A Chinese research team consisting of Liu Chao from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor Wu Jian of Peking University of Posts and Telecommunications, just made a huge satellite internet breakthrough! It’s faster than Starlink!
They transmitted data at 1 Gbps from space. That’s about five times faster than Starlink’s average rates. The satellite orbits at about 22,800 miles above Earth, way higher than Starlink’s 341 miles. It employs a 2-watt laser, roughly the power of a nightlight.
Clever Signal: AO-MDR Synergy
The trick is putting two cutting-edge tricks together: Adaptive Optics (AO) corrects light distortion due to atmospheric turbulence. Mode Diversity Reception (MDR) collects scattered light in multiple channels. Together, they have high data rates and low errors, a leap from approximately 72% to 91% dependability.
Proven with Precision
Engineers tested using a 5.9-foot (1.8 m) telescope at Lijiang Observatory. It has an array of 357 micro‑mirrors to adjust the arriving laser beam finely.
This technology might transform:
- Remote online access in areas where fibre is not possible.
- Low-latency communications, high-definition streaming.
- Deep-space exploration and real-time satellite coordination.
- Radio-based Starlink has much lower bandwidth compared to laser-based systems.
Still in Early Phase
Currently, it is experimental. The installation requires:
- A gigantic telescope with adaptive optics.
- Clear atmosphere, free from interferences such as clouds or haze. This makes mass deployment difficult.
China’s also developing satellite constellations such as Qianfan (“Spacesail”) and Guowang to challenge the West in satellite internet. These will utilise both LEO and geostationary orbits as they scale.
China’s laser downlink has enormous potential. It provides gigabit-class rates from a very high orbit with low power. If it comes to fruition, it has the potential to compete with Starlink and usher in new worlds for the internet, on Earth and in space.
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