Satellite communication File photo: VCG

According to the website of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), multiple Chinese aerospace companies submitted applications for more than 200,000 satellite frequencies during the final week of 2025, the Securities Times reported, further reflecting Chinese companies' determination and strategic planning in developing the commercial aerospace industry.

This is the largest centralized application for international frequency tracks in China to date, according to the Science and Technology Daily on Sunday.

An expert said that the Chinese commercial aerospace sector is shifting from isolated breakthroughs to systematic advancement, integrating rockets, satellites, and ground systems. By applying for frequency allocations on a large scale, China is planning its space deployment over the next decade and beyond, rather than focusing on short-term launches.

This batch of applications covers a dozen satellite constellations, ITU's website shows. Chinese commercial aerospace company Galaxy Space confirmed to the Global Times on Sunday their applications for its satellite constellation plans. 

Notably, two constellations - CTC-1 and CTC-2 - each applied for 96,714 satellites, totaling more than 190,000 satellites, making them the main contributors in this round. 

The ITU is the UN'S specialized agency for digital technologies. It allocates global radio spectrum and satellite orbits, develops technical standards that ensure networks and technologies connect seamlessly, and works to improve access to digital technologies in underserved communities worldwide, according to its website. 

To prevent "radio-frequency spectrum warehousing", the ITU has introduced a mechanism requiring satellite constellations to achieve 10 percent deployment within two years after the end of the current regulatory period for bringing them into use, 50 percent within five years, and complete deployment within seven years, or else their frequency allocations will expire. 

Wang Peng, an associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, said that this process is estimated to accelerate the global space industry toward multi-polar development and encourages improvements in international frequency allocation mechanisms, attracting more emerging countries to participate in the space economy.

In 2025, China's commercial aerospace sector achieved multiple milestones in launch vehicle development, with several reusable rockets undergoing test flights. Although some recovery targets were not fully met, both the industry and domestic social media have given positive recognition to these trials.

An industry report showed that China's commercial space sector has entered a new stage of scale and commercialization, with rapid growth and significant market expansion expected in the coming years. More frequent rocket launches and accelerated deployment of large constellations, along with regular operations at the Hainan commercial aerospace launch site, have driven multiple breakthroughs across the commercial space industry, the Xinhua News Agency reported. 

An anonymous industry insider told the Global Times on Sunday that the application for more than 200,000 satellite frequencies highlights the China's commitment to developing commercial space and signals huge opportunities in the space economy. "We will respond quickly to industry changes and stay aligned with its development."