China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has approved Beijing Guodian Gaoke Technology to begin a two-year satellite IoT commercial trial, according to a notice published by the ministry’s Information and Communications Administration.
The approval follows earlier policy guidance on improving market access for satellite communications and a dedicated notice on organizing commercial testing for satellite Internet of Things services. During the trial period, Guodian Gaoke will be allowed to legally pilot satellite IoT operations and provide wide-coverage, low-power, highly reliable connectivity through the company’s Tianqi constellation.
The ministry said those services are expected to support round-the-clock, intelligent data collection and remote control across sectors including marine fishing, energy and water infrastructure, transportation, and logistics. In practical terms, the trial is meant to show how satellite-based IoT links can fill coverage gaps where terrestrial networks are limited or too costly to deploy.
Officials also framed the move as part of a broader push to accelerate the commercialization of China’s satellite communications industry. In that context, satellite IoT is being positioned as an important complement to the country’s broader broadband satellite internet ambitions rather than a separate standalone track.
According to the ministry, launching commercial trials like this can help the sector build scale, encourage a more orderly and collaborative market structure, and create stronger links between different parts of the satellite communications supply chain. The notice also says the initiative should help energize private-sector participation, support commercial aerospace development, and contribute to what China describes as new productive forces and a modern industrial system.
Looking ahead, MIIT said it will continue balancing development and security while further optimizing market access for satellite communications. It also plans to strengthen end-to-end supervision and safety safeguards as the sector expands, with the larger goal of supporting China’s manufacturing, network, aerospace, and digital-development priorities.
