China launched two BeiDou-3 satellites via a single carrier rocket to support its global navigation and positioning network at 7:45 p.m. No. 5, 2017. [Photo: China Plus/Li Jin]

Beidou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), China’s homegrown satellite navigation system, is expected to become a standard smartphone location service, China Youth Daily reported on Jan. 22.

Beidou was first used in national security and other key fields. Since then, it has spread its service into a more complete chain, ranging from tiny chips, terminals to manufacturing and tertiary industries, said Ran Chengqi, director of China Satellite Navigation Office, and also spokesperson for the Beidou system.

Five years ago, foreign navigation satellite systems occupied the major market in China, though there were already over a dozen Beidou satellites launched into orbit. Five years on, a groundbreaking change has been seen in the application of the Beidou system.

In the past five years, over 4.8 million cars and more than 40 thousand fishing boats have adopted the Beidou system in China. By the end of 2017, the system had saved more than 10 thousand lives, earning the nickname “protector on the sea,” said the spokesperson, adding that some auto driving companies are developing chips that use the Beidou system.

Most mainstream chip makers have added China’s BDS to its solutions. Using Beidou will be a standard in China for enhanced location precision in smartphones, Ran revealed.

Support for BeiDou in China gives devices access to more satellites, increasing location accuracy to the meter and even centimeter level. This will improve customers’ pedestrian navigation, speed up local searches, and enhance other location-based services.

Beidou has established cooperation with its three main competitors, namely GPS, Galileo, and GLONASS by the US, the EU, and Russia, respectively. In December 2017, Beidou signed an agreement with GPS to approve the compatibility and interoperability of the two systems, gaining worldwide attention.

The BDS has been providing services for Asia-Pacific users, and plans to expand globally by the end of 2020. It will integrate itself into the global satellite navigation system to provide better services for global users.