China's national Beidou high-precision navigation and positioning service platform has begun trial operations, marking a significant milestone in the country's indigenous satellite navigation capabilities. Unveiled by the National Geomatics Center of China in Chongqing on Thursday, this development underscores China's commitment to advancing its digital infrastructure.
Developed under the leadership of the Ministry of Natural Resources, the new platform integrates over 3,300 satellite navigation and positioning base stations nationwide into a unified network. This centralized management system enhances the efficiency and reliability of station resources, providing a robust backbone for various digital economy sectors.
The Beidou platform offers seamless, high-precision positioning services across the country, delivering real-time, accurate, and reliable navigation solutions. Key sectors benefiting from this advancement include public welfare mapping, resource surveying, intelligent transportation, autonomous driving, precision agriculture, and social governance. By enabling precise data and reliable navigation, the platform is set to drive innovation and growth in these areas.
The service is accessible both online and offline. Online services include real-time observation data and enhanced positioning capabilities, while offline services provide coordinate results, post-event observation data files, and related products. This dual-access approach ensures that users can leverage Beidou's capabilities regardless of their connectivity status.
Initiated in 1994, the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) has evolved through several phases. The completion of BDS-1 and BDS-2 occurred in 2000 and 2012, respectively. With the full operation of BDS-3 on July 31, 2020, China became the third country to establish an independent global navigation satellite system, joining the ranks of the United States' GPS and Russia's GLONASS.
The trial operation of the Beidou navigation platform not only enhances China's self-reliance in critical infrastructure but also provides a foundation for future technological advancements and economic growth. As the platform continues to develop, it is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the digital landscape and supporting China's ambitions in the global technology arena.
Reference(s):
China's Beidou navigation service platform begins trial operations
cgtn.com