China announced it has completed the initial set-up of its first high-orbit satellite communication network, which is expected to provide fast satellite internet service in China and in several Belt and Road nations. The Chinese project could be an alternative to SpaceX’s Starlink, according to a Beijing-based communications expert. China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the parent company of the satellite operator, said the network would provide internet service for industries ranging from aviation and navigation to emergency services and energy, Xinhua News Agency reported. The network includes high-throughput satellites ChinaSat 16, 19 and 26. According to the network operator, the satellites cover China as well as parts of Russia, Southeast Asia, Mongolia, India, and the Indian and Pacific Oceans – covering much of the area included in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The total capacity of China’s high-throughput satellites is planned to exceed 500 Gbps by 2025.
China became the first country to offer smartphones with satellite calling features this summer when Huawei launched a 5G phone connected to similar high-orbit satellites. Because of their long distance from the ground, high-orbit satellites stay in a comparatively fixed position relative to the devices connecting to them, so each one covers a much broader area than low-orbit satellites, said Sun Yaohua, Associate Professor in information and communication engineering at the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications. Sun compared China’s high-orbit satellite network with SpaceX’s Starlink, which consists of mass-produced low-orbit satellites, saying the former required far fewer satellites for coverage and had no issues when a connected device switches between satellites, offering higher stability. The Starlink network was developed by American aerospace company SpaceX to provide high-speed, low-cost internet satellite services. It now has more than 5,000 satellites in low-Earth orbit at an altitude of 550 km. “Low-orbit satellites have the advantage of higher communication speeds and low transmission delay, owing to less signal loss over a shorter distance. They are better positioned for businesses like online HD videos and financial exchanges,” Sun said.
According to Sun, China will need to invest in low-orbit satellite networks to deploy 6G technology and compete with the Starlink satellites in the use of space, as satellite orbits and radio frequencies are “first-come, first served” resources. “The operation and management of a satellite system is very complex. Experience needs to be gained in actual practice,” Sun said. “This high-orbit satellite network will not only facilitate Chinese people’s communication in Belt and Road countries but also provide experience in maintaining and operating a satellite system. It’s important for the future development of China’s satellite internet,” he said, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
