BEIJING, 20th October, 2026 (WAM) - China has successfully completed a near-operational application test of its domestically developed satellite internet system along an Arctic shipping route, achieving breakthroughs in cross-regional communications, remote medical consultations and real-time scientific data transmission, the Global Times reported on Monday, citing the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources.
The research vessel Jidi, currently carrying out China's 16th Arctic expedition, has completed the test, demonstrating the system's ability to support real-world operations in some of the world's most challenging environments.
With the joint efforts of the Polar Research Institute of China and other participating institutions, the expedition successfully conducted its first network connectivity test linking Arctic, Antarctic and Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.
During a video conference linking the Jidi, China's Qinling Station in Antarctica, Lhasa in Xizang region and the North Sea Bureau, participants experienced clear and smooth audio and video transmission.
The test demonstrated the domestically developed satellite internet system's ability to provide low-latency, high-bandwidth communications across widely separated regions, while verifying its operational stability under a range of harsh conditions, including extreme cold, high altitudes, strong winds and sandstorms, and icy fog.
The achievement marks progress in China's efforts to overcome persistent communication blind spots in remote regions where conventional terrestrial networks cannot provide reliable coverage.
Pang Zhihao, a senior space expert, told the Global Times on Monday that near-operational application testing represents an intermediate stage between experimental verification and formal deployment. During this stage, a system's performance is evaluated under real-world conditions to prepare it for its routine operations.
The results demonstrated that the Chinese-developed satellite and ground infrastructure can operate reliably under extreme conditions, including freezing temperatures, icy fog and high altitudes, while addressing long-standing communication challenges in high-latitude polar regions, Pang noted.