Opportunities from 5G

Unlike private rocket makers who made headlines last year, private satellite developers kept a low profile. They set their sights on the game-changing fifth-generation wireless technology, or 5G, for digital cellular networks, as it can create many business opportunities for them.

Xie Tao, CEO of Commsat, said he is looking to a combination of 5G technology and low-orbiting satellites as a major growth stimulus for the domestic satellite industry.

Commsat, based in Beijing is a frontrunner in the private satellite sector. The company has placed in orbit eight small satellites it designed and built.

"If we put 5G technology and a low-orbiting satellite network together, we will be able to do a lot of things, like regular monitoring of wild animals and real-time tracking of transporting hazardous goods," he said.

Xie said the company will develop and build four or five more small satellites this year and is preparing to set up a mass-production factory.

He said that when the Space Law is enacted (due this year), he hopes that a specific proportion of government-funded space programs can be undertaken by private enterprises.

Xie added that this would significantly foster the private space industry and consequently strengthen the nation's overall competitiveness in space.