Advanced layout "mobile phone + low-orbit satellite communication": why? How?

Text | CCID Think Tank Radio Management Institute

Low-orbit satellite communication is an important track for the future industry that the world has paid attention to and laid out in recent years, and it is of great significance to promote the integration of "mobile phone + low-orbit satellite communication" in all aspects of network coverage, terminal form and application scenarios. In the process of advancement, it is necessary to pay close attention to the problems of imperfect low-orbit satellite communication network construction, key core technologies to be broken, and supporting regulatory laws and regulations and industrial policy systems to be further improved.

In this regard, CCID Research Institute suggests that from the construction of low-orbit satellite communication infrastructure, increase the intensity of key core technology research, upstream and downstream industry chain coordination and other aspects of comprehensive efforts, to seize the commanding heights of the integration and development of "mobile phone + low-orbit satellite communication".

It is of great significance to support the integration and development of mobile phones and low-orbit satellite communications

"Mobile phone + low-orbit satellite communication" is an inevitable choice to conform to the future trend of network evolution.

With the large-scale commercial use of global 5G networks entering the fast lane, the strategic layout of 6G research and development in various countries has been fully launched. The Mainland IMT-2030 (6G) Promotion Group released the "Overall Vision and Potential Key Technologies of 6G", pointing out that 6G will achieve seamless global coverage of air-space-space integration, and that the integrated networking technology of satellite-earth integration is one of the important potential technologies of 6G.

In recent years, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Bureau of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense and other departments have intensively issued policy documents to support the development of the satellite communication industry, actively deploying the satellite communication industry in a short, medium and long term, and promoting the development of information infrastructure "heaven and earth". It can be seen that the advanced layout of "mobile phone + low-orbit satellite communication" is an inevitable choice to conform to the future trend of network evolution.

"Mobile phone + low-orbit satellite communication" is a powerful means to build a new space for information consumption in the future.

"Mobile phone + low-orbit satellite communication" is expected to open a new development direction in the mobile phone Red Sea market. According to the 2021 annual data released by Counterpoint, the top five manufacturers are vivo, OPPO, Apple, Xiaomi and Glory, with market shares of 22%, 21%, 16%, 15% and 10% respectively, and the head manufacturers have reached a more comprehensive degree in both technology and services, and divided most of the market share. In the face of a complex industry environment and fierce external competition, we must aim at forward-looking and revolutionary innovative technologies, accelerate the integration and development of the mobile phone industry and the low-orbit satellite communication industry, not only to meet the escalating consumer demand of users, but also to open a new development direction of the mobile phone industry, which is an important layout to seize the commanding heights of the future development of the mobile phone industry.

On the one hand, "mobile phone + low-orbit satellite communication" will open up a new market for the mobile phone industry, further expand and strengthen the domestic mobile phone industry, which is in line with the strategic base point of the mainland to expand domestic demand, help to further stimulate the domestic super-large-scale market advantages and domestic demand potential, and contribute to the promotion of the domestic cycle.

On the other hand, "mobile phone + low-orbit satellite communication" can not only effectively expand the scope of the digital economy, enrich the application scenarios of information consumption, and promote the development of the digital economy, but also drive the rapid development of the entire upstream and downstream industrial chain of the mobile phone and satellite communication industry. According to public information collation, the construction scale of low-orbit communication satellite networking in the next 5 years will exceed 10 billion, and the market size of the whole industry chain of low-orbit satellite communication will also exceed 100 billion. Whether it is satellite manufacturing, satellite launch, or terminal manufacturing such as new network equipment and mobile phones, as well as operation services and content production, etc., it will continue to produce considerable chemical reactions due to the collision between the mobile phone industry and the satellite communication industry.

Several issues that need to be paid attention to in the advanced layout of "mobile phone + low-orbit satellite communication"

The construction of low-orbit satellite communication networks needs to be further accelerated. From a global perspective, the mainland started late in the field of low-orbit satellite communications and has a certain gap. The United States, the European Union, Russia, Japan and other countries or regions have attached great importance to this field and deployed for many years. The number of low-orbit satellites launched by the leader U.S. SpaceX's Starlink program has exceeded 17,000, and the mainland's low-orbit satellite communication layout is undergoing the start-up stage, and the launch progress is far behind that of Starlink.

In addition, although the main body of low-orbit satellite construction in China has blossomed, its strength is scattered, and cooperation needs to be further strengthened. The construction of low-orbit satellite communications urgently needs to coordinate the strength of the state and social capital from the national height, and build a low-orbit satellite communication network that is independent and controllable on the mainland, safe and credible, and can be commercially available normally as soon as possible.

Key core technologies need further breakthroughs.

First, limited by the current technical level and product form, "mobile phone + low-orbit satellite communication" mainly adopts the transit method, and it is difficult to realize direct communication between mobile phones and low-orbit satellites. The current miniaturized mobile phone form is difficult to build a large satellite antenna, and the mobile phone battery is difficult to support high-power communication for a long time. In addition, mobile phones to achieve low-orbit satellite communications require the customization of baseband chips to ensure the sensitivity of signal switching and transceiver.

Second, it is necessary to speed up the breakthrough of technologies such as "one arrow and many satellites" to reduce the cost of satellite launches. Methods such as "one arrow and multiple satellites" and rocket recovery can effectively reduce the cost of satellite launches, but their technical difficulties are high. Although the mainland has completed the launch of one arrow and 22 satellites, ranking fourth in the world, it still needs to continuously improve the integrated multi-satellite launcher to improve the level of "one arrow and multiple satellites". In addition, in terms of recycling technology, although the mainland has mastered some recyclable technologies, full recyclable technologies have not yet been realized.

The supporting regulatory laws and regulations and industrial policy system need to be further improved.

First, low-orbit satellite communications will bring challenges to the supervision of space network security. Satellites can communicate directly across borders without going through the domestic terrestrial network system, breaking through the supervision of terrestrial Internet information security.

Second, the market access restrictions of the "mobile phone + low-orbit satellite communication" industry are relatively strict. At present, although some private enterprises have participated in the investment in low-orbit satellite communications, there are still relatively strict access restrictions in the "mobile phone + low-orbit satellite communications" market, and there is a lack of diversified investment entities.

A few suggestions

Do a good job in the top-level design of low-orbit satellite communications at the national level, and accelerate the construction of low-orbit satellite communication networks.

The first is to study and formulate guiding documents for the development of low-orbit satellite communications at the national level, and continuously improve the low-orbit satellite network.

The second is to increase communication and coordination with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and actively participate in the formulation of international rules for space and the construction of space governance mechanisms.

Coordinate the efforts of all parties to accelerate the key core technology research of "mobile phone + low-orbit satellite communication".

The first is to accelerate the difficulty of "one arrow and many satellites" and achieve a breakthrough in the fully recyclable rocket technology, and reduce the cost of satellite launch in many aspects.

The second is to increase the research and development of key core products such as mobile phone antennas and batteries suitable for satellite communications, and strive for an early breakthrough in the integration terminal of "mobile phone + low-orbit satellite communication".

Increase the coordination of relevant upstream and downstream industrial chains to help open up a new track for information consumption.

The first is to increase the coordination of upstream and downstream industrial chains from satellite manufacturing to satellite launch, to ground equipment and terminal manufacturing, as well as operation services, and reduce the comprehensive cost of low-orbit satellite communications.

The second is to accelerate the investment in the manufacture of low-orbit satellite communication mobile phones, and promote the expansion of mobile phone application scenarios to the advantages of low-orbit satellite communications.

Written by: Wang Congcong, Peng Jian, Han Jian

Editor: Xiaoyan Liangliang

Guidance: New text