As a core, Shijian 13 will be lifted on a Long March 3B carrier rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province in April, 2017. The satellite weighs 4.6 metric tons and will stay for 15 years in a geostationary orbit about 36,000 kilometers above Earth. It features a Ka-band broadband communications system capable of transmitting 20 gigabytes of data per second, making it China’s most powerful communications satellite. According to plans, a constellation of advanced communications satellites will be established by 2025, allowing people to use high-quality Wi-Fi service anywhere and anytime, including on bullet trains and planes.
CAS news release, February 16, 2017