China has launched a two-year commercial trial programme for satellite Internet of Things (IoT) services, a move designed to expand low-Earth-orbit (LEO) connectivity and speed up adoption of non-terrestrial IoT across key industries.
The initiative was announced in Wuhan during the 2025 China 5G + Industrial Internet Conference (21-23 November).
According to IoT Business News, the trial will allow approved enterprises to deploy and validate satellite-based IoT services in large-scale, real-world conditions.
As you might expect, target sectors for wide-area connectivity for low-bit-rate devices in areas where 4G/5G coverage is weak include everything from logistics and agriculture to emergency response and industrial internet applications.
Companies must meet Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) rules on registration, terminal certification, spectrum use, security compliance, and periodic performance reporting during the trial.
As IoT Business News points out, non-terrestrial networks (NTN) – including satellite IoT, satellite broadband and direct-to-device (D2D) services – are becoming a core layer of China’s next-generation infrastructure strategy.
This trial supports faster domestic LEO constellation deployment, hybrid 5G/NTN service models, and industrial use cases requiring ubiquitous coverage.
It also gives vendors, operators, and industrial customers a controlled framework to validate real-world performance, security safeguards, and operational models ahead of full market rollout.
It could even strengthen China’s position in the rapidly expanding global NTN ecosystem, which is no doubt a strong part of the motivation for investing in the programme.
