In late December 2025, China submitted applications to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for frequency and orbit resource of a total of 203,000 satellites, covering 14 constellations.
Most of the satellites would come from the Institute of Radio Spectrum Utilization and Technological Innovation (IRSUTI), a new company established on December 30, 2025 by seven organizations and companies, including the National Radio Monitoring Center, the management committee of the Xiong’an New Area of Hebei Province, China Satellite Network Group and several universities.
Engaged in R&D and technological integration related to frequency spectrum, IRSUTI applied to launch more than 190,000 satellites to low orbit of 500- 1,200 kilometers, where most satellite networks operate.
Given the limited space of low orbit and frequency resources, the ITU implements the principle of “first come, first served,” and any organization or company has to apply two to seven years ahead of launch.
According to Chinese authorities, during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), China will concentrate more efforts in developing future industries related to aerospace, with participation of both State-owned and private enterprises, covering digital and intelligent space infrastructure, space resource exploration, space traffic management and space travel.
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