Tiantong-1 satellite mobile communication system

Tiantong-1 is China's first independently developed mobile communication satellite system, which was successfully launched on August 6, 2016. Intended to provide 24/7 mobile communication services for China and surrounding areas, covering land, sea, and airspace, supporting voice, SMS, data transmission, and other services. Its deployment fills the gap in China's satellite mobile communication field, enhances emergency communication capabilities, and is of great significance in promoting communication coverage in remote areas and oceans, and ensuring national security.

The unit is designed for unsupervised public use: controls are recessed or shielded, moving parts are enclosed, and the interface is operable by a child of about six with no instruction. Where a screen is used, the language can be switched without changing the hardware, and the content can be replaced on site.

For a large country like China with vast territory, uneven population distribution, and frequent natural disasters, the development of satellite mobile communication is unstoppable. The Wenchuan earthquake in 2008 paralyzed all ground communication systems in the disaster area, and the earthquake relief site had to rely on renting foreign satellite phone links to maintain communication with the outside world. After the Wenchuan earthquake, China launched the development of the Tiantong-1 satellite in order to have an independent mobile communication satellite system. The coverage area of Tiantong-1 satellite mainly includes China and its surrounding areas, the Middle East, Africa and other related regions, as well as most of the Pacific and Indian Ocean waters. There are no restrictions on terrain coverage, and seamless coverage can be achieved in oceans, mountainous areas, plains, forests, Gobi, and deserts.