China wants its own Starlink, but it is only just getting started with satellite internet
Elon Musk’s Starlink is currently the market leader in satellite internet, but competition is on the rise, and China has already placed this expanding market on its radar.
More companies are entering the race for satellite internet, which has so far been dominated by SpaceX’s Starlink, an Elon Musk firm. Satellite broadband is crucial not just for bridging the connection gap and boosting internet access, but also for its national security importance, and China, as one of the world’s superpowers, recognizes this, which is why it is taking the initial steps toward developing its own version of Starlink.
According to the specialist media Space News, China launched an unspecified number of satellites into orbit on November 23 to test its satellite internet capabilities.The equipment was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on a Long March 2D rocket. According to the webpage, the satellites’ most likely use is testing for China’s Guowang satellite internet project.
Guowang, the Chinese Starlink, plans to launch 13,000 satellites into low-Earth orbit to compete with SpaceX and other services such as One Web. Elon Musk’s firm has launched over 4,000 Starlink satellites since 2019 and might reach 40,000 in the next years, making it the industry leader, despite competition from other companies such as Amazon’s Project Kuiper.
