The global competitive landscape for low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet is taking shape at an accelerated pace, marked by prominent strategic competition.
Relevant domestic policies continue to gain momentum. This year's Government Work Report mentioned satellite internet as a standalone sector for the first time. In its push to foster and expand new growth drivers, the report stressed the need to“accelerate the development of satellite internet.”
Zhang Qi, Member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Chairman of Shanghai Spacesail Satellite Technology, one of the leaders behind China's two major LEO satellite constellations, revealed in a media interview that the Qianfan Constellation has so far launched 108 networking satellites and preliminarily built a ground measurement, telemetry and control network. It is expected to achieve initial global coverage within this year. Developed and invested by SSST, the mega LEO constellation has a long-term plan of more than 15,000 in-orbit satellites. It aims to build a space-ground integrated network integrating 6G, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, supporting trillion-level digital economy scenarios.
In the interview, Zhang Qi pointed out that China's satellite internet industry faces a series of bottlenecks and pain points. For instance, high-thrust, highly reliable, reusable and low-cost carrier rockets are still in the experimental stage. Resources such as launch and measurement and control are in short supply, failing to fully meet the rapid networking needs of mega constellations.In addition, in key supporting sectors of satellite internet, the capacity for low-cost mass production of chips, payloads, antennas and terminals is insufficient, and the sophistication of products needs improvement, which cannot yet meet the market competition demands of commercial constellations.
To help the industry build comprehensive competitive advantages at a faster pace, Zhang Qi put forward a number of proposals. These include launching high-thrust and low-cost main-model rockets as soon as possible, expanding the layout of launch sites and launch pads, establishing a dynamic adjustment mechanism for launch schedules, increasing financial and policy support for satellite intelligent and mass manufacturing processes and production lines, and setting up a sound risk hedging system tailored to the characteristics of LEO satellite internet.