China has announced a breakthrough in laser communication, claiming to have surpassed SpaceX’s Starlink in achieving a high-resolution space-to-ground data transmission.
According to a report by the South China Morning Post, commercial satellite company Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co. successfully transmitted data at 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) from one of its Jilin-1 constellation satellites to a truck-mounted ground station. This speed is ten times faster than its previous record.
Although SpaceX has been pioneering laser inter-satellite communication, it has yet to deploy laser satellite-to-ground communication technology. Wang Hanghang, head of laser communication ground station technology at Chang Guang Satellite Technology, claimed that their achievement puts them ahead of Elon Musk’s company in this area.
“Musk’s Starlink has revealed its laser inter-satellite communication system but hasn’t deployed laser satellite-to-ground communication yet. We think they might have the technology, but we’ve already started large-scale deployment,” Wang stated.
A transmission rate of 100Gbps is new for satellite communication. To put it in perspective, this speed allows for the transfer of 10 full-length movies in just one second. Wang compared the upgrade to transforming a single-lane highway into thousands of lanes, vastly increasing data transfer capacity.
According to ndtv, other institutions, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and NASA’s TeraByte InfraRed Delivery (TBIRD) system, have also achieved similar transmission speeds, Wang said that China’s system has a larger and heavier payload, weighing 20 kg.
Chang Guang’s receiving unit is mounted on a truck, making it highly adaptable for real-world applications. This mobility could accelerate commercial deployment and enhance connectivity in remote areas.
6G is expected to be the next evolution of wireless communication technology, promising speeds exceeding 1 terabit per second (Tbps) and ultra-low latency of just 100 microseconds. Not like 5G, which primarily relies on terrestrial networks, 6G aims to integrate terrestrial, aerial, and satellite-based communications for seamless global coverage.
Higher frequency bands, including the terahertz (THz) spectrum, will likely be utilized to achieve these speeds, enabling faster, more reliable connections worldwide.
China’s technological advancements are not limited to satellite communication. Just days before this announcement, Beijing introduced the world’s first mobile 5G base station designed for battlefield conditions.
Developed jointly by China Mobile Communications Group and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), this high-speed, ultra-secure system can support up to 10,000 users within a three-kilometre radius.
The PLA claims the technology has been successfully tested in urban and mountainous terrains, even while moving at speeds of 80 km/h under electromagnetic interference.
“We plan to deploy these laser communication units across all satellites in the Jilin-1 constellation to improve their efficiency, with a goal of networking 300 satellites by 2027.”
Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co. operates the Jilin-1 satellite constellation, which is the world’s largest sub-meter commercial remote sensing network. The constellation currently consists of 117 satellites, with plans for full deployment by 2027.
While Elon Musk remains focused on space colonization and Mars exploration, China is rapidly advancing its satellite-based communication technologies. Starlink, which aims to revolutionize global internet connectivity, now faces stiff competition from China’s state-backed space initiatives.
