On 27 August 2025, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released an announcement on the Guiding Opinions of Optimizing Business Access to Promote the Development of Satellite Communications Industry. The document sets out general requirements, 6 major directions and 19 key measures. Through these opinions, MIIT seeks to publicize its strategic roadmap to promote opening of satellite communication services, boost the high-quality growth of satellite communication industry, stimulate innovation in commercial space, develop new-quality productive forces, and support manufacturing, cyberspace, and digital development.
General Requirements
Strengthen top-level design and policy coordination, balance development and security, follow the principle of stability while making progress, establish new system before dismantling the old one, apply targeted policies, and promote integrated development.
Unlock full potential of China’s satellite communication industry by prioritizing improved business access. This will serve as a foundation for expanding application scenarios, growing the technology industry, improving resource supply, and enhancing governance. Build a regulated, coordinated, and win-win development system that complements strengths, consolidates advantages, and secure China’s strategic role in the global information and communications industry.
By 2030, management systems, policies, and regulations for satellite communications will be improved. The business environment will be better, innovation from all market players will increase, and development in infrastructure, supply, standards, and international cooperation will improve. New models like direct-to-cell satellite services will expand, with over 10 million users. Satellite communications will become part of the new national development framework and strongly support high-quality economic and social development.
Major Direction 1. Orderly Expansion of Market Access
- Support the faster development of Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite Internet
Speed up building satellite internet systems and services. Promote high-quality development. Carry out commercial trials for LEO satellite communications at the right time. Drive innovation across the industry. Achieve global broadband coverage. Provide high-speed services and expand application scenarios. - Support terminal devices connecting directly to satellites
Encourage telecom operators and satellite enterprises to jointly build and share resources. Explore application potential of high-orbit satellites such as Tiantong and Beidou and promote direct satellite connections for mobile phones and other terminals. Provide satellite-based voice and SMS services and encourage operators to use LEO satellite internet to expand into high-speed data services, promoting integration with terrestrial networks.
- Support new satellite communication services
Carry out commercial trials of satellite IoT, support qualified enterprises to use LEO satellite constellations to provide IoT connections in the sky, at sea, and in remote areas. Explore new satellite communication services. Further open the sector to private enterprises and encourage them to use satellite resources legally through leasing, value-added services, or agency operations. Make better use of existing satellites, expand service types, and grow the market.
Major Direction 2. Continuous Expansion of Application Scenarios
- Promote emergency communication applications
Promote the use of satellite communications in emergencies, give priority to national emergency needs. Use Tiantong, High Throughput Satellites, Beidou short message, Satellite Internet, and IoT to provide coordinated and efficient support. Strengthen applications in disaster response such as floods, fires, earthquakes, and typhoons, as well as in production safety, field work, and search and rescue.
- Advance digital inclusion services
Encourage the use of High Throughput and LEO satellites to provide network access in remote, border, and complex areas. Improve coverage, lower costs. Support universal telecom services. Promote digital products. Enhance digital inclusion. Promote fairness and improve public welfare.
- Strengthen innovation in integrated applications
Encourage applications of satellite communications in industries such as manufacturing, farming, transport, energy, and city management. Promote integration with the industrial internet, internet of vehicles, airborne communications, low-altitude smart networks, and computing networks. Promote direct satellite connections for cars, ships, and planes, and develop large-scale applications. Promote interconnection between Beidou short messages and public networks to improve services and grow the Beidou ecosystem.
Major Direction 3. Fostering and Expanding the Industrial Ecosystem
- Accelerate breakthroughs in core technologies
Continue R&D on core satellite communication technologies and products. Improve supply of basic components, chips, and terminals, enhance technical performance. Reduce costs and keep upgrading technology. Promote integration with 5G/6G, AI, and other ICTs, and accelerate non-terrestrial network (NTN) development.
- Build an open and shared standards system
Work together to build a shared, integrated standards system for satellite communications. Create and improve national and industry standards for technology, products, and construction. Encourage leading enterprises to promote standard unification and compatibility. Support system openness and sharing and take part in international standard bodies such as ITU and 3GPP.
- Build a mutually beneficial ecosystem
Use China’s strengths in terrestrial mobile communication to drive satellite industry growth. Encourage resource sharing and cooperation between satellites and ground facilities. Promote industry clusters. Set up industry organizations. Create cooperation platforms, and foster an open, collaborative, and mutually beneficial ecosystem.
Major Direction 4. Optimizing Telecom Resource Supply
- Scientific planning of numbering resources
Track industry trends, plan dedicated number ranges for satellite terminals, and support satellite internet and IoT. Promote “no SIM change, no number change” models for phones, better use existing numbers, and support direct-to-cell satellite services. Help enterprises apply for international numbering to expand global markets.
- Promote innovative management of spectrum and orbital resources
Guide enterprises to actively participate in the development and revision of international rules for satellite radio frequencies. Conduct the declaration, coordination, and registration of frequency and orbital resource use. Using the features of LEO constellations. Innovate the management of satellite frequency and orbital resources. Issue space station licenses and frequency usage permits in bulk. Enable efficient construction and rapid development of China’s LEO constellations.
Major Direction 5. Strengthening Satellite Communications Regulation
- Strengthen business supervision
Further improve licensing and equipment approval, safeguard fair competition, and build a unified market. Improve service capacity, enhance user experience, and protect consumer rights. Refine telecom categories, study new business models, and provide institutional support for openness. Improve supervision and establish full-chain regulations.
- Promote interconnection of infrastructure
Improve network layout, create gateway station management measures, guide enterprises to build compliant stations, and strengthen supervision. Build space–earth interconnection centers to meet security and interconnection needs. Improve international connections, coordinate undersea cables and satellite internet, and create integrated land–sea–space international channels to reduce risks.
- Build strong cybersecurity and data protection
Guide enterprises to fulfill security responsibilities and include security measures in system design, construction, and operation. Ensure network security, data protection, critical infrastructure protection, and personal information security. Improve real-name management and strengthen fraud prevention measures.
- Ensure radio security
Strengthen the standardized management of space stations and satellite earth stations. Enhance the monitoring of satellite radio signals and enforcement against interference. Eliminate harmful disruptions. Ensure the orderly operation of satellite radio services and maintain the order of airwaves.
Major Direction 6. Enhancing Synergy and Coordination
- Strengthen organizational coordination
Improve leadership and coordination and improve working mechanism. Strengthen interdepartmental cooperation for the opening of satellite communication services. Clarify responsibilities and address major issues quickly. Focus on priorities while ensuring steady and effective progress.
- Strengthen financial support
Use multiple funding sources to support research and breakthroughs in satellite communication. Enhance self-reliance in key technologies. Maximize the leading roles of industry funds such as the Manufacturing Transformation and Upgrade Fund to guide investment. Attract private capital to sponsor key enterprises in the satellite communication sector. Encourage local governments to set up special funds for satellite communications.
- Strengthen publicity and promotion
Increase awareness of policies and regulations related to the opening of satellite communication services. Explain policies clearly and guide public opinion to motivate stakeholders. Summarize and share best practices and successful cases and create a positive atmosphere for satellite communications development.
- Strengthen international cooperation
Support enterprises in global exchanges and cooperation. Improve global service capacity and optimize market presence. Explore the integration of satellite communication cooperation into frameworks such as the Belt and Road Initiative, BRICS, and Asia-Pacific organizations. Encourage China’s satellite communication services to expand globally.
The MIIT Opinions mark a paradigm shift in China’s satellite communications landscape, from a state-dominated, closed regime to a regulated yet open innovation ecosystem. With impacts on industry liberalization, infrastructure development, global competition, and digital inclusion, the document sets the stage for China to become a major global player in space-based communication technologies. However, success will depend on the execution quality, standard harmonization, stakeholder coordination, and ability to attract sustained capital and talent.
Source: https://www.miit.gov.cn/zwgk/zcwj/wjfb/yj/art/2025/art_84617e8497d84a3d8b8b3ef847f648d2.html
