Starlink’s recent launch of its first 26 Version 3 (V3) satellites points to significant advances in satellite-broadband capacity and user performance. Achieving this level of performance requires high-performance RF components throughout the system.

mmTron’s MMIC power amplifiers, delivering record-setting mmWave linear output power, exceptionally wide modulation bandwidth, and high efficiency, address the demanding RF requirements of next-generation satellite broadband systems.

Starlink’s Version 3 Architecture

Each V3 satellite is designed to provide 1 Tbps of downlink capacity and 160 Gbps of uplink capacity. Phased arrays direct that capacity to ground users through 2,048 downlink beams and 2,048 uplink beams.

The V3 design offers 10× the downlink capacity and 22× the uplink capacity of V2 satellites. The V2 phased arrays provide only 192 downlink beams and 144 uplink beams.

Each V3 satellite also uses six 400 Gbps lasers to route data among satellites. Its gateway backhaul uses four quad-band antennas operating across Ka-, E-, V-, and W-band frequencies. This architecture increases backhaul capacity to 1.2 Tbps—more than 8× that of V2 satellites. The backhaul uplink aggregates 60 GHz of spectrum across four bands and antenna polarizations, yielding a 4.3× improvement over the V2 design.

Enabling High-Capacity Backhaul

High-capacity backhaul at mmWave frequencies requires MMIC power amplifiers that combine high linear output power, wide modulation bandwidth, and high efficiency. Wide modulation bandwidth supports high data rates, while high linearity enables higher-order modulation and more efficient use of available spectrum. Higher efficiency reduces demand on satellite power systems and eases thermal-management requirements.

mmTron develops MMIC power amplifiers that deliver record-setting linear output power at mmWave frequencies, alongside exceptionally wide modulation bandwidth and high efficiency. These capabilities are critical for supporting higher-order modulation, increasing data throughput, and maximizing spectral efficiency in next-generation satellite communication systems.

Our differentiation reflects semiconductor process optimization, including epitaxial layer design; proprietary device models; advanced circuit architectures; and products engineered for demanding satellite applications.

As satellite broadband architectures continue to push the limits of capacity and spectrum utilization, linear output power, modulation bandwidth, and efficiency will be increasingly important RF performance differentiators.

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mmTron recently hosted Mark Liu, former chairman of TSMC, and his team. Welcoming a visionary whose leadership has helped shape the global semiconductor industry was a privilege.

We discussed how next‑generation Satcom systems need mmWave spectrum and how mmTron’s high‑linearity, high‑bandwidth semiconductor solutions will improve mmWave system performance.

Mark Liu’s visit reinforced our commitment to innovation and industry collaboration.

Watch this short video explaining how mmTron is enabling new system capabilities such as digital radar. How? By delivering the highest combined mmWave power, linearity, and efficiency RFICs and modules.

Our thanks to Chris Sheppard of contentsource llc for the video production.

This year’s International Microwave Symposium (IMS) in San Francisco was very productive for mmTron. Scheduled meetings and booth traffic kept us busy all three days of the exhibition, and we’re now following up on the action items and opportunities from those conversations.

One of the week’s highlights was Microwave Journal’s interview with our co-founder and CEO, Seyed A. Tabatabaei. Seyed gives a cogent summary of our focus and differentiation.

If you didn’t see us in San Francisco and would like to explore how mmTron’s high linearity power amplifier technology can extend your reach, reach us at contact@mmtron.com.

We look forward to next year’s IMS in Boston.

One of the summer’s projects was producing a video where our founder, Seyed Tabatabaei, shares his motivation for starting mmTron and the market need the company is filling. It provides a concise overview for those not familiar with mmTron or mmWave markets.

Takeaways?

mmTron’s ability to develop high power, high linearity, and high efficiency mmWave RFICs is extending the reach and data rates of fixed wireless access (FWA) and satellite communications (Satcom) systems.

The more than 47 products providing multiple circuit functions and growing number of customers clearly show mmTron’s differentiation.

As Seyed concludes, “This is an amazing time to partner with mmTron to be able to respond to this growing demand.”

We appreciate the video production skills of Chris Sheppard, Content Source.

mmTron’s co-founder and CEO, Seyed Tabatabaei, and Engineering Fellow, Mike Roberg, were interviewed by Eric Higham of Microwave Journal at this year’s IMS in Washongton, D.C. Watch the short interview to learn how mmTron is providing value to customers with high linearity, high power, and high efficiency power amplifiers for fixed wireless access and satellite communications systems.

We appreciate the opportunity to be interviewed by Microwave Journal and covered in their IMS 2024 Show Wrap Up article.