China Satcom

China Satellite Communications Group Co., Ltd. (China Satcom, 中国卫星通信集团) is a Beijing-headquartered state-owned enterprise established in 2001 under the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) — operating China's primary fleet of domestic GEO communications satellites and providing satellite broadcasting, broadband internet, VSAT enterprise services, maritime communications, and government satellite telecommunications services across China and internationally.

China Satcom operates the ChinaSat (中星) family of communications satellites — a fleet of Ku-band, Ka-band, and C-band GEO satellites positioned across multiple orbital slots serving China's vast geographic extent (spanning 5,200 km east-west and 5,500 km north-south). Key satellites include ChinaSat-6B, ChinaSat-10, ChinaSat-11, and the high-throughput ChinaSat-16 (Zhongxing-16) — China's first Ka-band high-throughput satellite with 20 Gbps capacity, used for aviation connectivity, maritime broadband, and rural internet access. More recently, ChinaSat-17 and ChinaSat-19 have expanded the fleet's capacity.

Direct-to-home (DTH) television broadcasting is the largest revenue segment: China Satcom provides the satellite capacity for China Central Television (CCTV), provincial satellite channels, and pay-TV operators to distribute programming nationwide, including to rural areas beyond cable television reach. The government's Village-to-Village Satellite Broadcasting program used China Satcom satellites to deliver digital television to China's remaining unserved rural villages.

Enterprise VSAT services support financial institutions, petroleum companies, mining operations, and government agencies requiring private satellite network connectivity in remote locations. Maritime communications services connect Chinese fishing fleets, merchant shipping, and offshore platforms. Aviation connectivity for domestic airlines is a growing segment as Chinese aviation expanded rapidly.

China Satcom's satellites are manufactured primarily by China Academy of Space Technology (CAST, DFH-4/DFH-5 bus platforms) and launched on Long March rockets. Internationally, China Satcom competes with commercial operators including Intelsat, SES, and Eutelsat for capacity in markets where Chinese satellite coverage overlaps with Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and Africa.