Chinese Satellite Navigation System ‘BeiDou’ Starts Global Service

America’s Global Positioning System (GPS) has been the default satellite navigation technology for an overwhelming majority of applications and services globally ahead of Russia’s GLONASS and the European Union’s Galileo. Now, China has thrown its hat into the ring and opened up its own satellite navigation system for global markets.

Called the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, or BDS, the technology was originally was slated to begin worldwide service in 2020, but the launch was pushed forward by more than a year after the construction of the BDS-3 primary system was completed.

According to the South China Morning Post, the system is already being used in a number of foreign countries, including Russia, Pakistan, Thailand, Indonesia, and Kuwait. It is also said to be compatible with ‘most smartphones sold in China’, including those from Huawei, Xiaomi and OnePlus.

Image Courtesy: Xinhua