Starlink, move over: satellite Internet from the Chinese SpaceSail will work outside of China

Elon Musk’s Chinese competitor in the field of satellite Internet, SpaceSail, intends to begin operations in Brazil in 2026. The head of the company from Shanghai told Bloomberg. This could be the first time that a satellite provider from China will launch its services in the international market.

Image source: starlink.com

SpaceSail CEO Jason Jie Zheng has signed a memorandum of understanding with Brazilian telecommunications company Telecomunicacoes Brasileiras S.A. to study the demand for satellite Internet in regions where there is no broadband connection. The document was signed during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Brazil – the heads of the two countries will also sign a number of partnership agreements. Production of BYD electric vehicles and Oppo smartphones will be launched in Brazil. SpaceSail will open a subsidiary in Brazil later this year and begin providing communications services two years later.

In August and October, SpaceSail launched two batches of 18 satellites into orbit; by the end of next year, the company intends to increase the size of the group to 600 devices and complete the first stage of its deployment. In October, Brazilian government officials visited SpaceSail’s headquarters. This was preceded by a months-long confrontation between the head of SpaceX and Starlink, Elon Musk, and a member of the country’s Supreme Court; the incident then resulted in multimillion-dollar fines.

Starlink is the leading satellite internet service provider in Brazil with a 46% market share; in the entire broadband services market in the country, the company’s share is 0.5%; it had 265,000 customers here as of September. Brazilian Communications Minister Juscelino Filho rejected the connection between the authorities’ conflict with Musk and negotiations with his Chinese competitors.