Guodian Gaoke, a Beijing satellite operator, has become the first Chinese private company approved by the government to conduct a commercial trial run of space-based internet of things services.

The company said in a news release that it recently received a permit from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology for a two-year commercial trial program for satellite IoT businesses.

It said that, for a long time, basic telecommunications qualifications in China's satellite communications sector have largely been held by major State-owned enterprises. Most private companies have been confined to satellite manufacturing, launch services and downstream application segments, with limited access to core areas such as network operations and frequency resource utilization.

"As the first private enterprise approved to launch a commercial trial program for satellite IoT services, Guodian Gaoke has forged a pathway covering frequency and orbital resources through network operations. This marks a significant step forward in implementing the national policy of expanding market opening in an orderly manner and encouraging private capital to participate in new satellite communications services," the company said.

The company added that the move will inject strong momentum into the commercial space capital market.

Currently, the company's Tianqi network has 41 satellites in orbit with global coverage. The network collects data for IoT applications and has been used in sectors including forestry, agriculture, tourism, power generation, emergency rescue and environmental protection.

Guodian Gaoke said it will continue improving the Tianqi system, expand into more industrial application scenarios, and promote deeper integration of satellite IoT technology with the low-altitude economy, marine economy and digital governance.