Japanese electronics maker Sharp is developing an antenna that can connect to satellite networks run by different operators, so users won’t be locked into a single provider such as SpaceX. Nikkei Asia reports that the company plans to bring terminals with the new antenna to market in 2030.
Sharp sees uses in defense, remote control of construction equipment and autonomous driving. Today, satellite services like Starlink often work only with specific, dedicated terminals. Starlink leads the market for low Earth orbit satellite communications, and according to Nikkei, SpaceX designs its antennas and terminals in-house.
Sharp is building its own compact satellite terminal using technology developed for its smartphones. Conventional parabolic dishes are big and heavy, which limits where they can be installed. Sharp wants a terminal small enough to mount on a boat or a drone.
The Japanese government is also backing this kind of hardware. Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is taking proposals for compact, lightweight universal antennas and plans to pick two or three projects. It expects to provide up to 7 billion yen (about $44 million) in support over a period of up to five years. The selection is still some way off, but Sharp has already submitted a bid.
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Sharp is also growing its satellite business through partnerships. Starting in 2027, it plans to offer services from Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES in Japan under a deal announced in June. The company is targeting 100 billion yen (about $630 million) in satellite service sales in 2035.
Sharp expects demand for universal antennas abroad as well. Rising geopolitical risks are pushing governments to cut their reliance on individual providers — the European Union, for example, is building its own satellite network, IRIS². SES is a core member of the consortium tasked with developing and operating it. Shigeru Kobayashi, the Sharp executive officer who heads the business group that includes its communications operations, believes the company is well placed because it is neither American nor Chinese. “Nothing has been decided yet, but we can contribute” to IRIS², Kobayashi said.
In Japan, the country’s largest mobile carriers — NTT Docomo, KDDI and SoftBank — already offer direct-to-phone connections via Starlink satellites, and SpaceX recently won US approval to take Starlink Mobile international. Rakuten Group is preparing a similar service with AST SpaceMobile, a US-based Starlink rival. However, these links can often carry only limited data and are mostly used for messaging. Sharp wants its terminal to handle more data-hungry tasks, such as autonomous driving and remote operation of construction machinery.
Market research aggregator Global Information forecasts that the global satellite communications market will reach $223 billion by 2033, more than double its 2025 size. Sharp is racing to build new businesses as it scales back its liquid crystal display operations, once its core business. Satellite terminals and AI servers are among five areas the company has identified as new growth drivers. Sharp is targeting combined sales of 200 billion to 300 billion yen (about $1.3 billion to $1.9 billion) in these areas in fiscal 2030.
