BEIJING: China’s Ministry of Natural Resources announced the launch of a national satellite base station service network on Thursday during the Surveying and Mapping Law Publicity Day event in Chongqing Municipality in southwest China.

According to China Global Television Network (CGTN), the network is designed to enhance the sharing of surveying and mapping data across different regions. It integrates information from more than 3,300 satellite base stations nationwide. The new system is intended to make geographic data and information more accessible across various industries, thereby supporting the real economy in the digital age.

“The national satellite base station service network is an infrastructure for surveying and mapping. All surveying and mapping activities rely on the public good and the public services it provides. It’s the basis of surveying and mapping calculations. Constructing this network primarily supports the scaled application of Beidou satellite services and the rapid development of re
lated industries to adapt to the demands of the digital economy development.” said Zhou Xing, director of the Land Surveying and Mapping Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources.

The Beidou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) was initiated in 1994. The construction of BDS-1 and BDS-2 was completed in 2000 and 2012, respectively. When BDS-3 was completed and put into service on July 31, 2020, China became the third country to have an independent global navigation satellite system.

Source: Emirates News Agency