U.S. Satellite Internet Stocks Soar Amid Defense Demand

Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), the U.S. satellite communications company, closed at $50.73 on March 17—a 6.73% jump on the Nasdaq. Its market capitalization swelled by roughly $500 million (about KRW 0.7 trillion) in a single day to approximately $6.9 billion (about KRW 9.3 trillion), with trading volume reaching 1.76 million shares. This calculation assumes a simple exchange rate of KRW 1,350 per U.S. dollar.

In February, Viasat unveiled a global satellite service portfolio aimed at government and defense unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations, heightening expectations for growing demand in defense and secure communications. Looking ahead to late 2025, the company is preparing to launch ViaSat-3 F2, the second high-capacity satellite covering the Americas, which will add capacity roughly equivalent to its entire existing fleet.

Best known for providing in-flight internet, government and defense communications, and fixed broadband, Viasat is developing the ViaSat-3 project—a constellation of three ultra-high-capacity Ka-band satellites offering worldwide coverage. After a reflector deployment anomaly on the first ViaSat-3 satellite in 2023 triggered a large insurance claim and a sharp stock sell-off, investors have become particularly sensitive to the success of follow-on satellites and the company’s growth prospects in the defense sector.