Chinese Researchers Achieve 1 Gbps GEO Laser Downlink With 2-Watt Transmitter

2 articles · Updated · The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel · Aug 15

A 1 gigabit-per-second optical downlink was recorded from geostationary orbit—about 36,000 km above Earth—using a laser transmitter rated at just 2 watts.
The result came from combining adaptive optics with mode diversity reception, a two-stage approach designed to counter atmospheric turbulence that leaves incoming light faint, scattered and hard to decode.
The combined receiver lifted the usable-signal rate to 91.1% from 72%, according to the published research led by Wu Jian of Peking University of Posts and Telecommunications and Liu Chao of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The reported “five times faster than Starlink” comparison refers only to recorded transmission speed; Starlink operates in much lower orbit and was not tested as a like-for-like consumer service benchmark.