Doosan and Sweden’s Sivers’ $15 Million Satellite Communication Project – Targeting a $740 Billion Market by 2040
Editor
Doosan is on the hunt for another future growth driver. This time, it’s in the satellite communication sector, as they announced a partnership with Swedish semiconductor specialist Sivers Semiconductors to jointly develop next-generation Ka-band Electronic Beam Steering Antenna (ESA) panels. The development contract is valued at approximately $1.5 million, or 2 billion won in Korean currency. While this figure may not seem large, it appears to be just the beginning.
According to Morgan Stanley, the global satellite communication market is projected to grow to 740 trillion won by 2040, suggesting that Doosan sees the need to establish a foothold and build technological capabilities now. The demand for related technology is surging, especially as SpaceX’s Starlink leads the satellite internet market.
A noteworthy aspect of this collaboration is the clear division of roles. Sivers will provide next-generation RF chips characterized by high power and low noise, while Doosan will leverage its advanced materials and precision manufacturing technologies to produce antenna panels and conduct system verification. This collaboration is expected to create synergies, as it aligns with Doosan’s existing expertise in copper-clad laminates (CCL) and printed circuit board (PCB) technologies.
Personally, I find Sivers an intriguing company. Founded in 1951 and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, it is a semiconductor company specializing in wireless and photonics, boasting over 70 years of history. It has established a strong competitive edge in 5G millimeter-wave communications, high-speed data center optical communication solutions, and satellite communication beamforming technology. With its high-precision laser and RF beamformer technology optimized for energy efficiency, Sivers meets the performance enhancement demands of key industry clients in AI data centers, SATCOM, and defense, which likely influenced Doosan’s choice of partner.
The Technical Significance of Ka-band ESA Panels
The core feature of the ESA panels being developed is their ability to connect to multiple beams and multiple orbits simultaneously. In simple terms, this means they can connect to multiple satellites at once, providing stable support for high-speed, high-quality satellite communication. This represents a revolutionary advancement compared to traditional satellite antennas, which could only connect to one satellite at a time or required physical adjustments to change connections.
The Ka-band refers to the frequency range of 26.5 to 40 GHz, allowing for more data transmission than the existing Ku-band (12 to 18 GHz). However, higher frequencies suffer greater atmospheric losses and signal weakening during rain, making compensatory technology crucial. Sivers’ high-power, low-noise RF chips appear to be key in addressing these issues.
Electronic Beam Steering technology is also noteworthy. Unlike traditional mechanical antennas that required physical rotation to track satellites, ESA can electronically adjust the beam’s direction, offering much faster and more accurate performance. This technology is essential for mobile terminals, enabling stable satellite internet on ships, airplanes, and vehicles.
The two companies believe this technology can expand from mobile terminals to high-performance gateways, covering a wide range of SATCOM equipment. This is an important point in terms of market scalability, as it means they can cater to everything from personal satellite internet terminals to high-capacity corporate communication equipment and high-performance systems for government or military use.
The Current and Future Global Satellite Communication Market
Currently, SpaceX’s Starlink overwhelmingly leads the satellite communication market. As of November 2025, it operates over 5,000 satellites, providing services in more than 70 countries worldwide. Recently, download speeds have exceeded 100 Mbps, reaching a level competitive with traditional terrestrial internet.
However, competitors are formidable as well. Amazon’s Project Kuiper plans to launch 3,236 satellites and recently unveiled the “world’s fastest satellite internet antenna,” offering download speeds of up to 1 Gbps. Starlink also plans to launch gigabit satellite internet services next year, intensifying the speed competition.
Europe’s OneWeb and China’s Hongyan and GuoWang projects also plan to launch thousands of satellites, suggesting that tens of thousands of satellites will orbit in low Earth orbit in the coming years. In this context, the importance of ground equipment, particularly antenna technology, is growing.
Domestically, KT has already partnered with Starlink to prepare for domestic services, and SK Telecom is also showing interest in the satellite communication business. The government is pursuing the “K-Mega Constellation” project to establish a Korean satellite internet system, which is expected to significantly increase the demand for related technologies and equipment.
The 740 trillion won market size projected by Morgan Stanley for 2040 includes not just satellite manufacturing and launch but the entire ecosystem, including ground equipment, service operations, and application development. The ground equipment market is expected to grow proportionally with the increase in satellites, making Doosan and Sivers’ current efforts to build technological capabilities a wise strategy.
Personally, I believe this collaboration could become a new growth engine for Doosan. The existing CCL and PCB businesses are mature markets with limited growth rates, while satellite communication is a market just beginning to take off. Moreover, it is a convergence technology connected to 5G millimeter-wave, AI, and autonomous driving, offering potential synergies.
However, it is important to consider that the satellite communication market is a rapidly changing field with high initial investment costs. Starlink only began generating profits after investing billions of dollars, and Amazon’s Kuiper project plans to invest over $10 billion. For Doosan, the current 2 billion won contract is just the beginning, and much larger investments will be needed for full commercialization.
Still, partnering with a proven company like Sivers could help mitigate some risks. Sivers is already recognized for its technological prowess in the 5G and data center markets, suggesting it could produce competitive products in the satellite communication field as well. It will be interesting to see how Doosan’s satellite communication business develops in the future.
This article was written after reading the Untitled article, with additional personal opinions and analysis.
Disclaimer: This blog is not a news outlet, and the content reflects the author’s personal views. Investment decisions are the responsibility of the investor, and the author assumes no responsibility for any investment losses based on this article.
