China Mobile 01 satellite. Photo: Counrtesy of China Mobile

State-owned telecommunication operator China Mobile sent two experimental satellites into low-Earth orbits of 500 kilometers, in a bid to further test 5G- and 6G-related technologies, the company told the Global Times on Sunday. 

China Mobile 01 satellite, one of the two, was co-developed by China Mobile and Chinese satellite company UBINEXUS. It's the world's first signal processing satellite equipped with a land-space 5G operating system. Multiple innovative designs mean the satellite can function in various space conditions with high efficiency. 

The other Xinghe verification satellite, Star Core, was jointly built with the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Science, and loaded with the Xinghe 6G system, another milestone in China Mobile's progress in 6G technology. 

The two experimental satellites have been deployed in low-Earth orbits at altitudes of 500 kilometers, with multiple advantages including lower latency and higher speed in data transmission, compared with high-orbit satellites. 

China Mobile vowed to continue low-Earth orbit satellite experiments to promote the satellite-Earth technology sector and expand its mobile network to inland areas, the oceans and the aviation sector. 

Global Times