Tiantong satellite communications system goes into use

China’s domestic satellite mobile communications system is catching up with those of the US and Europe, industry analysts said on Sunday.

The Tiantong Satellite system officially began providing satellite communications services to the public on Friday, marking the beginning of the era of China’s own satellite mobile communications.

China Telecom said on its official website that the system covers the entire country with reliable communications service and enables users to access the service in all kinds of weather at any time.

The report said that the launch shows the long-term dependence on foreign satellite mobile communications services is ending.

China Telecom is the sole operator of Tiantong Satellite’s mobile communications business.

The technology level in the sector is similar to those seen in the US and Europe, Xiang Ligang, directorgeneral of the telecom industry association Information Consumption Alliance, told the Global Times on Sunday.

“In the past, in remote mountainous areas where 4G is not available, the government used international satellite-based communications provider Inmarsat, which, after all, is subject to others,” Xiang said.

“We needed to set up our own satellite communications system to provide communications support in remote areas, including at sea,” Xiang added.

The Tiantong System relies on the Tiantong-1 Satellite that was launched in August 2016 -- a satellite mobile communication system independently developed and built by China.

The satellite provides all-weather, all-day, stable and reliable mobile communications services for users in China and its surrounding regions, the Middle East, Africa and most of the Pacific and Indian oceans. It supports voice, short message and data services, according to the website of China’s Ministry of National Defense.

The trial commercial use of telecoms service has reached nearly 30,000 users since March 2018.

After the official launch of its business to the majority of users, the public can access the current service by a simple registration procedure on mobile phones.

Annual packages cost about 1,000 yuan ($144), including 750 minutes of long-distance calls, according to China Telecom.