Chinese engineers and scientists have created the world’s first satellite enabling smartphones to make calls without mobile towers.It is aimed at emergencies where mobile connectivity may be disrupted, people can directly seek help by connecting to an overhead communication orbiter.China has named this project ‘Tiantong’ which means ‘connecting to heaven’.
Tiantong Project
- The Tiantong satellite initiative represents a strategic response to the evolving landscape of telecommunications, characterised by the increasing demand for connectivity, especially in remote and disaster-prone regions.
- Each Tiantong satellite is designed to have a lifespan of 12 years, and its antenna undergoes daily temperature changes of up to 160 degrees Celsius while simultaneously transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves in 800 different frequency bands.
- The first satellite of the Tiantong-1 series was launched in August 2016, with the second and third satellites following in 2020 and 2021.
- The three satellites form a network in a geosynchronous orbit at an altitude of 36,000km, covering the entire Asia-Pacific region from the Middle East to the Pacific Ocean.
- In September 2023, Huawei Technologies launched the world’s first smartphone supporting satellite calls, connecting directly to Tiantong satellites, followed by similar models from other companies.
- Chinese consumers have embraced these products, with Huawei alone selling tens of millions of units, surpassing SpaceX’s Starlink satellite service with over 2 million global customers.
Need
- The satellite concept arose following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, where over 80,000 lives were lost due to communication breakdowns hindering rescue efforts.
- The Chinese government initiated the Tiantong Project, a satellite communication system, in response to the disaster, symbolising a commitment to enhancing communication resilience.