China has launched its navigation system. This is an alternative to GPS and GLONASS, which will work without upgrades until 2035.
China launched the last of the satellites included in the Beidou navigation satellite system, reports CNBC. Thus, the country’s global navigation system is already ready, they can start using it in the near future.
For a long time, Beidou was seen as an alternative to the US government-owned GPS system. Researchers note that Beidou is a major breakthrough in increasing China’s influence in the world of information technology. China began planning its own system in the late 90s, the first version of Beidou began testing in 2000. The final version of the system does not need a major upgrade until 2035.
Beidou has global reach. At the end of 2019, about 70% of smartphones in China already supported Beidou, and more than 100 partners plan to use it for cartographic techniques.
In 2013, the Ministry of Transport of China reported that vehicles used to transport “dangerous items”, passenger buses and trucks use Beidou. The launch of the system ensures that China does not lose access to global navigation in the event of a military conflict with the United States.
