Qianfan Constellation Terminal Debuts: Direct Satellite-to-Phone Calls With 5G-Comparable Quality
Summary: Shanghai Genesat publicly debuted its Qianfan constellation direct-to-phone terminal at a product launch event on June 26, 2026, demonstrating satellite voice calls with 5G-comparable quality—marking Chinas LEO satcom transition from constellation deployment to terminal commercialization.
On June 26, at MWC Shanghai 2026, Shanghai Genesat unveiled several new terminal products for the Qianfan constellation, including a direct-to-phone trial satellite model and two commercial satellite terminals making their public debut. On-site demonstrations showed that ordinary smartphones can place voice calls via satellite with quality reportedly comparable to 5G network standards.
The Qianfan constellation is Chinas mega LEO broadband commercial satellite program. On June 9, Genesat successfully launched its first direct-to-phone trial satellite from the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone using a Zhuque-2 improved Y6 launch vehicle. As of now, the Qianfan constellation has more than 200 satellites in orbit, with constellation deployment continuing at pace.
On the technical standards front, a 6G satellite technology report led by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) with participation from China Telecom and Genesat was approved by ITU-R in May 2026, becoming a key reference document in the 6G non-terrestrial network domain and strengthening Chinas voice in global standards-setting.
The public debut of these terminal products marks the Qianfan constellations formal transition from constellation deployment to terminal commercialization, bringing satellite communication services for mass consumers one step closer to reality.