As 2025 kicks off, predictions abound on the technology innovations expected in the year ahead. In its new whitepaper, 101 Technology Trends That Will—and Won’t—Shape 2025, analysts from global technology intelligence firm ABI Research. ABI Research analysts identify 54 trends that will shape the technology market and 47 others that, although attracting vast amounts of speculation and commentary, are less likely to move the needle over the next twelve months. In the Space Technologies market, 2025 will see the first-stage commercial rollout of D2C satellite services, but high-speed D2C broadband won’t reach standard smartphones.

“2024 has been marked by challenges, from global conflicts and inflationary pressures to political uncertainty. These factors have strained enterprise and consumer spending, leading to market inertia, short-term technology investments, sidelined capital, and the exposure of vulnerable suppliers,” says Stuart Carlaw, Chief Research Officer at ABI Research. “From a technology perspective, many industries and end markets are in that awkward stage of technology adoption where they are formulating implementation strategies, assessing solutions and partners, and trying to see if they have the resources needed to roll out solutions at scale. This is a particularly sensitive time, which tends to suggest 2025 will have tech implementers and end users on the brink of a period of a massive technology shift as they work through these issues.”

What Will Happen in 2025:

The first-stage commercial rollout of D2C satellite services In 2025, D2C satellite services will transition from Proof of Concept (PoC) and pilot projects to initial first-stage commercial deployment. This technology will revolutionize connectivity in emergencies, as well as remote and underserved areas.

What Won’t Happen in 2025:

High-speed D2C broadband won’t reach standard smartphones While D2C services are advancing rapidly, achieving high-speed broadband directly to standard smartphones faces several critical technological and operational hurdles.

For more trends that will and won’t happen in 2025, download the whitepaper, 101 Technology Trends That Will—and Won’t—Shape 2025.