US-China Relations / China is competing with America, will the 5G satellite move spoil the game?

US-China Relations: China has once again made a big bang in the world of technology. Chinese scientists have created history by making broadband video calls directly to smartphones via 5G satellite for the first time. This is a milestone which was considered only a fantasy till now. The special thing about this achievement is that it did not require any additional hardware or satellite receiver - that is, the mobile phone got directly connected to the satellite.

This technological leap is not only a scientific breakthrough, but it can also have strategic and political consequences, especially for countries like America, which are constantly competing with China in a technological race.

Can problems increase for America?

A report by the South China Morning Post suggests that this technology can provide data streaming and video calling facility to smartphone users directly from the satellite in the future. This means that if an app (like TikTok in the US) is banned in a country, then users will be able to access those apps through satellite, without a local network.

In such a situation, the effect of American censorship and app banning policies may be reduced. Although technically it is possible, many international rules and laws related to sovereignty will have to be followed to implement it. Apart from this, cyber security experts believe that in future it may also be possible to bypass or hack such technologies, which can break the limits of internet censorship.

Why is China's achievement special?

This test was done by China SatNet under 5G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN). This means that the phone made a direct connection to the satellite without any external antenna or hardware - and all this was done in accordance with international 5G standards.

The biggest impact of this can be that high-speed internet will be possible even in remote areas of the world, where there are neither mobile towers nor broadband. But at the same time, it is also a matter of concern that if a device goes out of the country's surveillance system and connects directly to space, then it can become a new challenge for data privacy and national security.

Preparing to compete with Starlink?

This technology is considered a direct challenge to Elon Musk's Starlink. While the US is pushing space-based internet service at a commercial level, China is now moving in the same direction for defense and strategic purposes.

China's goal is to set up its own satellite network to provide internet to the corners of the world - especially in areas where the US has little reach. But in this race, questions are now being raised whether this is the beginning of a technological cold war between the two superpowers?