China Launched its First Satellite for Space-Based Broadband Services

China has launched its first communication satellite to offer broadband internet services to users worldwide. The communication satellite was launched using a Long March 11 carrier 

rocket which took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in north-western China.

• It is CASIC's (China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation) first satellite launch under China's Hongyun project.
• The satellite aims to rival Google and other companies which have similar plans for providing Internet services worldwide.

About the Hongyun Project:

• China started the Hongyun project in September 2016.
• Under this project, China plans to give broadband internet connectivity to users all over the world by building a space-based communications network.
• The project also seeks to take the Internet connectivity to the underserved regions of the world.
• CASIC will be placing than 150 Hongyun satellites on orbits about 1,000 km above the ground around 2023 and can be expanded as per the demand.
• It is to be noted that CASIC is the main contractor for Chinese space programs and a state-owned company.

Interesting to know:

• A number of tech companies have already launched space-based broadband plans to provide free internet access that includes Google, SpaceX, OneWeb and Telesat.
• United States' SpaceX launched Starlink project aims to put around 12,000 satellites in the space by the mid-2020s.
• A U.S. firm, OneWeb, will be launching a constellation of 648 low-Earth orbit microsatellites by the end of 2019 to provide broadband services.
• A Chinese company plans to launch a constellation of 272 satellites to provide free WiFi service worldwide.

Question:

Which country has launched its first communication satellite to offer broadband internet services to users worldwide?
a. Japan
b. South Korea
c. China
d. Germany