China's Beidou system offers 7 different user services

China's Beidou Navigation Satellite System, the BDS-3, can provide up to seven different services to users, a senior official said at a news conference on Wednesday.

BDS-3's constellation network consists of 55 satellites deployed into three different orbital heights, a megaproject that spanned over two decades.

"Since its formal commission in July 2020, BDS-3 has maintained steady operation and top-class service performance," said Chen Gucang, deputy director of the China Satellite Navigation Office.

Aside from standard navigation, positioning and timing service, the system also offers global and regional short message communication, international search-and-rescue, precise point positioning, satellite based augmentation and ground-based augmentation services, Chen said.

Three GEO satellites are deployed with PPP signal broadcasting functions, enabling real-time PPP accuracy within 20 centimeters horizontal and 35 centimeters vertical, he said.

With the expanding coverage of the National BDS-3 Augmentation System, BDS-3 has achieved millimeter-level positioning accuracy with post-processing across the country, he said.

In addition, search and rescue transponders are installed on six Medium Earth Orbit satellites, offering help to international commercial and civilian users, he said.

In terms of global and regional SMS services, Chen said trials for global SMS service are underway, adding that there are plans to roll out smartphones with built-in regional SMS functions by the end of 2021.

China will continue to promote the international development and application of BDS-3, Chen said.