China files plans for 200,000-plus satellites with global body
By CHENG YU and MA SI | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2026-01-12 18:07
China has filed plans for more than 200,000 satellites with the International Telecommunication Union, signaling a decisive push to secure orbital slots and radio spectrum as competition intensifies among major powers for access to low-Earth orbit.
According to filings published on the ITU's website, China has submitted applications covering more than a dozen satellite constellations, with individual systems ranging in size from not many more than 10 satellites to nearly 100,000.
The two largest constellations, CTC-1 and CTC-2, each comprising 96,714 satellites, were filed by the Institute of Radio Spectrum Utilization and Technological Innovation.
The institute, a newly established research and development body focused on radio spectrum innovation and commercialization, accounted for over 95 percent of the total.
Other bodies to have made submissions include the state-backed China Satellite Network Group, Shanghai Yuanxin Satellite Technology, telecoms giants China Mobile and China Telecom, as well as commercial space firms GalaxySpace, Guodian Gaoke Space Technology and Spacety.
Ding Botao, deputy director of information research at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said: "The move signals China's resolve and capability to carry out large-scale, systematic deployment in low-Earth orbit."
Multiple countries have filed satellite network information involving constellations of more than 100,000 satellites.
An expert with China's national radio regulation center said that submitting information to the ITU is the first step for satellite operators worldwide in deploying satellite systems, as the use of satellite frequency and orbital resources requires a series of procedures to be carried out two-to-seven years before satellite launches.
China has always complied with ITU radio regulations, the regulation center expert said, adding thatthe development process, from international filings to satellite launches and application rollout, is typically a long one, with the actual scale of deployment and technical parameters often subject to dynamic optimization and adjustment in the later stages.
