We just talked about China Unicom's satellite communication license yesterday. I saw the news this morning that China Unicom immediately struck while the iron was hot and then launched the "China Unicom Satellite" service in the business hall.
Users can connect to the satellite to make, answer calls, send and receive text messages. If this service is no longer needed, China Unicom also supports unsubscribe at any time. The satellite function will be invalid immediately after the user unsubscribes, but the fee charged in that month will not be refunded.
In terms of the tariff situation, users only need to spend 10 yuan per month to get 2 minutes of call time for domestic main call. The excess is charged at 9 yuan/minute, and each text message is 5 yuan. Each text message must not exceed 70 Chinese characters or 140 English subtitles. If it exceeds the text message, a separate fee will be charged.
This tariff standard is significantly lowered the threshold for satellite communications compared with the equipment fees and high call fees of professional satellite phones that cost thousands of yuan in the past, allowing ordinary people to enjoy satellite communication services in emergencies.
At present, this business has been opened in Tianjin, Shanxi, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Guizhou, Guangdong and Hainan. Moreover, it only supports use within China (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan), and does not support overseas. Moreover, if users cancel the international roaming service, the activated satellite function package will not be able to continue to be used. These detailed settings not only ensure the orderly operation of the business, but also allow users to have a clear understanding of the service boundaries.
The launch of China Unicom's satellite business is an important measure for the implementation of the "Guiding Opinions on Optimizing Business Access to Promote the Development of the Satellite Communications Industry". The "Guiding Opinions" clearly state that by the end of the 15th Five-Year Plan, we must realize the application of new models such as direct connection to satellites in mobile phones, and develop more than 10 million satellite communication users.
This means that satellite communications will gradually become a "necessary supplement" for mass communications from the "niche demand" of emergency support. In the future, we may be able to switch to satellite communication mode naturally when needed, just like using 4G and 5G.
Looking at the world, satellite communications are also ushering in a period of rapid development. Overseas such as SpaceX's Starlink and maritime satellite Inmarsat have been put into commercial use in aviation, navigation and personal communications. The opening of civil satellite communications services in China this time will not only help build an independent and controllable satellite network, but also enhance my country's strategic capabilities in emergency communications, ocean-going and remote areas coverage.
Of course, China Unicom also faces challenges in promoting satellite communications services. The biggest constraint at present is terminal restrictions. Ordinary smartphones cannot support satellite communication functions, and users need to purchase additional dedicated terminals, which to a certain extent affects the speed of business popularization; the current price of terminals that support satellite communications on the market is still above 2,000 yuan, or even higher, which is still a considerable expense for ordinary users.
At the same time, although the monthly rent threshold is low, the call fee exceeding it is still high for ordinary users, and it is difficult to achieve normal use; the voice call fee of 9 yuan/minute is destined to be mainly based on "emergency contact" and is not yet suitable for daily chat or business communication. Moreover, the service coverage is only eight provinces and cities, and has not yet extended to more remote areas. These are the directions that China Unicom needs to break through in the future.
But from another perspective, any new business is slowly advancing from "pilot" to "popularization". This time, China Unicom was able to quickly launch the "China Unicom Satellite" business, which has already made a good start for the industry.
I believe that as subsequent terminal equipment becomes more and more popular, tariffs are further reduced, and coverage continues to expand, satellite communications will get closer and closer to us. Maybe in a few years, when we ordinary people travel outdoors and work in remote areas, it is as convenient for us to use satellite phone calls as now with 5G.
