- [Announcer] Three, two, one, zero. Ignition. (rocket booming) - [Narrator] SpaceX is ramping up the pace of rocket launches in order to conquer the internet from space. The company has launched
more than 1,000 satellites to build a network called Starlink aimed at bringing faster connections to billions of people. Meanwhile, China has launched
only a few test satellites. (rocket booming) But the country has sent what it calls the world's
first 6G satellite, which it says would provide faster service than what's available on Earth. - Satellite internet is really seen to be and extension of a lot of the terrestrial internet services. - [Narrator] The satellite internet market is expected to be worth more
than $400 billion by 2040. - The world seems to have an insatiable
appetite for bandwidth. - [Narrator] And this
competition is taking place in an area known as Low Earth Orbit. - It's first come, first serve. So they are racing to
occupy those orbital slots because the ones that get there first with the capability of presence is going to be able to set the rules. - [Narrator] And that comes with privacy and security concerns. Still, SpaceX is moving
ahead with the larger fleet of satellites, while the
relative newcomer China is betting on faster speeds to build a powerful
internet network in space. (dramatic music) Satellite-based internet
is actually not new. Since the mid-1990s, people who lived in remote areas and don't have access to cell towers have relied on satellites. These satellites are in
orbit about 22,000 miles away from Earth, and a result of
that distance is slow speed. Because China's satellites
and the Starlink network are closer to Earth, that means they can provide
much faster services. SpaceX is currently promising
its beta test customers in the US speeds between 50
and 150 megabits per second. That's still below the country's
average broadband service on the ground. China has not rolled out its service yet or demonstrated how its satellite works but the university that
developed the 6G satellite says it could offer speeds that can potentially reach
at least terabyte per second. (speaking foreign language) - [Narrator] That means if you
download a one-gigabyte movie with Starlink's service, it would take about 10 seconds. But with the 6G speed that China promises, you could download about
1,000 movies in just 1 second. (speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] China says it's 6G plan is an extension of its 5G network, which has already been rolled out in many Chinese cities. This technological progression is starting to help transform
the country's economy. (speaking in foreign language) - If you have 6G, your
ability to have automation is going to improve exponentially. We mean better manufacturing. We mean better 3D printing. We mean better self-driving cars. - [Narrator] Namrata Goswami
is an independent researcher who's been studying global space policy for more than 20 years. And she says China's 6G satellite network can make a big impact
once it's up and running. - Once you become the
first country to do it, you set the global standards, you set the rules in
terms of how this is going to be regulated. Those who are first there will be able to standardize the procedures of that particular market. And then you also set the
innovation cycle in technology. - [Narrator] But SpaceX
has an edge over China in another way. - [Announcer] And liftoff. (rocket whooshing) - SpaceX has a big advantage of having been the first mover. - [Narrator] Therese Jones
is a senior policy director at the Satellite Industry Association. And she's been studying
satellite communication of seven years. The Washington, D.C.
based group represents over 50 satellite companies
in the US, including SpaceX. - The number is absolutely a comparative advantage right now. It takes a long time to
ramp up the capabilities to even get 1,500 satellites on orbit. And just ramp up your satellite
manufacturing capabilities to reach that point. - [Narrator] That's because
SpaceX runs its own supply chain to produce the satellites and handles everything else from launching to operating them. It's taken the company three years to plot a constellation of
more than 1,000 satellites, planning to eventually
deploy a total of 12,000. - SpaceX has the goal of
providing ubiquitous connectivity across the globe, whether that is providing
internet to rural areas, whether it's providing
internet to ships, to planes. - [Narrator] And that global plan could help more than three
billion people in the world who don't have regular
access to the internet. - So the hardest-to-server customers. - [Narrator] After an installation cost of about $600, the monthly fee to use Starlink's satellites
would be about $100. SpaceX says it's already
received 500,000 pre-orders for its service. And the company's plans for expansion could get a boost from the US government as it recently won preliminary rights to nearly $900 million in subsidies. - [Announcer] Six, five. - [Narrator] But SpaceX's bids for funds and it prolific launches have started to draw criticism from rivals in the US and Europe who say Starlink's
satellites are crowding orbit and endangering other satellites. So some are asking regulators to clamp down on the SpaceX project. The company didn't respond
to a request for comment. China could also face similar pushback from rivals since it also plans to launch more than 10,000 satellites but this mega plan has one strong ally. (people clapping) - The one advantage that the country has is that it has one party. So the support is very much consistent. It's very clear, China's goal under President Xi has been to
become a leader in innovation and technology and especially
communications technology. - [Narrator] But big networks
of satellites also generate a lot of personal data. - There are these concerns that your data can be turned over, it could be used for espionage,
intelligence operations. It could be used to
have economic advantage because you can also spy
into their economic system. - [Narrator] For example, US officials have long said Beijing could direct Chinese telecom
companies like Huawei, which have set up 5G networks abroad to spy or sabotage. Huawei and the Chinese government have rejected the charges but Goswami says China's 6G network could open up similar concerns. - Chinese law makes it mandatory for any company or citizen to collaborate with Chinese intelligence in case such a request is made. - [Narrator] But in the US, the legal system could
provide a level of protection. - SpaceX cannot turn over data just because US intelligence will want it. You will have to go to
court to get permission. - [Narrator] SpaceX didn't
respond to a request for comment. While China's Foreign Ministry said that Chinese law protects data security and personal information of
citizens and organizations. (rocket booming) For now, SpaceX is moving ahead by seeking permission for
another 30,000 satellites but China's network could
have one more advantage when it's ready. - [Namrata] China can
always make it mandatory for its citizen to have
that kind of service in its devices. - [Narrator] Making the world's most populated country a place to continue testing the service and honing the technology. (lively music)
