China approves private firm for satellite IoT trial

(ECNS) -- China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has authorized Zhejiang Geespace to conduct a two-year commercial trial of satellite Internet of Things (IoT) services, marking a further opening of the sector to private firms.

The company will use the first phase of the “Geely Future Mobility Constellation” to deliver widecoverage, low-power and reliable IoT connectivity. The services will support all-weather, intelligent data collection and remote interaction in areas including smart transportation, marine fisheries, energy and water management.

The MIIT said satellite IoT is expected to become an important complement to China’s broadband satellite internet as the commercialization of the country’s satellite communications industry accelerates.

The approval marks a further step toward opening satellite IoT services to private companies and is expected to stimulate the private sector and support the development of China’s commercial space industry.