department signed a memorandum of understanding on October 6 to promote drone-based emergency blood transport. The pilot will use New Taipei's north coast and mountain routes as a testbed for an air logistics system aimed at improving emergency medical supply delivery in remote areas.

MediaTek and subsidiary Airoha Technology will jointly showcase new technologies spanning Wi-Fi, 5G CPE, and passive optical networking (PON) at Network X 2026, scheduled for October 13–15 in Vienna, Austria.

Deutsche Telekom expects artificial intelligence and automation to generate around EUR2.5 billion (approx. US$2.8 billion) in indirect-cost savings by 2030 compared with 2023, Reuters reported, as the German telecom group puts measurable financial targets behind both cost savings and revenue growth.

Chief Telecom said on September 30 that it is working with Google Cloud to combine international submarine cable resources and deploy Cross-Site Interconnect (CSI) technology. The partnership is aimed at launching diversified cross-border submarine cable services to strengthen digital resilience as cable disruptions have increased worldwide and drawn attention to Taiwan's critical infrastructure.