Geespace, the private satellite arm of automaker Geely Holding Group, just completed its first-phase Internet of Things (IoT) constellation. The networkâs 64 satellites now orbit in low Earth orbit, delivering real-time surface communications worldwideâexcluding polar zones.
The final batch of 11 Geely-06 satellites lifted off Wednesday on a sea-launched rocket from the Chinese mainlandâs Shandong Province. This launch capped six missions since 2022, underpinning a robust network designed to handle up to 340 million messages daily.
With phase one live, Geespace aims to serve 20 million usersâ5 million high-frequency and 15 million medium-to-low-frequencyâwith 1,900-byte packets for text, voice and images. The network will soon expand to 72 satellites, boosting capacity and reliability before a second phase scales to 264 satellites for direct-to-smartphone links.
A third phase envisions 5,676 satellites delivering global broadband coverage. Meanwhile, pilots with China Unicom, Geely Auto and Zoomlion are already testing satellite-IoT fusion in smart vehicles, marine fisheries and logistics to explore new use cases.
Several Geely Zeekr and Galaxy electric models now include space-communication modules, enabling drivers to send and receive messages when terrestrial networks drop out. By blending dataâ20 million users, 340 million daily messagesâwith real-world pilots, Geespaceâs constellation offers a vivid glimpse into the future of always-on, space-powered connectivity.
Reference(s):
Chinese firm deploys IoT satellite constellation for global coverage
cgtn.com
