— Hybrid Constellation Focused on Direct Mobile-Satellite Connectivity to Empower “Belt and Road” Digital Future

HONG KONG SAR - EQS Newswire - 13 March 2025 - At the "100 Satellites" exhibition held in Hong Kong over March 10-12, USPACE announced the official signing of a strategic cooperation agreement with the Arab Information and Communication Organization (AICO) to jointly build a 6,000-satellite low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation. The constellation will serve the Middle East and Africa, with its core architecture focusing on "communication + remote sensing + navigation enhancement." This groundbreaking initiative will be the first large-scale commercial service to enable direct mobile-satellite connectivity. The goal is to bridge the digital divide in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries and build an integrated space-air-ground information network. This partnership marks a new chapter in the global competition for LEO satellite internet and is a critical milestone for USPACE's deepening involvement in the international aerospace value chain, driving technological autonomy, artificial intelligence integration, and global expansion. Intensifying Global Race for LEO Satellite Internet: Opportunities and Challenges Under Starlink's Dominance The global landscape for LEO satellite internet has evolved into a highly competitive "one leader, many strong challengers" model. SpaceX's Starlink, with its ambitious plan of 42,000 satellites, its ability to launch frequently, and its existing 8,000-plus satellites in orbit, controls about 80% of the world's LEO frequency and orbital resources. It now serves more than 4.6 million users, covering North America, Europe, Australia, and parts of the developing world. Its core advantages lie in low-cost manufacturing and reusable rocket technology, further reinforced by its military applications, notably in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. However, Starlink's global expansion has also exposed several significant challenges:

• Intensified resource monopoly: Under the International Telecommunication Union(ITO) 's "first-come, first-served" principle, LEO Ku/Ka frequency bands have largely been monopolized by Starlink and other Western companies such as OneWeb, leaving emerging countries struggling to access available frequencies.
• Higher service cost: The cost of Starlink's terminals exceeds $500, with a monthly fee of $99—far beyond the financial reach of developing regions like Africa and the Middle East.
• Geopolitical risks: The military use of Starlink in the Russia-Ukraine conflict has sparked controversy, raising concerns about data sovereignty and network security in many countries.

Against this backdrop, the 6,000-satellite constellation built by USPACE and AICO seeks to differentiate itself by targeting specific market needs:

• Filling coverage gaps: Within the Belt and Road framework, the trade scale of Africa and the Middle East continues to expand, increasing the demand for satellite communication and navigation services for aviation and maritime industries. USPACE is focusing on these regions, where Starlink's penetration is low, digital infrastructure is weak, and populations are densely concentrated.
• Integrated functional innovation: The constellation combines communication, real-time remote sensing, and navigation enhancement to address a diverse set of needs, including weather monitoring, AI-driven agricultural management, disaster early warning, marine resource exploration, and "mobile-satellite" 6G communications.
• Cost advantage: By designing and manufacturing its own satellites, and employing advanced assembly and testing techniques, USPACE can lower the cost of "mobile-satellite" terminals and services, targeting fees that are less than one-third of Starlink's costs.

Urgency and Strategic Value of Lunching Middle East and Africa Constellation Africa and the Middle East represent some of the world's most digitally underserved regions. According to the ITO, Africa's internet penetration is under 40%, while parts of the Middle East struggle with geographical challenges like deserts and mountains, making ground-based networks difficult to deploy. At the same time, frequency resource competition is intensifying: national projects like the UAE's Mars Mission "Hope Probe" and Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 are accelerating, but local satellite networks still rely heavily on Western companies, raising concerns about technological independence and data security. Thus, the partnership between USPACE and AICO is a critical step toward overcoming these challenges:

• Securing scarce frequency resources: USPACE's constellation plans prioritize the Q/V frequency bands (30-50 GHz), leveraging China's technological expertise and international coordination advantages to avoid the congested Ku/Ka bands.
• Meeting regional development needs: Countries in Africa and the Middle East are pushing for...