According to the official website of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), China applied for frequency orbit resources for over 200000 satellites from ITU in December 2025.
More than 190000 satellites are from the recently established Radio Innovation Institute. According to interviews with Ding Botao, Deputy Director of the Information Research Institute of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, and experts from leading commercial satellite companies, this means that satellite frequency orbit resource applications have risen to the national strategic level.
Although these satellite resources are still in the declaration stage, ITU has not yet approved them, and approval does not mean successful deployment, experts are optimistic that the Radio Innovation Institute, as a "national team" of satellite Internet, will integrate industrial resources, give play to China's super large-scale market advantages, and accelerate China's domestic industry to catch up with SpaceX.
Radio 'national team' applies for ultra large scale satellite resources
Over 200000 satellites come from more than ten satellite constellations, with the number of satellites in each constellation ranging from over ten to over 90000. The two largest constellations are CTC-1 and CTC-2, both applied for by the Radio Innovation Institute, with a total of 96714 satellites. Constellations with satellite scales of over a thousand include CHINAMOBILE-L1 (2520) applied by China Mobile, SAILSPACE-1 (1296) applied by Yuanxin Satellite, TIANQI-3G (1132) applied by State Grid Corporation of China, and others.
The application time for CTC-1 and CTC-2 is December 29, 2025, and the full name of the applying unit, the Radio Spectrum Utilization and Technological Innovation Research Institute, is the Institute of Radio Spectrum Utilization and Technological Innovation.
The reporter learned from the official website of the National Radio Monitoring Center that the Radio Innovation Institute was registered in Xiong'an New Area, Hebei on December 30, 2025. This is the first new research and development institution in the field of radio management technology in China, with the goal of technological innovation and achievement transformation.
That is to say, this new research and development institution in the radio field belonging to the "national team" applied for two giant satellite constellations as soon as it was established.
It is reported that the Radio Innovation Institute is jointly established by seven units, including the National Radio Monitoring Center, Hebei Xiong'an New Area Management Committee, Hebei Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, China Satellite Network Group Co., Ltd., Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Beijing Jiaotong University, and China Electronics Technology Group Co., Ltd. The Radio Innovation Institute will take serving the satellite Internet industry, researching electromagnetic space technology, and tapping the potential value of spectrum resources as its vision, focus on the deep integration of spectrum development and utilization and technological innovation, and strive to build a joint innovation platform of government, industry, university, research and use in the radio field integrating key technology research and development, achievement incubation, and industrial empowerment, so as to promote the efficient use of radio spectrum resources and technological innovation.
Ding Botao said, "Against the backdrop of increasingly fierce international space competition, this move demonstrates China's determination and ability to conduct large-scale, systematic layout in low Earth orbit space and engage in direct competition with Western countries. Currently, the United States almost monopolizes the vast majority of global near Earth satellite orbit and frequency resources
Can 200000 satellites be deployed?
An expert from a satellite industry chain company explained this strategic reserve directly to reporters, 'You can choose not to apply first, but if you don't apply, you can't even try.'.
Due to the fact that orbit and frequency are both non renewable and highly scarce public natural resources, ITU has established a "first come, first served" rule, which requires declaring frequencies and launching satellites on time in order to lock in frequency usage rights and orbital positions. Otherwise, they will be reclaimed after the deadline, facing risks of being occupied by other countries' systems, unable to supplement their own constellations, and global service chain disruptions.
Ding Botao told reporters that from the perspective of subsequent landing, the frequency orbit resources of over 200000 satellites are currently in the declaration stage, and ITU may not fully approve them. Even if ITU approves everything, successful application does not necessarily mean deployment.
Approval of the application means obtaining priority access to the frequency track resources. The applying unit must complete the first 10% deployment within 7 years to reserve rights, 50% within 9 years, and all deployments within 14 years.
Ding Botao believes that dispersing the launch of 200000 satellites over a period of more than ten years is not impossible for the vast Chinese near earth satellite market. Moreover, the lifespan of near Earth satellites is often only 3 to 5 years, and factors such as satellite replacement need to be considered.
"As the 'national team' of the satellite Internet industry, Radio Innovation Institute is expected to help China's industry catch up with SpaceX in the launch and operation capacity of near Earth satellites in the future if it can effectively integrate relevant national R&D forces and industrial resources, and combine with China's huge satellite Internet market dividends. ”Ding Botao said.
Previously, the total number of low Earth orbit satellites successfully applied for by China had reached 51300. Among them, the GW constellation of China Star Network planned to launch a total of 12992 satellites, and the Qianfan constellation of Yuanxin Satellite planned to launch over 15000 satellites, all of which have been preliminarily locked in frequency orbit resources for launch. The Honghu constellation is led by Hongqing Technology, a subsidiary of Blue Arrow Aerospace, which has applied for 10000 satellite resources and has not yet started launching.
SpaceX has received a wholesale launch of 12000 Starlink satellites and has actually launched over 10000 of them. SpaceX has submitted an application to ITU for the second-generation Starlink (Gen2) with approximately 30000 satellites, expanding its total size to 42000.
Regarding the impact on the industry, experts from a leading commercial satellite company told reporters that the application from the Radio Innovation Institute has specifically increased satellite launch expectations, which is a positive signal for the industry overall. For satellite companies, it may affect the frequency application form, such as the allocation of frequency resources by the state. Especially for constellations with huge volumes, it can be difficult for a single individual to apply again.
