China Satellite Internet Market Overview, 2030

China’s satellite internet market has evolved into a strategic and highly state-driven domain, anchored by national ambitions for technological sovereignty and global digital influence. The market initially featured fragmented projects such as Hongyan and Hongyun but has since consolidated around major government-backed initiatives, most notably the Guowang (National Network) constellation, led by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), aiming to deploy over 13,000 LEO satellites. In parallel, the Qianfan (formerly G60 Starlink) initiative, supported by the Shanghai municipal government, is targeting a 15,000-satellite system with plans for regional coverage by 2025 and global coverage by 2027. Additional commercial constellations from Geespace (Geely), GalaxySpace, Commsat, and others complement state initiatives with niche capabilities in mobility, IoT, and direct-to-device communication. As of 2024, China’s LEO satellite internet market was valued at approximately USD 1.25 billion and is projected to surpass USD 3 billion by 2030, driven by both state investment and growing demand for rural and remote connectivity. Satellite internet plays a vital role in China’s national digital infrastructure strategy, as outlined in the 14th Five-Year Plan. It is prioritized for enhancing digital access in rural regions, supporting disaster resilience, and serving military and secure communication objectives for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). It is also a critical component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, providing digital connectivity to partner countries in Latin America, Central Asia, and Africa. The Chinese government supports the development of multi-orbit satellite infrastructure, promotes public–private collaboration in satellite manufacturing and launch, and actively invests in reusable rocket technology to reduce deployment costs.

According to the research report ""China Satellite Internet Market Overview, 2030,"" published by Bonafide Research, the China Satellite Internetmarket is anticipated to grow at more than 18.86% CAGR from 2025 to 2030.China's satellite internet sector is defined by a series of high-profile, state-supported mega constellation projects and the rapid industrialization of satellite manufacturing and launch capabilities. The most notable ongoing project is Guowang, the state-backed Low Earth Orbit (LEO) network targeting over 13,000 satellites, spearheaded by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). As of early 2025, over two dozen satellites have been launched, with full deployment targeted before 2030. Another major project is Qianfan (formerly G60 Starlink), backed by the Shanghai government and planning a 15,000-satellite constellation. Over 90 satellites have already been orbited, with regional coverage expected by 2025. Other companies such as Geespace, GalaxySpace, and Commsat are pursuing specialized constellations for mobility, IoT, and direct-to-device communication, with launches actively ongoing. The Chinese government is also supporting the development of reusable rockets by companies like Space Pioneer and Landspace to lower launch costs. Cost structures are tightly managed through vertical integration and industrial scale, with launch costs for LEO satellites reduced significantly via mass production and batch launches. Satellites cost approximately USD 500,000 to 1 million, while reusable launch systems are being developed to bring per-satellite launch costs under USD 300,000. Opportunities lie in serving rural connectivity within China, providing secure communication for the government and military, enabling smart infrastructure, and extending digital services to Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries. Challenges include spectrum coordination, space traffic management, orbital debris risks, and catching up to Starlink’s advanced operational scale.

L-band usage in China’s satellite market is primarily allocated for navigation, aeronautical communications, and mobile satellite services (MSS). The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) extensively uses L-band frequencies for signal broadcasting and positioning accuracy, including B1 and B2 frequency bands. These are optimized for applications requiring resistance to signal degradation, such as military operations, transportation logistics, and agriculture-based precision mapping. China continues to upgrade L-band payloads for anti-jamming resilience and dual-frequency interoperability with GPS and Galileo. C-band has been widely deployed in China's traditional broadcasting, telecommunications, and meteorological observation satellites. China's older communication satellites under the DFH (Dongfanghong) series and SinoSat/AsiaSat platforms leveraged C-band for TV transmission and rural coverage due to its resistance to rain fade. However, use of C-band is declining in newer programs as the government reallocates segments for 5G terrestrial networks. Despite this, C-band remains relevant for government broadcasting and some Earth observation systems, especially for remote sensing and weather monitoring satellites like Fengyun. K-band, including Ku- and Ka-band, is central to China’s push into high-throughput satellite (HTS) and broadband internet services. Operators like China Satcom and China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) are deploying Ka-band transponders aboard satellites such as ChinaSat 16 and Shijian series to provide high speed connectivity across underserved rural areas, in-flight Wi-Fi, and maritime communications. China is rapidly developing phased array antennas and adaptive beam forming to improve K-band efficiency. X-band is strictly reserved for military, governmental, and defense-specific satellite communications in China. The Tianlian and Shentong relay satellite systems operate in X-band for secure, encrypted data relay between spacecraft and ground stations, including support for crewed missions and deep space exploration. These channels are managed by state defense agencies, with limited public disclosures.

Two-Way Services form the backbone of China’s rapidly growing satellite broadband, telephony, and data relay infrastructure. Government-led programs, such as those under China Satcom and CASC (China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation), have prioritized two-way connectivity through high-throughput satellites (HTS) using Ka-band transponders. ChinaSat 16 (Shijian-13) was the first HTS to enable two-way internet access with speeds of up to 20 Gbps. These services are being used for emergency response, rural education and telemedicine, military communication, and maritime & aviation internet connectivity. China’s planned “Guowang” LEO constellation aims to provide global two-way satellite internet access, in direct competition with Starlink. One-Way Broadcast services remain a key legacy segment, dominated by C-band and Ku-band communication satellites. China has long used these for TV and radio broadcasting, meteorological data dissemination, and government public information systems, especially targeting remote areas. The SinoSat and ChinaSat platforms have provided national broadcast coverage for decades. One-way broadcast is also essential for disaster warning systems and weather forecast delivery, relying on satellites like Fengyun-2 and Fengyun-4 series to transmit atmospheric data to local stations. Hybrid Services, combining both one-way broadcast and two-way communication, are gaining traction in advanced mission architectures. These include inter-satellite data relay, space-ground integrated networks, and multi-orbit constellations where a satellite can broadcast commands (one-way) and receive telemetry or control inputs two way. Systems like Tianlian-1 and 2 use hybrid architecture to support space missions, including Tiangong space station communications. Also, future military-grade and civil LEO constellations are being developed to support adaptive hybrid services, enabling resilient, low-latency, and secure data exchange. China’s satellite connectivity ecosystem is evolving toward a multi-layered network strategy, aiming to bridge the digital divide domestically while also expanding global satellite services through Belt and Road satellite cooperation programs with countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

China is aggressively expanding its LEO satellite presence, particularly for broadband internet and Earth observation. LEO satellites are also deployed under the Jilin-1 constellation by Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co., specializing in high-resolution video imaging and analytics for commercial and strategic applications. The LEO segment supports shorter latency, high-speed data, and dense regional coverage, making it ideal for real-time surveillance, remote sensing, and dynamic communications. China's involvement in the MEO orbit segment is relatively limited compared to LEO and GEO, primarily due to strategic prioritization of high-throughput LEO systems and broadcast GEO platforms. MEO applications are under assessment for future navigation enhancements to the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), where MEO satellites complement IGSO and GEO satellites to ensure robust global positioning. The existing BDS-3 system includes several MEO satellites to deliver navigation and short messaging services across Asia-Pacific, Africa, and beyond. China’s MEO plans are cautious but may expand if broadband and navigation convergence strategies evolve. GEO remains China’s dominant orbit class for communication and broadcasting. The ChinaSat and Apstar satellite series operate mainly in GEO, delivering television, telecommunication, and broadband services over large territories. Notable GEO satellites like ChinaSat 16 (Ka-band HTS) and Apstar 6D support high throughput internet aviation connectivity and enterprise communication, China also maintains GEO-based early-warning, weather forecasting, and secure government communication platforms. GEO’s wide footprint and stable positioning make it ideal for national-scale broadcast, emergency alert systems, and strategic defense networks. This is a cornerstone of China’s Digital Belt and Road and military civil fusion strategies. The hybrid architecture supports intelligent switching between orbits based on application needs LEO for latency-sensitive data, GEO for consistent coverage, and MEO for navigation augmentation. Integrated platforms using the Tianlian relay network and future Gaofen upgrades are set to deliver hybrid optical and RF services. Show more