Recently, commercial space has received another significant boost! The construction of an integrated air-ground network in China has taken a crucial step towards commercialization.
On November 22, 2025, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology officially announced the launch of the commercial trial for China’s satellite IoT services at the 2025 China 5G + Industrial Internet Conference. This initiative aims to enrich the supply in the satellite communication market, stimulate the vitality of business entities, enhance industry service capabilities, establish a safety supervision system, and create replicable and promotable experiences and models to support the safe and healthy development of emerging industries such as commercial space and the low-altitude economy.
Launch of China’s Satellite IoT Commercial Trial
The commercial trial period for satellite IoT is set for two years, aiming to provide low-speed data services for IoT terminal devices (including data collection terminals, wearable devices, handheld terminals, etc.) and vehicles (including cars, ships, airplanes, etc.) through satellite communication technology, covering application scenarios such as marine fisheries, transportation logistics, energy and water conservancy, emergency communication, low-altitude economy, and industrial internet. This trial supports eligible enterprises in building satellite IoT constellations and customer service, billing, and operational support systems, implementing the “Guiding Opinions on Optimizing Business Access to Promote the Development of the Satellite Communication Industry,” and promoting the development of commercial space and the cultivation of new productive forces.
So why is the trial period set for two years? The main reason is to ensure that this emerging technology undergoes sufficient validation and optimization during its commercialization process. Here are several reasons explaining why a two-year trial period is necessary:
Technical Maturity and Stability:
As a technology that transcends traditional terrestrial networks, satellite IoT faces various technical challenges regarding global communication stability, data transmission speed, and coverage breadth. The two-year trial period allows relevant enterprises and research institutions to thoroughly test satellite communication equipment, network architecture, and practical application scenarios, ensuring the reliability and stability of the technology in various environments.
Satellite Coverage Diagram
Establishment of Policy and Regulatory Framework:
The commercial trial period helps government departments and industry regulatory agencies understand and formulate adaptive policies and regulatory frameworks. Satellite IoT involves not only technical issues but also sensitive areas such as cross-border data transmission, privacy protection, and security. Two years can help improve the corresponding regulatory system, ensuring the healthy development of the industry.
Market Validation and Demand Assessment:
Satellite IoT will be applied in various fields such as logistics, intelligent transportation, drones, and agricultural monitoring. The two-year trial period can help the industry and enterprises collect market feedback, assess demand and commercialization potential in different fields, and understand the costs, benefits, and market acceptance in practical applications, thereby optimizing products and services and promoting more effective market promotion.
Satellite Agricultural Monitoring Diagram
Infrastructure Construction and Cooperation:
Satellite IoT involves not only the launch and operation of satellites but also the construction of ground facilities and inter-enterprise cooperation. The two-year trial period helps accelerate the construction of relevant infrastructure and strengthen cooperation among various parties, including close collaboration between satellite operators, telecom companies, and application developers, forming an effective industrial chain.