China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has recently approved Beijing Guodian Gaoke Technology Co., Ltd. (Guodian Gaoke) to conduct a two-year commercial trial for satellite Internet of Things (IoT) services. This initiative follows national guidelines aimed at optimizing business access to promote the satellite communication industry.
Guodian Gaoke has completed the first phase of its "Tianqi Constellation," China's first low-orbit satellite system, achieving a global network with 41 operational satellites in orbit. The system will provide satellite IoT data collection and transmission services for sectors including energy, forestry, agriculture, emergency response, tourism, water conservancy, petroleum, marine activities, and ecological monitoring, as well as consumer electronics such as handheld terminals, automobiles, and intercom devices.
According to its official website, the Tianqi Constellation can offer global short-data communication services for numerous fields, such as environmental protection monitoring, earthquake prediction, forest fire prevention, ocean monitoring, hydrological forecasting, weather forecasting, oil and gas pipeline networks, agricultural management, transportation, and wildlife protection.
During the trial period, Guodian Gaoke is permitted to pilot satellite IoT operations, leveraging the Tianqi Constellation to deliver wide-coverage, low-power, and highly reliable IoT connectivity. Applications include all-weather, intelligent data collection and remote control in areas like marine fisheries, energy and water conservancy, and transportation logistics.
For example, in marine fisheries, offshore fishing vessels often operate hundreds of nautical miles from the coast. Traditional satellite communication is expensive and relies on bulky equipment. In contrast, IoT terminals based on the Tianqi Constellation can transmit key data—such as vessel location, engine status, catch volume, and refrigeration temperature—every few minutes, with emergency distress signals activated instantly when needed.
In the energy and water conservancy sectors, oil pipelines crossing remote areas and hydropower stations in mountainous regions face high manual inspection costs and slow response times. Deploying satellite IoT sensors enables real-time reporting of leaks, pressure anomalies, or sudden water level changes to control centers.
A representative from Guodian Gaoke stated that the approval provides important policy support for expanding satellite IoT application scenarios. The company plans to use this trial as an opportunity to offer broader IoT data services, supporting the safe and healthy development of emerging industries like commercial aerospace and the low-altitude economy.
Analysts suggest that this approval marks a key step in China's support for commercial aerospace companies to pioneer satellite communication operations. Satellite IoT is considered a critical component of the future 6G integrated space-ground network architecture. As 6G technology advances, the deep integration of air, space, ground, and sea networks is becoming a core direction for next-generation communication infrastructure.
However, challenges remain for satellite IoT to transition from trial to large-scale commercial use. Technically, while low-orbit satellite constellations offer global coverage, individual satellites have limited transit times. Ensuring real-time data transmission, managing access conflicts among numerous terminals, and maintaining link reliability in complex electromagnetic environments require ongoing optimization.
Cost is another barrier. Although the Tianqi Constellation emphasizes low costs, satellite development, launch, and in-orbit maintenance still involve heavy investment. Terminal modules and service fees must be reduced significantly to attract price-sensitive users in agriculture, forestry, and environmental protection.
Standardization and compatibility also pose hurdles. The absence of unified standards for satellite IoT in China creates barriers between different constellation systems and between satellite and ground networks, hindering the formation of a nationwide integrated network. Additionally, data security and spectrum management remain key regulatory concerns.
Caitong Securities noted that China's commercial aerospace sector is still in its early stages, with market focus primarily on upstream activities like satellite and rocket manufacturing. However, the simultaneous development of application-side services such as satellite IoT is expected to stimulate market vitality, enrich satellite communication offerings, and establish replicable models while supporting the growth of emerging industries.
CITIC Securities emphasized the strategic importance of the satellite communication industry, highlighting clear policy direction and frequent satellite launches as signs of an impending industry inflection point. Investment opportunities are recommended in areas including satellite communication service providers, satellite operation and services, satellite manufacturing supply chains, and ground equipment manufacturing.
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