China Faces Competition in Satellite Internet Market
China is facing a challenging task in its efforts to catch up to Elon Musk’s SpaceX satellite service, Starlink. Starlink has already launched nearly 7,000 operational satellites and serves around 5 million customers in over 100 countries. The service aims to provide high-speed internet to remote and underserved areas.
China, on the other hand, is planning to launch three low earth orbit internet projects, known as Qianfan, Guo Wang, and Honghu-3, which will consist of around 38,000 satellites. European-based Eutelsat OneWeb has also launched over 630 low earth orbit internet satellites, while Amazon plans to launch a constellation of over 3,000 satellites.
Despite the competition, China is motivated to invest in its own satellite internet constellation due to concerns about censorship and national security. China has a history of censoring the internet and restricting access to certain websites and apps. With Starlink, users can access uncensored content, which poses a threat to China’s censorship regime.
China’s satellite constellation could be seen as a differentiator, offering censored internet access to countries that align with its interests. While it may not be a popular choice for regions like the US, Western Europe, Canada, and other US allies, there are other areas where China’s constellation could be attractive.
Russia, Afghanistan, Syria, and large parts of Africa are not yet covered by Starlink, and China’s constellation could help build inroads in these regions. Additionally, having a proprietary satellite internet constellation is increasingly becoming a national security necessity, especially in times of war when ground internet infrastructure is crippled.
China’s investment in its satellite internet constellation is crucial for its national security goals, as it allows the country to have a crucial military advantage. The emergence of drone warfare and connected battlefields has highlighted the importance of satellite-based weaponry, and China is motivated to invest in this technology to stay ahead of its competitors.
