China launches new sat for S.China Sea, other areas

China launched a new communications satellite, “APSTAR-6C,” Friday morning, expecting to bring internet and multimedia services to customers in the South China Sea.

Developed by the China Academy of Space Technology, the satellite was launched on a Long March-3B carrier rocket at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province.

This was the 273rd mission of the Long March rocket series, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Hong Kong-based APT Satellite Co Ltd will be the satellite’s user. The satellite will provide TV transmissions, communications, internet and multimedia services to customers in Mongolia, the Indo-China Peninsula and the South China Sea, the China Central Television reported Friday.

The satellite is expected to bring significant changes to civilian services on islands in the South China Sea, as its signals could reach a wider region and function in hazardous weather conditions and extreme temperatures, Chen Xiangmiao, a research fellow at the Hainan-based National Institute for the South China Sea, told the Global Times on Friday.

Since the islands in the South China Sea, including Nansha Islands, will receive more non-military inhabitants, including environmental and ecological protection researchers, their telecommunication facilities must be upgraded to provide better services, Chen said.

In February, the Chinese navy’s South China Sea Fleet signed framework agreements with China’s three largest telecom operators to upgrade communications on Xisha and Nansha islands and reefs.

The project is scheduled to be completed in May and will offer 4G+ service to the islands and reefs, the official People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Daily reported.

Services on the South China Sea islands, including marine rescue missions and international scientific research with countries from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, will also be upgraded after the completion of those projects, Chen added.