Starlink dominates early, but competition is building
Sydney, 13 January 2026 – Idem Est Research today announced the publication of the “Asia-Pacific Satellite Internet Market Report, 2026-2033”, a 79 page deep dive into how satellite broadband and 5G Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) are reshaping connectivity across one of the world’s most diverse regions.
Now in its 4th edition, the report provides detailed country by country subscriber and revenue forecasts, operator profiles and regulatory analysis for the period 2026 to 2033, with a particular focus on Starlink, Amazon Leo, Eutelsat OneWeb, China’s GuoWang and Thousand Sails constellations, and emerging 5G NTN providers.
Explosive growth forecast to 2033
Idem Est Research estimates there were around 2.5 million satellite broadband subscribers in Asia Pacific in 2025, excluding legacy low speed VSAT links. That figure is forecast to jump to more than 40.4 million subscribers by 2033 as new constellations and markets come online.
Satellite broadband revenues are expected to grow to USD 16.7 billion in 2033, implying a revenue compound annual growth rate around 40 percent over the forecast horizon.
Indonesia is already the largest market by subscribers in 2025, while India overtakes Indonesia and China to become the single biggest opportunity from 2027 onward as licensing and spectrum conditions improve.
Starlink dominates early, but competition is building
The report confirms that Starlink is by far the largest satellite broadband player in Asia Pacific and globally. Idem Est Research estimates Starlink had over 9 million subscribers worldwide by December 2025, including more than 2.1 million in Asia Pacific. The report provides a detailed global subscriber database by country as well as regional revenue estimates and an assessment of Starlink’s geopolitical influence.
At the same time, competitive pressure is intensifying. The study profiles:
Amazon Leo (Project Kuiper) – now entering early service, with NBN Co in Australia selecting it as the next generation LEO platform for regional wholesale broadband.
Eutelsat OneWeb – positioned as Europe’s multi orbit alternative to Starlink, with strong government and backhaul focus and early 5G Advanced NR NTN trials.
China’s GuoWang and Thousand Sails constellations – very large state backed LEO projects that are central to China’s space and digital policy.
AST SpaceMobile, Lynk – Omnispace and Iridium NTN Direct – direct to device and 5G NTN challengers targeting mobile operators and IoT.
5G NTN moves from standards to early deployment
A major new section in this edition explains the 5G NTN roadmap from 3GPP Release 17 to Release 19, and what it means for Asia Pacific operators. The report describes how:
Release 17 introduced NR NTN and IoT NTN support in FR1 S and L bands.
Release 18, branded 5G Advanced, enhanced NR NTN and IoT NTN and extended NTN into Ka band.
Release 19 focuses on stronger handheld coverage, RedCap over NTN and on board gNB functionality, with the first Rel-19 smartphone NTN demos already completed over OneWeb.
The study highlights early direct to device agreements across the region, including Starlink Direct to Cell partnerships with Optus and Telstra in Australia, KDDI in Japan and One NZ in New Zealand.
Socioeconomic impact and sustainability front and centre
Beyond market sizing, the report dedicates full chapters to the socioeconomic impact of satellite broadband and the environmental and space sustainability challenges created by megaconstellations:
Economic and social benefits for rural communities, education, healthcare, agriculture and disaster resilience
The role of satellite backhaul and NTN as a complement to terrestrial 4G and 5G
Risks around space debris, light pollution and upper atmosphere effects, and the mitigation measures that regulators and operators are beginning to adopt
Quote from the author
“Asia Pacific is moving from a world where satellite was a niche backstop for TV and remote backhaul to one where LEO and 5G NTN are part of the core network fabric,” said Landry Fevre, author of the report and Director at Idem Est Research. “The next decade will be defined by how quickly regulators, operators and new constellations can line up spectrum, sustainability and commercial models. This report is designed to give decision makers a realistic, data driven view of both the opportunity and the risks.”
What the report includes
Key deliverables in the Asia-Pacific Satellite Internet Market Report, 2026-2033 include:
Country level subscriber and revenue forecasts for 2025-2033
Detailed operator profiles for Starlink, Amazon Leo, Eutelsat OneWeb, AST SpaceMobile, GuoWang, Lynk – Omnispace and others
Analysis of 5G NTN standardisation and the emerging D2D ecosystem
Assessment of regulatory and spectrum challenges across Asia Pacific
Discussion of socioeconomic impacts, environmental considerations and future scenarios
Availability
The report is available now from Idem Est Research as a PDF and Excel data pack.
For pricing, table of contents and sample pages, visit https://idemest.com/reports/asia-pacific-satellite-internet-market-report/
or contact:
Media and sales contact
Landry Fevre
Director, Idem Est Research
Email: landry@idemest.com
Landry Fevre
Woonona Rd, Northbridge, NSW 2063, Australia
landry@idemest.com
+61 414164100
About Idem Est Research & Advisory
Idem Est is a strategic telecom & digital infrastructure research firm focused on emerging interconnection, cloud, and edge market trends across Asia-Pacific. We help clients navigate infrastructure investment decisions with fact-based, forward-looking insights.
idemest.com
This release was published on openPR.
