On August 20, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) announced its approval for Zhejiang Spacelink Universe Technology Co., Ltd. to conduct commercial trials for satellite IoT services, with a trial period set for two years.

During this period, Spacelink Universe is authorized to pilot satellite IoT business operations in accordance with regulations, leveraging the "Geely Future Mobility Constellation (Phase I)" to deliver wide-coverage, low-power, and highly reliable IoT connectivity services. These services will enable all-weather, intelligent data collection and remote interaction across sectors including smart transportation, marine fisheries, and energy and water conservancy.

In May of this year, the MIIT had already approved Beijing Guodian Hi-Tech Co., Ltd. to launch similar satellite IoT commercial trials. Following this, Spacelink Universe becomes the second company nationwide—and the first private enterprise in Zhejiang—to secure qualifications for nationwide satellite IoT commercial trials.

During the trial window, Spacelink Universe can rely on its fully self-developed low-orbit satellite IoT constellation to offer global users broad-coverage, low-power, and highly dependable connectivity solutions. These span connected vehicles, construction machinery, marine fisheries, energy and water resources, transportation and logistics, and low-altitude mobility. The company will also continue running IoT NTN technical tests and advance the R&D and commercialization of 6G satellite communication technologies.

Recently, with China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and LandSpace achieving successive breakthroughs in rocket recovery technology, coupled with the mass production of low-orbit satellites, the supply bottleneck for launch capacity is gradually being resolved. As a result, the industry's core focus has shifted: with an increasing number of satellites, who will sustain ongoing operations? Who will define viable business models? And who can transform in-orbit satellite assets into lasting service capabilities?

SpaceX's semi-annual report for 2026 shows total revenue of $12.506 billion (approximately RMB 84.591 billion), representing a 53.7% year-over-year growth rate. Its Starlink satellite communication business continues to serve as the primary growth engine, posting an operating profit of $2.844 billion (approximately RMB 19.234 billion). Some analysts argue that what underpins SpaceX's elevated valuation is no longer its rocket launch capability, but rather Starlink's sustained profitability as the world's largest low-orbit satellite communication network operator.

Spacelink Universe has reportedly established a complete closed-loop value chain encompassing constellation system design, satellite R&D and mass production, constellation operations, as well as chips, modules, terminals, and industry applications. The company has also transitioned from validation to scaled deployment across multiple sectors.

At present, Spacelink Universe has completed the first phase of its constellation deployment, with 64 satellites currently in orbit. This constellation provides global communication coverage excluding the polar regions, processes approximately 340 million communication requests daily, and supports access for 20 million users worldwide.

In the maritime enforcement sector, Spacelink Universe's low-orbit satellite communication equipment has been successfully installed and commissioned on Zhejiang's maritime patrol vessels, marking the first application of this technology in the province's marine law enforcement field. In the low-altitude economy space, the company has partnered with Zhejiang Tuniao Low-Altitude Economic Development Co., Ltd. to provide redundant backup communication links for drone takeoff and landing stations via low-orbit satellites. In the connected vehicle domain, Spacelink Universe has deepened collaboration with Geely Automobile Group, advancing the mass production and vehicle integration of satellite communication terminals.

According to Spacelink Universe CEO Wang Yang, the capabilities underpinning the network's stable connectivity manifest across five key dimensions. First, a fully self-developed closed loop spanning constellation system design, satellite R&D and mass production, constellation telemetry and control, and chip-to-terminal applications. Second, proprietary communication protocols with private protocol and spread-spectrum mechanisms ensuring communication security and high-reliability anti-interference performance in complex electromagnetic environments. Third, spectrum and link advantages with UHF/VHF bands offering strong diffraction and low loss, delivering sustained connectivity in extreme environments. Fourth, positioning as a backup network for extreme scenarios, providing essential redundant communication links for maritime, energy, transportation, and remote infrastructure. Fifth, low-power, miniaturized terminals enabling large-scale embedded deployment of satellite communication in IoT devices.

At MWC Shanghai 2026, Spacelink Universe unveiled the world's first full-stack open-source ecosystem for low-orbit communication constellations, accumulating collaboration intentions from over 200 ecosystem partners with orders exceeding RMB 100 million. These span ten core real-economy sectors including connected vehicles, marine fisheries, construction machinery, and low-altitude economy.

Spacelink Universe's next step is to further unleash its full-stack open capabilities and ecosystem-building strengths, working alongside global industry partners to foster a synergistic and mutually beneficial satellite communication ecosystem. This will accelerate the adoption of low-orbit satellite IoT technology across industries and deliver inclusive, efficient, and secure space-ground integrated communication services to users worldwide.

As the industry transitions into the operational era, the defining question is no longer "who can build satellites," but rather "who can turn satellite networks into a global infrastructure that continuously generates value."