China's new orbital internet satellite network is expected to be a direct competitor to Starlink, owned by billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX.
The first satellite of the newly successfully built G60 Starlink project in China will become part of the future Internet network, competing with the US's Starlink, Shanghai Observer reported.
The G60 satellite network will consist of about 12,000 orbital satellites, with the first 108 expected to launch in 2024. By comparison, SpaceX's Starlink currently has more than 5,000 satellites in space.
The G60 project is managed by the state-owned Shanghai Gesi Aerospace Technology Group (Genesat), which was established in 2022 by the Microsatellite Innovation Academy/Chinese Academy of Sciences.
In a filing with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the satellites of the G60 project are described as low-cost, high-performance and reliable. The entire system is built with the aim of providing broadband Internet access services to users worldwide.
The G60 network will be the second largest Internet satellite network in low Earth orbit, behind the national Guowang (SatNet) project developed by China Satellite Networks, established in 2021, with more than 13,000 satellites.
China continues to seek to launch large numbers of satellites into orbit to meet ITU deadlines and secure suitable telecommunications frequencies.
According to Vietnamnet