BEIJING: China has launched a communications satellite which will reportedly provide better internet access on planes and in less-developed regions.

According to the local media, Shijian-13 satellite launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on a Long March-3B carrier rocket, is also said to help those at the scene of natural disasters.

The benefits of the satellite – which has a transfer capacity of 20 Gbps and a designed orbital life of 15 years – will reportedly extend to aircraft, allowing for better internet service on planes, reports said.

The satellite will also allow passengers of high-speed trains to watch high-definition videos.

“The launch is a milestone for China’s communications satellite technology,” Tian Yulong, chief engineer of the State Administration of Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defense, said.

But the satellite’s benefits go beyond the technological and into the humanitarian sphere, according to Xinhua, which reported that it will also help people on the ground report emergencies during natural disasters.

Shijian-13 is the first Chinese satellite to be powered by electricity, and reportedly has the potential to improve efficiency by as much as 10 times compared to those using chemicals as propellant.