A view of low-Earth 5G broadband satellite made by Galaxy Space in December. Photo: Courtesy of Galaxy Space

As many satellite startups plan to launch small satellites into Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) to provide global broadband internet services, a Chinese satellite provider now suggests 5G speeds. 

After China's first LEO 5G broadband satellite successfully moved into its orbit earlier this year, the satellite maker, Galaxy Space, tested a three-minute video call by connecting to the internet provided by the satellite terminal in space recently. 

The clear picture and swift response in the video call on Friday proves that the LEO 5G broadband satellite developed by the Chinese commercial startup is reliable, while the race between the world's economic superpowers to roll out 5G networks goes on. 

The satellite, developed by Beijing-based private aerospace company Galaxy Space, connected the callers on earth by connecting to the WiFi hotspots provided by the satellite terminal in space, the company told the Global Times. 

The terminal is China's first LEO 5G broadband satellite and was successfully delivered to its pre-selected orbit in January from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Northwest China's Gansu Province. It is able to cover an area of 300,000 square kilometers, roughly 50 times the size of Shanghai, according to Galaxy Space. 

On February 16, the company started the communication test of the satellite and passed the world's first LEO broadband satellite in the Q/V/Ka band, an extremely high-frequency band.

Reports said Galaxy Space plans to launch 650 satellites in total, more than any other company in the country. Chinese technology company Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun invests in the company. 

China included satellite internet into the "new infrastructure" list in recent days by ramping up its efforts to develop in the area. "New Infrastructure," as experts claimed, could offer both short-term relief and a long-term boost to the country's economy amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Such a move will speed up the development of the whole industrial chain from the upstream to the downstream and also shows the importance of China's 5G internet building and digital space economy cultivation, Xu Ming, CEO of Galaxy Space, told media. 

Satellite internet is a wireless connection that involves three satellite dishes: one at the internet service providers' hub, one in space and one attached to the customer's home.

By launching a great number of satellites to form a constellation in the space, many companies across the globe are trying to grab a piece of cake in the lucrative space market, which also benefits people working or living in rural areas where land-based cables can't get coverage. 

Companies in the US and China are major participants, and more and more private aerospace startups from China have joined the sector after the authorities relaxed restrictions on the state-controlled industry in recent years. 

Global Times