Chinese researchers achieves internet 5 times faster than Starlink using 2-watt laser: Report
Representative image (Source: Reuters)
A team of Chinese scientists has reportedly developed a new way to improve
satellite laser communication
from space to Earth, achieving faster data speeds despite atmospheric interference. According to a South China Morning Post, researchers led by Wu Jian of Peking University of Posts and Telecommunications and Liu Chao from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have managed to transmit data to a ground station at speeds of 1 gigabit per second using a 2-watt laser from a satellite over 36,000 kilometers above the Earth. This, the report says, is significantly faster than current systems such as
Starlink
, which offers speeds in the megabit range.
The team tested the method using a 1.8-meter telescope at a research facility in Lijiang, southwest China. The system targets the challenges of atmospheric turbulence, which weakens and distorts laser signals as they pass through the Earth's atmosphere.
How China achieved faster internet speed than Starlink
To address this, the scientists combined two existing techniques—adaptive optics (AO) and mode diversity reception (MDR). The combined AO-MDR method helped correct the shape of distorted light beams and captured multiple signal modes simultaneously, improving both signal strength and reliability.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Free P2,000 GCash eGift
UnionBank Credit Card
Apply Now
Undo
In their paper – published on June 3 – in the journal Acta Optica Sinica, the researchers said the technique reduced transmission errors and increased the chance of receiving usable signals from 72% to over 91%.
The method was tested using advanced components such as 357 micro-mirrors inside the telescope to reshape the laser's wavefront and a multi-plane converter that split the signal into eight channels. A custom-built algorithm selected the three strongest channels for data transmission in real time.
China has been expanding its research and development in laser-based satellite communications. In 2020, its Shijian-20 satellite achieved a record 10Gbps laser downlink from geostationary orbit. The power level used on that satellite remains undisclosed.
JOB SCAM ALERT! Don't Let Fake Recruiters Steal Your Money
AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
30 minutes ago
- Time of India
China's $50 billion chip fund switches tack to fight US curbs
China 's main chip investment fund is planning to focus on the country's key shortcomings in sectors like lithography and semiconductor design software, adjusting its approach to better overcome US efforts to stop its technological advances. The third phase of the state-backed National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, better known as Big Fund III , will focus on backing local companies and projects in areas considered bottlenecks to technological advances, people familiar with the matter said. That includes lithography systems, where Dutch firm ASML Holding NV dominates, and chip design tools, an arena controlled by US companies Cadence Design Systems Inc. and Synopsys Inc. The new vehicle has so far secured only a portion of the 344 billion yuan ($48 billion) of capital it originally sought when first created more than a year ago as Beijing is being more cautious with its semiconductor bets, according to the people, though the shortfall should be temporary. The Big Fund III plans to hold its investments for a longer period compared to the two previous phases, they said, declining to be named discussing a private government initiative. A years long US-led campaign to curb China's access to chips, equipment and software has appeared to stall Beijing's ambitions in semiconductors, essential to creating cutting-edge AI. Chinese President Xi Jinping has declared the elimination of such choke-points a top priority, particularly as local artificial intelligence players including DeepSeek and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. are trying to compete on the global stage with deep-pocketed US rivals such as OpenAI in a critical field. China's Big Fund for years sprinkled capital throughout most sectors of the semiconductor industry, from leading manufacturers such as Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp . to small design companies. It's now adopting a more targeted approach, after massive investments during the fund's first two phases failed to deliver real breakthroughs beyond a surprisingly sophisticated Huawei Technologies Co. mobile processor in 2023. Big Fund III is preparing to make its first major investments in coming months, the people said. Part of its directive is to spur industry consolidation, through deal-making or otherwise, they added. If the new vehicle achieves the scale it originally aimed for, it will be China's largest-ever semiconductor fund, bigger than the previous two phases combined. It counts China's Ministry of Finance, state-owned banks and several local government-backed funds as limited partners, according to corporate data provider Tianyancha. It's created three sub-funds to help identify investment targets throughout the supply chain, the people said. China's Ministry of Finance did not respond to a faxed request for comment. Messages to an email for Big Fund III listed on Tianyancha went unanswered. It's unclear whether the fund's managers have identified potential investment or deal targets. Some of the biggest names in China's chipmaking equipment space include Shanghai Zhangjiang High-Tech Park Development Co., which holds an 11% stake in privately-held lithography machine maker Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment Group Co. Chinese media outlets have also speculated that Huawei eventually wants to build its own lithography machines, required to make cutting-edge AI chips that can rival Nvidia Corp.'s offerings. Empyrean Technology Co. is one of Chinese's best hopes of competing with leading global chip design software providers including Cadence and Synopsys. China's national chip fund was inaugurated about a decade ago with roughly 100 billion yuan in capital, and has since spearheaded the state's investments in all things semiconductors. It's serving as an important signal of Beijing's policy imperatives, as well as a scorecard for government endorsement. In recent years though, it's faced setbacks in achieving its mission, both internal and external. The US banned Nvidia from selling its best AI accelerators to China, while allies such as Japan and the Netherlands have joined the campaign to ringfence the country's tech sector. Stung by a lack of scientific achievement, Beijing initiated a series of anti-graft probes into top chip industry officers in 2022.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
SpaceX launches 27 Starlink satellites to expand global internet coverage
In the early hours of June 28, after a day of severe weather warnings and storm activity across Central Florida, SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 27 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The launch, which occurred at 12:26 a.m. from Launch Complex 40, followed hours of anticipation as meteorologists issued multiple thunderstorm alerts and lightning watches that could have delayed the mission. Fortunately, the skies cleared just in time, granting the launch team a window of calm, 10-mile visibility, and ideal conditions. This mission adds to SpaceX's expanding Starlink constellation, which aims to provide global broadband internet coverage, especially in remote and underserved regions. It also coincided with a significant date in SpaceX's history — the 10th anniversary of a Falcon 9 rocket explosion that occurred on June 28, 2015, during a NASA resupply mission to the International Space Station. The stark contrast between the two events underscores the remarkable technological and operational progress SpaceX has achieved over the past decade. SpaceX and Starlink reusability in action with veteran Falcon 9 booster The Falcon 9 rocket used for this mission was not a newcomer to the skies. SpaceX confirmed that the first-stage booster was flying its fifth mission, having previously launched CRS-32, NROL-69, GPS III-7, and another Starlink deployment. Once its primary task of lifting the payload into low-Earth orbit was complete, the booster executed a successful landing on the SpaceX drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas, stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. This routine yet remarkable display of reusability continues to demonstrate the economic and environmental efficiency of SpaceX's design. Each recovered booster reduces the cost of subsequent missions and supports SpaceX's long-term vision of sustainable space travel and interplanetary missions. A decade after failure, SpaceX looks ahead June 28 also marks a solemn moment in the company's history. On this day in 2015, a Falcon 9 rocket carrying over 5,000 pounds of cargo aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule for NASA broke apart just over two minutes into flight. The explosion was a major setback at the time, but it became a pivotal learning moment that shaped the company's future approach to reliability and design improvements. This latest launch occurred under the watch of newly appointed commander Col. Brian Chatman, who now leads Space Launch Delta 45 and oversees operations at Patrick Space Force Base and the broader Eastern Range. Responsible for ensuring safety over a vast 15-million-square-mile operational area, Chatman's leadership coincides with a period of increasing launch activity, making the success of such missions a reflection of both technical coordination and operational precision.
NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
Video: Fist-Pumping Humanoid Robots Play Football Badly in Beijing
They looked like tipsy 7-year-olds stumbling about the soccer pitch. But the game that unfolded at an industrial zone in Beijing was a breakthrough for humanoid robots and the artificial intelligence that powered them through a 5-3 match on Saturday. Clad in black and purple jerseys with individual player numbers, diminutive humanoids faced off for two 10-minute halves, their movements controlled not by gesticulating coaches on the sidelines but by built-in algorithms. The spectacle was less about lightning-speed action - two players fell on top of each other - and more about demonstrating balance, agility and AI-powered decision-making. The bots pumped their fists in the air after each goal - not difficult since the goalies were pretty bad. Witness an absolute screamer scored by a humanoid robot at the 2025 RoBoLeague World Robot Football League in Beijing! #robot #football #beijing — Beijing Evening News (@BeijingEvening) June 28, 2025 The games were not just a novelty but a signal of how far machine autonomy has progressed - and a showcase for Chinese institutions in particular. The matches featured multiple teams from the leading Tsinghua University as well as institutions like the Beijing Information Science and Technology University. One Tsinghua team called Vulcan won the championship following intense play, the China News Network reported. China is pouring money and talent into the field in a bid to steal a march on the rest of the world. The nation's $47 billion robotics market already accounts for 40% of the global total, and is slated to grow at a 23% annual rate to be worth $108 billion by 2028, according to a report by Morgan Stanley earlier this month. "China is not only the largest market but also is arguably the world's innovation hub, propelling cost efficiencies and next-gen robotics development," the Morgan Stanley analysts said. China, never one to shy away from a spectacle-meets-innovation demonstration, has lined up a series of humanoid-robot events that are both technological milestones and provocative cultural events. There was a humanoid half-marathon in Beijing in April, and a bot kickboxing tournament in Hangzhou in May. And while these exhibited some striking advances in AI and robotics, they weren't quite so impressive as spectator sports. Robotic limbs flailed in the air and some robots keeled over at the kickboxing tournament, while only six of the 21 humanoid marathon runners completed the race. Some swerved and fell, and one unfortunate bot's head rolled off near the start. Despite their wobbliness, the robot soccer players in Beijing demonstrated visual recognition and positioning abilities, aided by cameras and sensors. They could, for instance, detect the ball from as far away as 60 feet (18.3 meters) with 90% accuracy. The robots were also able to identify the goal, the pitch, field lines and opponents, and make playing decisions based on these inputs - technological improvements that indicate how far the machines have come. "Such demonstrations with human-form robots are currently focused on inspiring people's imaginations," said Samir Menon, founder and chief executive officer of Palo Alto-headquartered robotics startup Dexterity, Inc. "There'll be thousands of different types of robots, and hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of types of applications." The soccer robots used AI techniques like deep reinforcement learning - a sophisticated system based on trial and error in many simulated situations - to make real-time decisions like passing, dribbling and shooting, or predicting when and where a teammate will move. Such events emphasize Beijing's goal to deploy increasing numbers in real-world applications, and prove testing grounds to evaluate the machines for stability, efficiency and safety aspects in human proximity. Saturday's humanoid football league was a preview for the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games that China is set to host on Aug. 15-17 in Beijing. The event will include 11 humanoid sports events, including gymnastics, track and field and soccer.
