Gartner forecasts 1.5 million D2D connections in Australia, NZ by 2027

Gartner forecast more than 1.5 million low Earth orbit direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connections in Australia and New Zealand in 2027.

Gartner said direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity adoption in Australia and New Zealand is being driven early by consumer use during off-grid travel. The analyst firm said the two countries are among the early adopters of low Earth orbit (LEO) D2D satellite communications because of remote areas and persistent gaps in terrestrial mobile coverage.

Gartner projected the number of LEO D2D connections in Australia and New Zealand will rise from 251,000 in 2025 to 673,000 in 2026 and more than 1.5 million in 2027. Gartner also said end-user spending on the service was $5 million in 2024, and forecast it would increase to $23 million in 2025 and $66 million in 2027.

Gartner said the growth is happening during early rollouts with limited functionality. The firm said initial launches are restricted to specific handsets, areas and messaging. Gartner senior director analyst Khurram Shahzad said consumer adoption is being driven by safety and recreational use, while enterprise demand is increasing for field operations in mining, agriculture, forestry and transportation because of the need for continuous connectivity and worker safety.