Those who have driven a modern-day vehicle are probably familiar with the GPS. However, the American-owned satellite navigation system may no longer be the only dominant geolocation technology in 2019.
Recently, China’s Beidou extended its reach beyond the Asia-Pacific region into parts of Europe and Africa. The expansion of Beidou’s services marks the next significant step in the nation’s Belt and Road Initiative. Since the 1990s, China has been working on its own satellite navigation system to become less dependent on America’s GPS.
Currently, the Beidou satellite positioning system is in its third stage, having launched the 42nd and 43rd satellites back in November. It is the first navigation system in the world to have built-in telecommunications features such as text messaging. The next step? Worldwide coverage replacing the traditional GPS service we have grown accustomed to.