With satellite connectivity reaching a turning point for enterprises in 2025, this year will mark another epochal shift as low-Earth orbit (LEO) systems move from niche infrastructure into the core global digital strategy. This will be driven by a myriad of factors, including plunging satellite launch and hardware costs, increased LEO-telco partnerships, enhanced and wider applications of satellite connectivity, enhancements in direct-to-device (D2D), regulatory activity and harmonisation, and the need to bolster national continuity plans. Importantly, gone are the days in which a lack of quality connection or terrestrial networks was a going concern.
This is on top of increasing competition among the LEOs themselves. Notwithstanding Starlink’s obvious global leadership. Amazon Leo (formerly Project Kuiper) is expected to begin its commercial rollout in 2026, targeting business and government sectors and aiming to leverage AWS ecosystem integrations to differentiate itself. Other constellations such as BlueBird, OneWeb, Lightspeed, Qianfan, and Guowang are also expanding or preparing to launch. Specialist LEO providers such as Iridium, Globalstar, and Orbcomm will thrive within niche verticals, including aviation, maritime, and IoT services.
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For telcos, the emphasis is shifting from deploying infrastructure toward selling full services enabled by satellite vendors. Partnerships between satellite operators and telecom firms are intensifying, primarily to deliver rural and remote area coverage, mobile backhaul, but also for non-emergency D2D voice/text, emergency services, and national continuity strategies.
Traditionally underserved sectors for connectivity – rural agriculture, offshore, maritime, defence, and large-scale remote farming – are expected to benefit most. Enterprise-grade service level agreements (SLAs), higher reliability, and lower latency will make satellite viable in places and industries where terrestrial networks were previously impractical – a sign of the beginnings of a maturing market.
Ismail Patel, senior analyst at GlobalData, says: “By end-2026, satellite connectivity will no longer be considered a niche technology. Rather, it will be highly prominent in contracts entered into by businesses that can benefit from satellite. Major telco groups are obliging and are also making satellite a key part of their connectivity portfolios, acting as trusted resellers of LEO-backed connectivity.”
D2D connectivity via satellite is gaining momentum. Orange, Verizon, China Mobile, and others are rolling out or enabling satellite integration in handsets and devices; Google Pixel models already have direct satellite functionality. Patel says: “OEMs such as Apple and Samsung are being watched closely for whether they will expand from emergency-only connectivity into regular voice and text-over-satellite. The same applies to a new generation of IoT devices that can be deployed remotely and connected via satellite.”
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By GlobalDataPatel concludes by saying: “2026 will mark the year enterprise satellite connectivity steps into the connectivity mainstream. It will increasingly be embedded in government, industrial, offshore, and any remote business vertical – not as fallback options, but as foundational infrastructure. The winners will be those satellite operators who can reach global markets the fastest, secure the strongest telco brands as partners, and allow the widest ecosystemic integrations.”
