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China’s BeiDou satellite navigation system (BDS) has secured approximately $1.78 billion in funding for new projects, positioning itself to compete more effectively with its primary rival, GPS. This significant financial boost was announced at the Third International Summit on BDS, coinciding with the system’s 30th anniversary.
The investment package includes $1.1 billion, which is designated for adopting BeiDou in both industrial and consumer applications, according to Hunan Daily. Part of the funding has been allocated to an Indonesian disaster prevention agency for the development of an early warning system.
China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has also selected 39 pilot cities for large-scale BDS applications. These cities are expected to increase BDS usage rates as the system transitions into its third-generation phase. This aims to expand BeiDou’s domestic footprint and showcase its capabilities on a broader scale, according to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
BeiDou is gaining traction in Africa and Southeast Asia, which could challenge GPS’s long-standing dominance. As more countries adopt the Chinese system as their primary GNSS, BeiDou’s prominence increases compared to GPS. China launched two new satellites in Sept. 2024, bringing the total number of active satellites in the BeiDou constellation to 50. These newly launched satellites, part of the third-generation model, represent the second batch placed into medium-Earth orbit (MEO) since the system was declared operational in July 2020. With 64 satellites launched, China continues to expand and enhance the BeiDou system.
