China grants satellite phone licenses to three major mobile phone service providers

A humanoid robot of China Mobile is pictured at the exhibition area of the 2025 Global Industrial Internet Conference in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Sept. 7, 2025. (Photo by Wang Yuyan/Xinhua)

BEIJING, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced on Monday that it has granted China Mobile a license to operate satellite mobile phone service.

This means that the three major mobile phone service providers -- China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom -- are now all licensed to provide direct-to-cell satellite coverage for emergencies, maritime traffic and remote regions.

The ministry said it expects a competitive yet collaborative market that will make satellite connectivity more accessible to ordinary consumers.

It pledged to further streamline market entry for satellite communications, tighten security oversight, and guide the sector toward high-quality growth.