China's Starlink rival links Arctic and Antarctic in sub-second video call

China's Guowang satellite network connected polar expedition vessels with Antarctica's Qinling Station in a video call with under one second of delay. Peak speeds reached about 30 Mbps. Over 180 satellites are in orbit, with 12,992 planned by 2035.

• Video call between the Arctic and Antarctica had under one second of delay
• Peak data transfer speeds reached about 30 Mbps
• Over 180 Guowang satellites in orbit, 12,992 planned by 2035
• China aims for 400 satellites covering the country by end of 2027