HELSINKI — China has moved to promote direct-to-device (D2D) services through issuing guidelines and licensing a telecommunications firm, signaling a strategic push into a globally competitive arena.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), which oversees China’s industrial policies and standards, issued its “Guiding Opinions on Optimizing Business Access to Promote the Development of the Satellite Communications Industry” in late August.

The guidelines explicitly support phone direct-to-satellite services, encourage partnerships between telecommunications giants and satellite firms, and commercial trials for Internet of Things (IoT) services. They also outline a “no SIM swap, no number change” model, and calls for large-scale application of services by 2030, by whic

See Full Page