Chinese satellite internet solution provider and private satellite maker GalaxySpace and Thai telecom operator True Corporation inked a deal to carry out in-depth cooperation in low-orbit satellite communication technology, space-to-ground integrated network solutions, and mobile phone direct satellite communication technology to jointly promote the research and development (R&D) and verification of related technologies.
The two companies will expand satellite application use cases, and work together to build future-oriented digital infrastructure, according to a statement sent to the Global Times by GalaxySpace on Monday.
The cooperation is not only a significant step for the commercial space industry's global expansion as a new quality productive force to support the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative space information corridor, but also a positive exploration of China-Thailand digital economic cooperation, per the statement.
It noted that the cooperation will expand innovative applications of satellite internet in Thailand and ASEAN at large, in areas including maritime, agriculture, education, Internet of Vehicles (IoV).
China and Thailand on Saturday issued a joint statement on advancing the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and building a China-Thailand community with a shared future for enhanced stability, prosperity, and sustainability through a forward-looking and people-centered vision, according to Xinhua News Agency.
Both sides agreed to leverage Thailand's strategic location, as the heart of mainland Southeast Asia, to enhance regional connectivity in all aspects, including infrastructure, logistics, regulatory and digital connectivity, aligning with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and promote regional connectivity, according to the statement.
In May last year, GalaxySpace established a ground test station at the Mahanakorn University of Technology in Thailand where it successfully conducted the first trial of a low-orbit satellite internet broadband communication network successfully in Thailand.
The achievement represents China's first overseas deployment and trial of China's low-orbit broadband satellite internet, according to a Xinhua report.
Huang Haifeng, a Beijing-based tech observer, said the exchange and integration between China and Thailand will help Thai telecom operators provide richer communication services and promote the verification and application of technological innovations by Chinese enterprises.
This cooperation sets a precedent for broader multilateral cooperation in the future, Huang said, adding that both parties can attract international enterprises to participate, fostering an industrial ecosystem where Chinese companies can play a larger role in shaping relevant satellite Internet standards and regulations.
Wichai Kinchong Choi, senior vice president of Thailand's Kasikorn Bank, told the Global Times on Monday that investment and cooperation in high-tech sectors, green industries, smart industries and Internet and telecommunications sectors between China and Thailand will continue to assist the sustainable and high-quality development of the Thai economy.
The deal signed on Monday marked another step by Chinese space companies in overseas market.
According to a deal inked in November, China's commercial satellite constellation Spacesail would offer satellite communication services in Brazil, providing broadband access to its remote and outlying regions from 2026, according to a Xinhua News Agency report.
Source: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202502/1328184.shtml