Despite the explosive growth of internet usage across the Asia Pacific, nearly 2.4 billion people in the region (about 55% of the population) remain offline, according to the Asian Development Bank. Many live in landlocked developing countries or small island developing states, far from high-capacity fiber-optic networks or terrestrial infrastructure. Satellite technology has emerged as the solution.

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The State of the Satellite Industry in the Region

The satellite industry is undergoing its most profound transformation, driven by new space innovation. In the Asia Pacific, one of the world’s most dynamic telecommunications markets, this transformation is unfolding through the expansion of multi-orbit satellite constellations, advanced payload technologies, and evolving business models. These developments are not only reshaping the way connectivity is delivered but also positioning the region to lead in the global digital economy.

In APAC, new satellite deployments are increasingly focused on non-geostationary satellite orbits (NGSO), particularly low-Earth orbit (LEO). By 2030, a substantial proportion of satellites will be launched into NGSO, driven largely by the explosive growth in consumer broadband demand. Meanwhile, non-consumer verticals, such as cellular backhaul, enterprise, government, defense, maritime, and mobility are expected to show strong growth in both geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) high-throughput satellites (HTS) and NGSO capacity. In addition, multi-orbit architecture—combining LEO, medium-Earth orbit (MEO), GEO, and even high altitude platform stations (HAPS)—is fast becoming the cornerstone of satellite strategy.

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APAC Industries to Gain from Advanced Satellite Connectivity

Beyond bridging the digital divide, especially in regions where terrestrial infrastructure is economically or geographically impractical, satellite telecommunications are connecting industries, consequently advancing socio-economic development.

In the maritime industry, they ensure ships remain connected in the most isolated oceanic zones. For instance, Kacific’s Ka-band GEO services link Pacific island ports like Kosrae and visiting vessels beyond terrestrial coverage. SES’s MEO O3b mPOWER has also been deployed on floating production storage and offloading vessels (FPSOs) in the region, delivering low-latency, high-throughput connectivity for offshore energy operations.

Meanwhile, Earth observation (EO) is an equally transformative force. EO satellites monitor deforestation, predict natural disasters, assess crop health, and track infrastructure resilience, and the APAC EO market alone is expected to grow 184% to reach USD 315 billion. Regional early-warning and disaster-prediction programs like SERVIR-SEA (implemented by the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center) fuse EO data with models to forecast floods, landslides, and other hazards. For agriculture, Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 satellite data are used across APAC to monitor crop health and predict yield loss.

In the healthcare sector, Indonesian island communities in Maluku and East Nusa Tenggara are using satellite broadband from Starlink to power telehealth consultations, remote diagnostics, and emergency communications.

Some other unconventional sectors set to gain from advanced satellite connectivity include inflight entertainment and connectivity, which is expected to reach USD 427.95 million by 2030, and space-based edge computing, which will grow by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.56% through 2033.

Satellite Investment Shows No Signs of Faltering

Alongside immediate gains, APAC is cultivating a deep talent pool in artificial intelligence (AI), data science, and aerospace engineering. Between 2016 and 2024, the share of AI professionals in Southeast Asia tripled and job postings for AI-related roles increased 2.4 times between 2021 and 2023, while applications grew 1.7 times. In response, Singapore’s Space Faculty is leading education initiatives, equipping students and early-career professionals with the skills needed to thrive in the AI-driven space industry.

From an infrastructure perspective, Indonesia’s Palapa Ring and Starlink partnerships are connecting remote islands, while India’s BharatNet and GPS-Aided GEO Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) systems are extending rural coverage through Jio satellites.

Most recently, Thaicom announced that its subsidiary, IPSTAR, received approval from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) to provide satellite services using its satellites in India. Meanwhile, Australia’s NBN Co partnered with Amazon’s Project Kuiper to provide high-speed satellite internet to 300,000 remote homes, bridging connectivity gaps in rural areas.

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Integrating Satellite into the Broader Telco Ecosystem

To achieve this integration, in the Philippines, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT)-led satellite-broadband initiatives have connected over 438 remote areas. India’s collaborations with Starlink and Vi’s partnership with AST SpaceMobile aim to bring high-speed satellite internet and mobile broadband to millions in rural and inaccessible locations. These examples underscore how satellites are not only expanding access independently but are increasingly positioned to integrate seamlessly with terrestrial telco networks.

As the satellite and telecommunications industries continue to converge, the Asia Pacific is supporting the pilgrimage with multi-orbit architecture, cloud-based orchestration, and robust integration with telco ecosystems. Without a doubt, satellites remain key to facilitating full network access across the Asia Pacific.