China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) has debuted their first satellite smartphone that is capable of covering the entire country as well as the disputed South China Sea.
This satellite phone is designed for use with the country's a first mobile communications satellite, Tiantong-1 (TT-1), and was revealed at the six-day Air show China in Zhuhai, Guangdong, which ended on Sunday—the phone is expected to go on sale in two to three months as a competitor to the Inmarsat system, this according to the South China Morning Post.
Satellite experts said the new satellite smartphone was a product of the "space-based Silk Road," a long-term strategy proposed by Chinese aerospace companies, institutions and scholars to support the country s "One Belt, One Road" initiative. According to an engineer with CASC, the TT-1 smartphone is capable of covering the territory of China and the entire South China Sea and coverage will be expanded to the entire world with the launch of a network of Tiantong satellites over the next five years—the ultimate goal is to replace Inmarsat... or even surpass it.