China has launched authorized commercial operation of service data from its national satellite navigation and positioning reference station network. This marks the first national-level authorization of public-data operations in the field of spatial and temporal information infrastructure. It will help transform the reference station network’s underutilized public data from a public resource into data assets that can be legally circulated and used, marking a new stage of market-oriented operation for BeiDou high-precision spatial and temporal data.The decision was announced Sept. 4 at a policy meeting in Beijing jointly organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the National Data Administration.
Satellite navigation reference stations continuously observe signals from navigation satellites and provide correction data for errors including orbital deviations and atmospheric delays. These corrections enable positioning accuracy to improve from the meter level to centimeters or, in specialized applications, millimeters. The infrastructure supports surveying and mapping, disaster monitoring, transportation, energy, meteorology and other high-precision applications.
A unified national network
The Ministry of Natural Resources has coordinated the integration of reference station resources across China and established a nationally unified network with common technical standards, centralized oversight and controlled data management.
The network currently includes 7,569 stations: 420 national stations, 3,293 provincial stations and 3,856 cooperative stations. It operates through a coordinated “1+33” system linking a national center with 33 BeiDou application and reference service centers.
The network is designed to provide standardized national surveying and mapping reference services while supporting unified planning, technical standards and supervision. Its data collection, processing and distribution capabilities were completed with the aim of providing a common high-precision spatial and temporal information foundation for users across regions and industries.
China’s national satellite navigation reference station data was registered on the National Public Data Resources Registration Platform in 2025, establishing a formal basis for its subsequent authorized operation.
From public infrastructure to data services
The authorization program is part of China’s implementation of policies including the “Data Twenty” framework and the public-data “1+3” policy system. It is intended to balance public-service requirements, market demand and data-driven innovation.
Under the model, authorized operating entities will develop and provide services based on reference station network data while maintaining security controls and data classification and grading protections. The program will cover public services, key industries, scientific research and industrial development.
The approach does not represent unrestricted commercialization of the data. Authorities said the operation will follow the principles of security, controllability, service quality and efficiency, with safeguards designed to ensure that public-interest services remain available and that sensitive data is handled in compliance with national security requirements.
More than 10 institutions and companies from sectors including meteorology, earthquake monitoring, energy and transportation signed initial user agreements at the meeting. These organizations are expected to become among the first users of the authorized services.
From high-precision positioning to broader space-data applications
A unified reference network can reduce the need for companies and public agencies to build and maintain separate positioning infrastructure. It can also improve consistency for users operating across provincial and regional boundaries by providing standardized correction data and services.
Potential applications include high-precision land surveying, geological and structural displacement monitoring, infrastructure inspection, intelligent transportation, precision agriculture, emergency response and low-altitude aviation.
Continuous positioning data can also support the detection of small ground movements relevant to geological hazard assessment and other safety-related services.
The authorization program is intended to expand BeiDou-based high-precision positioning beyond traditional surveying and land-resource applications. By creating a formal channel for compliant data development and service delivery, it could support new commercial products built on a common national spatial and temporal reference.
Officials described the BeiDou initiative as a transition for the national reference station infrastructure from construction and management toward broader utilization. It is also expected to provide a practical model for unlocking the value of other public datasets while preserving public-service responsibilities and data-security controls.
The launch of authorized operation for China’s national BeiDou reference station network reflects a broader shift toward making space-derived data more accessible, standardized and commercially usable. As China expands satellite manufacturing and space-data capacity, international users are also gaining access to increasingly competitive sources of satellite imagery and payload services.
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