China has announced a groundbreaking achievement in high-resolution space-to-ground laser transmission, reportedly surpassing SpaceX’s Starlink in the race for 6G technology. According to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co., a commercial satellite company, successfully transmitted data at an unprecedented speed of 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) from a Jilin-1 constellation satellite to a truck-mounted ground station. This milestone represents a tenfold improvement over the company’s previous record.
While Starlink has not officially declared its involvement in 6G development, Wang Hanghang, head of laser communication ground station technology at Chang Guang, claimed they have outpaced the Elon Musk-owned company.
“Starlink has unveiled its laser inter-satellite communication system but has yet to implement laser satellite-to-ground communication. They may possess the technology, but we’ve already begun large-scale deployment,” said Wang. He also revealed plans to fully deploy the Jilin-1 satellite constellation by 2027.
To put the 100Gbps speed into perspective, it enables the transmission of 10 full-length movies in a single second, akin to upgrading a single-lane highway to thousands of lanes, according to Wang.
Notably, this achievement aligns with past advancements in laser transmission technology. Both the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and NASA’s TeraByte InfraRed Delivery (TBIRD) system have previously surpassed the 100Gbps mark. However, Wang emphasized the superiority of their system, citing a heavier, 20 kg payload and the innovative use of a truck-based ground receiving unit. Unlike observatory-based systems, this mobile design allows for faster and more flexible applications.
What is 6G?
The sixth generation of wireless communication technology, or 6G, represents a leap beyond 5G, offering unprecedented integration across terrestrial, aerial, and satellite networks. With projected data speeds exceeding 1 terabit per second (Tbps) and latency as low as 100 microseconds, 6G is expected to operate on higher frequency bands, including the terahertz (THz) spectrum.
A Broader Technological Push
China’s announcement follows closely on the heels of another technological breakthrough. Beijing recently revealed the development of the world’s first mobile 5G base station designed for battlefield deployment. Co-developed by China Mobile Communications Group and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), this base station is capable of serving up to 10,000 users within a three-kilometer radius under challenging conditions, including speeds of 80 km/h and electromagnetic interference.
These advancements underscore China’s aggressive push in next-generation communication technologies, setting a competitive tone in the global tech arena.
