China Satellitecom, based in Chongqing, has started accepting booking of satellite telephone service for individuals and non-corporate entities. Priced at around CNY8000 each, the purchasers of this kind of phone are expected to be limited.

However, renting is still an option for individuals, and Satellitecom is targeting the adventure-tourism industry as a potential user of the phones. Rentals start around CNY200 per day and have excellent coverage in areas like China's remote Gobi desert, where normal GSM and CDMA signals do not reach.

China currently has different mobile phone standards, including CDMA, GSM, and the recently-launched PHS. Though Satellitecom's new service is not expected to garner much interest for mass consumers, it will prove benefitial for certain niche industries.