Chinese satellite company challenges Starlink in Brazil.

(CLO) Chinese satellite company SpaceSail has just announced plans to launch satellite services in Brazil to compete with Elon Musk's Starlink.

This announcement was made during Chinese President Xi Jinping's official visit to Brazil, where he and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed an agreement to upgrade their strategic partnership.

Photo: Hurfpostbrasil

SpaceSail, also known as Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology, has reached an agreement with the Brazilian state-owned corporation Telebrás to provide satellite communications and broadband internet services throughout Brazil. The service is expected to launch in 2026, targeting areas not currently connected by fiber optic infrastructure.

SpaceSail plans to deploy 15,000 satellites into low Earth orbit by 2030, aiming to capture the satellite internet market in Brazil, where Starlink currently holds nearly half the market share.

This comes amid escalating tensions between Elon Musk and Brazil. Musk was previously forced to remove accounts on the X platform due to allegations of spreading extremist content, leading to the platform being temporarily banned in Brazil.

The agreement between SpaceSail and Brazil is part of a larger Chinese strategy to increase its influence in Latin America. During his visit, Xi Jinping signed dozens of agreements with Brazil in the fields of agriculture , technology, and infrastructure, and upgraded the strategic partnership between the two countries. However, Brazil has yet to join China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), despite receiving numerous invitations from Beijing.

The competition between SpaceSail and Starlink not only reflects a shift in the regional power order but also symbolizes the confrontation between China and the US in technological and geopolitical space.

Cao Phong (according to FT, Bloomberg)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/cong-ty-trung-quoc-trien-khai-internet-ve-tinh-de-canh-tranh-voi-starlink-cua-elon-musk-post322542.html