Beamforming a New Era: How Qorvo is Powering the Future of SATCOM
November 20, 2025
The satellite communications (SATCOM) landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. With the rise of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations—like Starlink, OneWeb and Amazon’s Kuiper—demand is surging for ground terminals that can deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity on a global scale. At the forefront of this transformation is Qorvo, bringing decades of RF expertise and beamforming innovation to one of the fastest-growing markets in communications.
A Strategic Move into LEO Ground Terminals
Qorvo’s leadership in terrestrial and airborne SATCOM is expanding into next-generation commercial applications. With our acquisition of Anokiwave, we’ve sharpened our strategic focus and broadened our capabilities in beamformer integrated circuits (BFICs)—the brain behind phased array antennas that allow precise, steerable satellite connections.
These compact, electronically steered antennas are critical for user terminals to maintain stable links with fast-moving LEO satellites. As Chief Systems Architect David Corman puts it, “SATCOM is among the hottest markets we are currently pursuing. Our beamformers provide precise beam steering and polarization control, ensuring robust connectivity even as satellites sweep across the sky.”
The Scale of Opportunity—and the Engineering Challenge
The numbers tell a compelling story. According to ABI Research, over 10,400 satellites were actively functioning in orbit in 2024, and more than 93% were in low Earth orbit. That number is set to skyrocket, with more than 480 launches anticipated to support over 43,000 active satellites by 2032. These constellations will expand terrestrial networks and help bridge the digital divide, especially in underserved and remote regions.
But designing ground terminals at scale presents two critical challenges: cost and power efficiency. A typical LEO terminal might include 800 antenna elements powered by 200 beamformer ICs (BFICs). Every fraction of a dollar saved per element translates into real savings. That’s why Qorvo’s SATCOM ICs are being engineered to reduce DC power consumption by as much as 30%—without compromising performance.
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“Our continuous improvement strategy also emphasizes achieving lower noise figures on the receive side,” adds David. “Even small gains here—measured in tenths of a decibel—can have a meaningful impact on the performance of highly integrated systems.”
Qorvo doesn’t just deliver beamformers—we offer complete, interoperable RF front-end solutions. Our portfolio includes stand-alone power amplifiers (PAs) and low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) that integrate seamlessly with our BFICs, serving both terrestrial and space-side applications. This level of integration enables customers to simplify design, boost performance and accelerate time to market.
What’s Next: Fourth-Gen ICs and Non-Terrestrial 5G
Qorvo is already preparing to launch its fourth-generation SATCOM ICs, starting with Ku-band and expanding into Ka-band to support a broader range of applications. We’re also exploring how our proprietary BAW filter technology could play a key role in developing LEO-based non-terrestrial 5G networks, pushing the boundaries of satellite-enabled mobile connectivity.
“With our focus on beamforming ICs and a relentless drive to optimize performance and reduce costs,” says David, “Qorvo is well-positioned to lead the industry into a new era of connectivity and opportunity.”
Stay tuned as we continue to shape the future of SATCOM. Want to learn more about Qorvo’s SATCOM portfolio? Explore our innovation solutions here.
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