As the global deployment of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites accelerates, the Asia-Pacific region has become a strategic frontier for satellite operators. Rising demand driven by economic growth, geopolitical complexity, and the need for disaster resilience has turned the region into a coveted market. Yet, regulatory fragmentation across countries has slowed commercial rollout compared with the United States and Europe. That is now changing, as several governments move to open their skies to LEO operators, triggering a new wave of deployments.
US optical communications giant Lumentum reported stronger-than-expected earnings for the quarter ended September 27, signaling renewed momentum in the sector. Taiwan's optical component suppliers, which also released third-quarter results, showed signs of profit recovery after currency headwinds in the previous quarter, with growth expected to accelerate in 2026 as investment in co-packaged optics (CPO) and silicon photonics applications begins to bear fruit.
As 3GPP integrates Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) into global standards, the long-standing walls of incompatible satellite systems are finally coming down. Leo Chien, chairman of Ubiqconn Technology, stated that that this transformation could create critical opportunities for Taiwanese companies familiar with terrestrial devices, especially in the emerging Direct-to-Device (D2D) sector.
As the global deployment of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites accelerates, the Asia-Pacific region has become a strategic frontier for satellite operators. Rising demand driven by economic growth, geopolitical complexity, and the need for disaster resilience has turned the region into a coveted market. Yet, regulatory fragmentation across countries has slowed commercial rollout compared with the United States and Europe. That is now changing, as several governments move to open their skies to LEO operators, triggering a new wave of deployments.
