Enhanced BeiDou short message service displayed

Photo taken on Sept. 16, 2021 shows the first International Summit on BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) Applications, in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

An enhanced version of BeiDou short message service was showcased at the First International Summit on BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) Applications held in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Thursday.

The new technology enables two-way communication on mobile phones in areas not covered by ordinary mobile communication signals or when base stations are damaged, which proves useful during earthquake relief, offshore fishing and emergency communication.

"Short message service needed a larger satellite terminal such as maritime satellite phone. But the enhanced version's 'low power consumption' feature enables mobile phones to send emergency messages through BeiDou satellites even without ground mobile communication signals," said Li Jingyuan, director of the BeiDou short message team at National University of Defense Technology (NUDT).

"The information transmission rate of the enhanced version has increased 10 times, which means pictures and voice messages can be sent out quickly," Li added.

At the summit, NUDT, the people's government of Hunan and China Electronics Corporation signed an industrial cooperation agreement to further expand short message service to low orbit satellite users, and make the service play a role in global satellite Internet of Things, international life rescue, global emergency communication and other industrial applications.