China has applied to launch more than 200,000 internet satellites, signaling an aggressive move in the global race for space-based connectivity. The filings were submitted to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) by several Chinese companies late last month.
The largest proposals, CTC-1 and CTC-2, each aim to deploy 96,714 satellites. These filings came from the newly formed Institute of Radio Spectrum Utilisation and Technological Innovation, registered in Hebei province on December 30.
This development follows Beijing’s criticism of SpaceX’s Starlink network, which it claims is crowding orbital resources and increasing collision risks. Low Earth orbit is becoming congested, with limited radio frequencies and orbital slots available.
Meanwhile, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently approved SpaceX to launch 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites, adding to its existing constellation. SpaceX plans to eventually deploy 42,000 satellites, far ahead of current competitors.
China is not far behind. Projects like Guowang and Qianfan aim to launch tens of thousands of satellites by 2030. Other filings include China Mobile’s L1 project with 2,520 satellites and Shanghai Spacecom’s plan for 1,296 satellites.
Under ITU rules, operators must launch at least one satellite within seven years of filing and meet deployment milestones to keep their orbital rights. Failure to do so could reduce their allocation.
As both nations accelerate their plans, experts warn that space traffic management and collision prevention will become critical. The race for orbital dominance is intensifying, and the stakes are high for global internet coverage.
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