China’s Ambitious Satellite Constellations: A New Digital Iron Curtain in Orbit

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China is on the brink of a new technological milestone that could have far-reaching implications for global internet governance. With the launch of the first satellites for its G60 mega-constellation on August 5, 2024, China is preparing to offer global satellite internet services. This initiative, spearheaded by Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology and supported by the Shanghai Municipal Government, is a direct challenge to SpaceX's Starlink in the commercial satellite internet market. The G60 aims to provide regional coverage by 2025 and global coverage by 2027, positioning China as a significant player in the satellite internet domain.

 

The G60 is just one of three mega-constellations that China is planning. The other two, the Guowang project and the Honghu-3 constellation, are backed by state-owned China Satellite Services and Shanghai Lanjian Hongqing Technology Company, respectively. These projects are part of China's broader strategy to enhance its commercial space sector and rapidly expand its satellite internet capabilities. This year alone, China has made notable strides, including launching the world's first 6G test satellite into low-Earth orbit (LEO) and deploying satellite internet services in Thailand, marking the first time Chinese LEO satellite internet has been used abroad. In June, the company OneLinQ launched China’s first civilian domestic satellite internet service, with plans to expand to countries participating in China's Belt and Road Initiative.

 

However, China’s ambitions in the satellite internet market extend far beyond commercial competition. Central to Beijing's strategy is the concept of cyber sovereignty, which asserts that each nation has the right to control its digital environment. In practice, China has used this principle to establish a heavily censored and surveilled internet system that bolsters the Chinese Communist Party’s power. This system, often referred to as the "Great Firewall," is widely criticized for violating human rights. By exporting its satellite internet services, China is not only securing its position in the global market but also potentially spreading its model of digital authoritarianism to other nations.

 

Satellite internet, by its nature, is more susceptible to state control than traditional internet infrastructure. The centralization of satellite internet—where data is funneled through a limited number of ground stations or gateways—makes it easier for governments to monitor, block, and filter content. This contrasts with the decentralized nature of traditional internet infrastructure, which relies on a network of sub-sea cables and terrestrial connections managed by multiple stakeholders. This decentralization has historically made it difficult for any single entity to exert complete control over the internet. However, with satellite internet, countries using China's services could more easily replicate the Great Firewall, controlling what information their citizens can access, monitoring user activity, or even shutting down the internet during periods of unrest.

 

While satellite internet has often been hailed as a tool for dissidents and activists to bypass restrictive regimes, the reality under China's model could be starkly different. Under this model, satellite internet could become a tool for authoritarian governments to tighten their grip on information flow, thereby curtailing freedom of speech and other human rights. China’s export of its digital authoritarianism is already evident in its Digital Silk Road initiative, which provides other countries with technologies and governance models that enable censorship, surveillance, and social control. The adoption of Chinese satellite internet services would likely accelerate this trend, empowering more governments to implement similar controls and further eroding global human rights.

 

Beyond facilitating digital control, offering satellite internet on a global scale has other strategic benefits for Beijing. Countries that rely on China’s infrastructure for their internet connectivity may find themselves vulnerable to political pressure from Beijing. This could manifest in demands to censor content critical of China, share sensitive data, or suppress domestic dissent to align with China’s interests. For example, a journalist in a country dependent on Chinese satellite internet services might find their connection disrupted or severed when attempting to report on human rights abuses in China.

 

Additionally, the centralized nature of satellite internet could make countries more susceptible to cyber espionage by the Chinese government or other malicious actors. Chinese satellite providers, like other companies operating under Chinese law, are subject to data localization policies such as the Cybersecurity Law, which mandates that data be stored within China and be accessible to the Chinese government. This raises the possibility that data transmitted through Chinese satellite internet services—ranging from communications and location data to internet activity—could be accessed by Chinese authorities, even if the users are outside of China.

 

Although the global deployment of China's satellite internet services is still in its early stages and faces significant challenges, the implications are profound. If these services are widely adopted, the world could see the emergence of a new digital Iron Curtain extending from space, dividing the free flow of information and imposing state control on a global scale. This development would not only reshape the global internet landscape but also have far-reaching consequences for the future of digital freedom and human rights worldwide.

 

Credit: Real Clear Defense 2024-08-28

 

 

 

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[Tropicalevo]

And world domination is just around the corner.

Better start learning Mandarin folks.