Research: Global Direct-to-Cell Satellite Market Estimated to Grow 49% Annually
According to TrendForce research, the global direct-to-cell satellite market is projected to reach US$7.6 billion by 2026, with an estimated annual growth rate of 49%. This expansion is creating new business opportunities throughout the supply chain, driven by companies like Starlink and AST SpaceMobile.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 27, 2026 at 17:58
- 🔍 Collected: April 27, 2026 at 18:31 (33 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 27, 2026 at 22:36 (4h 5m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Chiang Ming-yen, Taipei, 27th) Research firm TrendForce points out that global satellite operators are actively transitioning from traditional "satellite broadband services" to "direct-to-cell satellite," estimating that the global direct-to-cell satellite market size will grow to US$7.6 billion by 2026, with an annual growth rate of approximately 49%, bringing new business opportunities to the supply chain.
As global mobile communication standards 3GPP Release 17 and Release 18 continue to incorporate satellite communication into their specifications, direct-to-cell satellite technology is rapidly maturing. TrendForce's latest research estimates that the global direct-to-cell satellite market size will grow to US$7.6 billion by 2026.
TrendForce states that direct-to-cell satellites can effectively solve the problem of no terrestrial base stations in remote areas, satisfying communication needs and significantly improving the efficiency of information transmission for emergency rescue. Among satellite operators, Starlink officially launched its Starlink Mobile service at MWC 2026, significantly improving signal reception reliability by deploying next-generation V2 satellites in lower orbits, expanding its service scope from original text messages to voice calls and video transmission.
Another actively expanding player, AST SpaceMobile, plans to launch comprehensive services including text messaging, voice, and video transmission in the United States and Japan by 2026.
TrendForce points out that with strong support from major telecom operators, direct-to-cell satellite services are seeing not only rapid growth in user numbers but also increasing stickiness, with user types expanding from individual to enterprise users. Particularly, mining operators and large agricultural enterprises in remote areas of the United States show strong willingness to subscribe to additional services, as they need to grasp production data in real-time even in unstable network signal environments. This has led Starlink and AST SpaceMobile to initially prioritize the U.S. market to quickly accumulate commercial results.
TrendForce's analysis of the global direct-to-cell satellite supply chain indicates that the upstream focuses on key modules, covering antennas, RF front-ends, and baseband chips; for example, Anokiwave provides satellite chips, and Analog Devices and Qorvo supply RF modules. Starlink and AST SpaceMobile, however, develop their own baseband modules to overcome the high latency issues of space communication.
The midstream of the supply chain involves satellite-internal base stations and system integration, typically where component manufacturers provide modules to Starlink and AST SpaceMobile for overall satellite system integration. The downstream includes mobile phones and telecom services, where brands like Samsung, Google, and Vivo integrate Qualcomm or MediaTek's satellite communication chips, and telecom operators launch corresponding direct-to-cell satellite service plans.
Observing Taiwan's communication component industry, TrendForce analyzes that Taiwanese manufacturers already possess one-stop service capabilities, from key components to subsystem integration, covering customized Ka-band phased array antennas, GaN (Gallium Nitride) high-power chips, RF front-end module integration, and other fields. They possess significant competitive advantages and are expected to enter the supply chains of international giants like Starlink and AST SpaceMobile.
However, Taiwanese manufacturers still face significant challenges in high-barrier core technologies such as inter-satellite laser communication links (ISL) due to a lack of equipment system integration capabilities. (Editor: Chang Liang-chih) 1150427
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force guarding press freedom.
Download CNA 'First-hand News' APP to instantly grasp the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.
(Central News Agency reporter Chiang Ming-yen, Taipei, 27th) Research firm TrendForce points out that global satellite operators are actively transitioning from traditional "satellite broadband services" to "direct-to-cell satellite," estimating that the global direct-to-cell satellite market size will grow to US$7.6 billion by 2026, with an annual growth rate of approximately 49%, bringing new business opportunities to the supply chain.
As global mobile communication standards 3GPP Release 17 and Release 18 continue to incorporate satellite communication into their specifications, direct-to-cell satellite technology is rapidly maturing. TrendForce's latest research estimates that the global direct-to-cell satellite market size will grow to US$7.6 billion by 2026.
TrendForce states that direct-to-cell satellites can effectively solve the problem of no terrestrial base stations in remote areas, satisfying communication needs and significantly improving the efficiency of information transmission for emergency rescue. Among satellite operators, Starlink officially launched its Starlink Mobile service at MWC 2026, significantly improving signal reception reliability by deploying next-generation V2 satellites in lower orbits, expanding its service scope from original text messages to voice calls and video transmission.
Another actively expanding player, AST SpaceMobile, plans to launch comprehensive services including text messaging, voice, and video transmission in the United States and Japan by 2026.
TrendForce points out that with strong support from major telecom operators, direct-to-cell satellite services are seeing not only rapid growth in user numbers but also increasing stickiness, with user types expanding from individual to enterprise users. Particularly, mining operators and large agricultural enterprises in remote areas of the United States show strong willingness to subscribe to additional services, as they need to grasp production data in real-time even in unstable network signal environments. This has led Starlink and AST SpaceMobile to initially prioritize the U.S. market to quickly accumulate commercial results.
TrendForce's analysis of the global direct-to-cell satellite supply chain indicates that the upstream focuses on key modules, covering antennas, RF front-ends, and baseband chips; for example, Anokiwave provides satellite chips, and Analog Devices and Qorvo supply RF modules. Starlink and AST SpaceMobile, however, develop their own baseband modules to overcome the high latency issues of space communication.
The midstream of the supply chain involves satellite-internal base stations and system integration, typically where component manufacturers provide modules to Starlink and AST SpaceMobile for overall satellite system integration. The downstream includes mobile phones and telecom services, where brands like Samsung, Google, and Vivo integrate Qualcomm or MediaTek's satellite communication chips, and telecom operators launch corresponding direct-to-cell satellite service plans.
Observing Taiwan's communication component industry, TrendForce analyzes that Taiwanese manufacturers already possess one-stop service capabilities, from key components to subsystem integration, covering customized Ka-band phased array antennas, GaN (Gallium Nitride) high-power chips, RF front-end module integration, and other fields. They possess significant competitive advantages and are expected to enter the supply chains of international giants like Starlink and AST SpaceMobile.
However, Taiwanese manufacturers still face significant challenges in high-barrier core technologies such as inter-satellite laser communication links (ISL) due to a lack of equipment system integration capabilities. (Editor: Chang Liang-chih) 1150427
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force guarding press freedom.
Download CNA 'First-hand News' APP to instantly grasp the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.