Feb 20, 2013 | |
Chinese Beidou satellite navigation system set to soar |
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(Nanowerk News) The fledgling Beidou satellite navigation system will soon benefit hundreds of millions of users, and provide a cheaper and in some cases better alternative than the Global Positioning System, industry specialists said. | |
The Beidou network has 16 navigation satellites hovering over the Asia-Pacific region. But global coverage will be achieved when the network has more than 30 satellites. | |
"By 2020, China will introduce a world-leading navigation system to more than 100 cities and 200 million users across the country," Vice-Minister of Science and Technology Cao Jianlin told China Daily. Beidou has advantages, Cao said, over the three other global navigation systems - the GPS of the United States, Europe's Galileo and Russia's Glonass - such as short-message communication. The market for transportation, weather, and telecom spinoff services from Beidou could be worth 225 billion yuan ($36 billion) by 2015. The military is already reaping the benefits even though the system has not reached full capacity. A naval fleet conducting patrols and training exercises recently used Beidou, according to a China National Radio report on Feb 4. |
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The fleet, with missile destroyer Qingdao and missile frigates Yantai and Yancheng, entered the South China Sea at 11:40 am on Feb 1, after passing through the Bashi Channel. | |
Beidou provided positioning, security and protection for the fleet, Lei Xiwei, information chief at the headquarters of the North Sea Fleet, said. | |
Li Changjiang, chief commander of the Beidou Navigation Satellite System, said the system can provide valuable intelligence. | |
The network's success is due in part to the technology behind the atomic clock, Li said. | |
Atomic timepieces are a crucial tool in navigation systems as their accuracy and stability are key requisites. | |
Only the US and a few countries in Europe have mastered the technology and Washington banned its export to China. | |
"It is the most complex technology in the system," he said. | |
After Chinese scientists made the breakthrough in the past decade, the Beidou satellites have achieved the ability to locate a user to within 10 meters. | |
In terms of performance, Beidou is "comparable" to the GPS, Ran Chengqi, a spokesman for the China Satellite Navigation Office, said in December. | |
Li said that another important application of the Beidou system is to provide precision for any transactions that require speed and accuracy, such as bank settlements. | |
Cao Hongjie, vice-president of UniStrong, a company involved in global navigation services, said Beidou will have broader applications than the GPS. | |
"Compared with the GPS, Beidou will make it easier for users to locate other people," Cao said. | |
This function is particularly suitable for those looking after the elderly or children, he said. | |
Transportation companies will also benefit by being able to keep track of vehicles and can use the short message function to dispatch drivers more efficiently, he said. | |
However, Li Yi, a science observer, warns that excessive government support could make Beidou less competitive and the market will have the final say. | |
"Beidou's success should be proved by the market," Li Yi told China National Radio. | |
China also opens Beidou for foreign users. | |
On Dec 27, China published the Beidou interface control document. The document describes how to access the functions and services provided by Beidou, and allows foreign companies to use the service. | |
Beidou, unlike other systems, is open and allows interoperation with other systems, Vice-Minister Cao said. | |
"We welcome international companies to develop client-side devices and services based on Beidou. We welcome the competition," he said. |
Source: China Daily |