This paper presents an innovative high-gain multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antenna featuring a compact circular shape, enhanced by strategically positioned slots, slits, and defected grounds created by etching multiple iterations of a circle inserted with a triangle shape. The investigation thoroughly explores the various traits and properties exhibited by the antenna. The antenna design harmoniously incorporates two radiating elements shaped in circles, positioned 16 mm apart from their centers, and has been physically constructed using an FR4 substrate. Enhancing the antenna's bandwidth and gain requires the implementation of slots with fractal patterns on the ground with a precise edge-to-edge separation of 2.5 mm. The placement of the antenna elements at a 16 mm distance guarantees an isolation level exceeding 15 dB consistently throughout the entire wideband frequency range. The dimensions of the compact MIMO antenna are tailored to be 1.12λ × 1.8λ × 0.091λ (20 × 32 × 1.62 mm 3 ). In this study, the circular patch MIMO antenna with a fractal defected ground structure (DGS) resonates precisely at 16.903 GHz. It showcases an impressive impedance bandwidth spanning 2.027 GHz, ranging from 15.946 GHz to 17.973 GHz. It exhibits a reflection coefficient of −43.82 dB and achieves an observed gain of 6.25 dBi. The observed results include a minimal envelope correlation coefficient (< 0.025) and a substantial diversity gain (> 9.89).The measured results mirror the simulated outcomes, affirming the effectiveness of the wideband, high-gain antenna design. Its bandwidth and gain are well-suited for satellite communications, particularly in downlink applications, enabling faster data transmission rates.