China GPS-Substitute Opens to Public

27 December 2012 Last updated at 09:41 ET

China's Beidou GPS-substitute opens to public in Asia

China is expanding the number of satellites in orbit around the globe
 

China has opened up its domestic sat-nav network to commercial use across the Asia-Pacific region.

Beidou - named after the Chinese word for the Big Dipper constellation - offers an alternative to the US's global positioning system (GPS).

It had previously been restricted to the Chinese military and government.

A spokesman said that Beidou is targeting a 70-80% share of the Chinese market in related location services by 2020.

The China Satellite Navigation Office added that by that time it also intended the service to be available across the globe.

More - Link >>> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20852150

Source: British Broadcasting Corporation.

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