BEIJING - China will establish a constellation of more than 300 low-orbit satellites to provide global communication services, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) announced Friday.

The first satellite of the Hongyan constellation is set to be launched this year, CASC said.

The Hongyan constellation is composed of more than 300 satellites, along with data processing centers, and will be built in three stages.

Once completed, the satellite communication network will take the place of the ground-based network and allow a mobile phone to be connected everywhere on the planet, either in a remote desert or at sea, according to CASC.