What’s new: The core components of China’s Beidou satellite navigation system achieved “100% made in China,” and the 28-nanometer chips that enable mobile devices to receive signals from the satellite are in mass production, China’s satellite navigation authority said Monday.
Ran Chengqi, director general of the China Satellite Navigation Office, said at a press conference that mass production of more advanced, high-precision 22-nanometer chips will soon kick off, showing that China has mastered “world-class” technologies for satellite navigation chips.
Chinese companies’ participation significantly lowered the costs of satellite navigation components, Ran said. A high-precision panel used in a satellite navigation system could cost more than 100,000 yuan ($14,300) 10 years ago, but now Chinese manufacturers can make them for less than 3,000 yuan and still profit, he said.
The background: China started building the Beidou navigation system in 1994 and launched its Asia Pacific coverage in 2012. In June, the 55th and final satellite was put into orbit, completing the navigation network that is seen as China’s answer to the U.S.-owned Global Positioning System (GPS).
Now the Beidou system serves more than 100 million users in about 120 countries, supporting services such as smart port and land mapping, Ran said.
In the past decade, the total output value of China’s satellite navigation and location services industry has grown at an average annual rate of more than 20% and is expected to exceed 400 billion yuan in 2020, Ran said.
Contact reporter Denise Jia (huijuanjia@caixin.com) and editor Bob Simison (bobsimison@caixin.com)
