聯通發布「衛星路由器」，業者做「中國星鏈」可靠嗎？

2023年下半年，未發先售的華為Mate60 Pro，帶著衛星通話功能炸翻了整個手機市場。隨後，手機產業中掀起了一陣衛星通訊功能落地熱潮，榮耀、OPPO、小米、中興等手機大廠，均陸續推出了支援衛星通話功能的產品。最近，隨著努比亞Z60S Pro的發布，支援衛星通話手機的價格，來到了3,000元以內。這項「捅破天」技術的普及速度，的確遠超乎我們的想像。

不過，目前來說，衛星通話要變成手機標配功能，還需要更多時間。實際上，在手機之外，衛星終端還有其他產品形式。

日前，中國聯通旗下的聯通航美，就推出了一款「衛星路由器」，它能夠作為終端產品連接衛星，借助衛星信號實現通訊，讓接入的手機等設備獲得實現打衛星電話、收發衛星簡訊的功能。

聯通的衛星設備，能讓你用上中國版「星鏈」

中國聯通推出的這款衛星設備，正式名稱是「領航者相控陣」。產品型態方面，它的整機尺寸為263x238x42mm，重2.26KG，方方正正的外觀看上去像是一台路由器，重量則和遊戲本相當。

（圖源：中國聯通）

官方表示，這款產品採用了相控陣天線和軟體定義無線電（SDR）技術，支援高軌衛星和低軌衛星。搜星方面，領航者相控陣採用了電掃技術，能快速掃描波束，從而實現對目標的快速、精準追蹤。而且，它也支援基頻系統支援擴頻技術，能有更強的抗干擾特性，提供更好的連接穩定性。

具體的功能方面，簡單來說，它就是一台衛星網路路由器。領航者相控陣的核心功能就是連接到衛星網絡，然後把網路訊號以WiFi的形式分享給手機等智慧連網設備。同時，它也支援衛星語音通話功能。對於身處沒有地面訊號的用戶來說，它就能成為實現網路通訊的核心裝置。

（圖片來源：中國聯通）

當然，在手機用戶看來，領航者相控陣的核心功能似乎與衛星通訊旗艦手機沒有什麼不同。畢竟，目前的華為Mate60 Pro也好，小米14 Ultra也罷，它們都支援衛星通話和衛星簡訊。

不過，就像專門的無線路由器與用手機開WiFi熱點一樣，雖然它們提供的功能看似相同，但網路效能、使用體驗以及對應的場景都是不同的。領航者相控陣這類產品是專門的衛星設備，它的硬體配置以及性能，遠超整合在智慧型手機內部的衛星通訊模組。有了更高的配置、更好的散熱以及更強的天線效能，「衛星路由器」能提供更好的網路效能、更穩定的網路連線和更好的衛星網路體驗。

可能在普通消費者看來，領航者相控陣是個不便攜的龐然大物，但相比更專業的衛星設備，它已經做了小型化處理，四斤多的重量，已經稱得上是輕盈了。

其實，領航者相控陣與衛星通話手機主打的場景是不一樣的，前者更加強調長期的、持續的使用場景，後者則主打應急場景。依照聯通官方的宣傳，領航者相控陣適用的場景主要是汽車越野、緊急救援、荒野放牧。依照官方介紹，領航者相控陣能夠安裝在車頂，變成車機以及其他智慧型裝置的訊號源，並且能在車輛高速移動過程中實現資料即時傳輸、共享。而這，顯然是普通的衛星手機無法實現的。

（圖源：中國聯通）

看到這裡，我們就能發現領航者相控陣與衛星智慧型手機之間的區別，它的應用場景反而接近馬斯克家的星鏈服務。在海外部分地區，由於地面網路基礎建設不到位，偏遠地區的人們透過星鏈來連接網路反而是成本比較低的方案。而領航者相控陣如果和星鏈設備一樣安裝在屋頂，起到的作用是高度相似的。

「衛星路由器」，哪些人會買？

At the launch of the Navigator Phased Array, China Unicom officials spent a lot of space introducing the advantages of this product, including technical solutions, functions and applicable scenarios. But as ordinary consumers, we must still grasp the parts that are not officially promoted or mentioned.

The first and most important thing is the price. The recommended retail price of the Navigator phased array is 59,800 yuan, with a special launch price of 39,800 yuan. This price is not cheap by any means, but for professional satellite equipment, it is quite reasonable. However, the use of satellite equipment has never been a one-time charge. In addition to the equipment itself, there is also an additional fee for using related satellite communication services.

However, at this press conference, China Unicom did not announce specific information. It only said that the first 100 devices launched will be given 1GB of traffic, valid for 6 months; starting from the seventh month, 3GB of traffic will be given, and the validity is also 6 months. If you have the idea of ​​​​purchasing this product, you must definitely clarify the specific tariff before making a decision.

The second is the usage scenario. As mentioned before, its main scenarios are car off-roading, wilderness grazing, etc. In fact, it is far from ordinary users. After all, the domestic communication infrastructure is quite complete. In daily life, 4G and 5G signals are fully covered, and there are very few dead spots where there is no signal at all.

Of course, if you are hiking cross-country, there are indeed places in the mountains and forests that cannot be covered by ground signals. But in this scenario, the satellite communication function of the mobile phone is enough for emergency use. For most people, there is basically no need to use satellite communication functions for a long time.

(Source: China Unicom)

The other is the actual network speed. It is worth noting that officials say that the Navigator phased array supports high-orbit and low-orbit satellites, but the latter requires subsequent OTA updates. Currently, it is connected to the high-orbit satellite Asia Pacific 6D, and the network rate is limited. If this device cannot stably maintain a high Internet speed, then the scenes of watching videos and browsing Weibo using the satellite network shown in the official promotional video will not exist.

In general, although the Navigator phased array is officially defined as civilian equipment, this does not mean that it is a mass product. In Xiao Lei's view, the group of people it is applicable to is still relatively narrow. If you are a car off-road enthusiast or a professional rescue team, they can indeed maximize the role of this satellite product. But for the majority of ordinary consumers, it is just an expensive and slightly novel new device.

Satellite communication is not a pain point for users, but an itch for users

As we said at the beginning, satellite communication has become a popular feature on smartphones in recent years, and has a tendency to gradually become a standard feature of high-end flagships. Satellite text messages and satellite calls are aimed at emergency scenarios that users may face and provide key "life-saving" services. However, this scenario is too extreme, and it is difficult for satellite communications to become an urgent need for mass users.

In Xiaolei’s view, satellite communication functions are unlikely to be a key factor in users’ decision-making process when purchasing smartphones. As a function that most people don’t use most of the time, satellite communication can hardly be called a pain point for users, but more an itch for users.

However, there is still fierce infighting between different brands in the current mobile phone market, and how to create differentiated selling points has become a common problem faced by them. Looking at it now, telling the story of satellite communications well can indeed enhance the competitiveness of the product, increase the discussion of the topic, and thus attract some users.

(Photo source: Photographed by Lei Technology)

Xiao Lei believes that the main factor hindering the further popularization of satellite communication functions is cost. At present, when other configurations are the same, the price difference between the satellite communication version and the non-satellite communication version of the mobile phone is about 1,000 yuan, and mainstream users are not willing to pay for it.

Of course, in the future, with the advancement of related satellite communication technology and cost reduction, it is only a matter of time before satellite communication becomes popular. Looking back at the development history of smartphones, it is a general rule that we can develop flagship features and decentralize them. In the early years, high-power fast charging, high-refresh screens, high-pixel cameras, etc. that were exclusive to flagship phones are now slowly being used on mid-range and even low-end phones. universal.

And if the cost of the satellite communication module can be reduced to a level where users are insensitive, then it will most likely become a standard smartphone feature that "I can do without, but you can't live without".

Moreover, in the future, the coverage of satellite communication functions will not only be limited to smartphones, but will gradually become popular on many smart devices such as smart watches, tablets, notebooks, and cars. Although the Navigator phased array released by China Unicom focuses on the civilian market, its relatively high pricing and too hard-core usage scenarios make it too far away from ordinary users.

However, judging from the general trend, satellite communication technology will be widely implemented and popularized in the future, and low-orbit satellites and ground base stations will jointly build more comprehensive and three-dimensional network signal coverage. At that time, "satellite routers" created by China Unicom or other brands will open up a larger market.

In the first half of 2024, the technology world is turbulent.

Large models are accelerating, AI mobile phones, AI PCs, AI home appliances, AI search, AI e-commerce...AI applications are emerging in endlessly;

Vision Pro is on sale and launched in the Chinese market, setting off another wave of XR space computing;

HarmonyOS NEXT Officially released, the mobile OS ecology has changed;

Cars have fully entered the "second half", and intelligence has become a top priority;

E-commerce competition is becoming increasingly fierce, with lower prices and higher services;

The wave of going overseas is surging, and Chinese brands are embarking on the journey of globalization ;

...

In July, Lei Technology·Mid-year review topic is online, summarizing the brands, technologies and products worth recording in the first half of 2024 in the technology industry, recording the past and looking forward to the future, so stay tuned.

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