China promotes mass application for BeiDou navigation system

China's Ministry of Industry & Information Technology (MIIT) vows to promote the application of the country's self-developed BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) to the wider market, including expanding its application scale on vehicle-mounted terminals, encouraging qualified regions, car firms and service providers to use the system.

The notice, posted on the official website of MIIT, said that it encourages vehicles to be equipped with BeiDou terminals as standard equipment to increase the system's penetration rate in related applications. Also, it encourages exploring the one-key emergency rescue mode for BeiDou positioning, short messages, 4G/5G, and car companies and service providers with conditions to try first.

MIIT said expanding the application penetration rate for BeiDou has become important tasks in promoting the development of the system and ensuring national security after the BDS-3 global navigation satellite system is opened.

The ministry also noted that BDS is an important component of space infrastructure supporting China's economic and social development.

A health check for all 52 in-orbit satellites of China's BDS has been completed, according to Xinhua News Agency on Tuesday, citing the Xi'an Satellite Control Center.

China officially commissioned BDS on July 31 of 2020, opening the new BDS-3 system to global users.

The BDS is China's largest space-based system and one of four global navigation networks, alongside the U.S.' GPS, Russia's GLONASS and the European Union's Galileo.

The BDS can provide diverse services and powerful functions. Globally, it can provide services enabling positioning, navigation and timing, global message communication, and international search and rescue. In the Asia-Pacific region, its services include regional short message communication, precise point positioning, satellite-based and ground-based augmentation.

In April of last year, Beidou system issued certification to cell phone products for the first time. Four cell phone brands, including Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi and Apple all received the certification, as the navigation system seeks to grow into to a wider range of commercial areas.