Starlink's competitors begin a battle to dominate satellite internet in Brazil.

247 - Elon Musk's Starlink communications network has been experiencing increased competition in the Brazilian satellite internet market. Its leadership has been challenged by new entrants, such as SpaceSail – a company based in Shanghai – and Project Kuiper, funded by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, according to [source missing]. Sputnik, citing the Reuters news agency,.

SpaceSail signed an agreement to enter the Brazilian market and, just two months after the formalization of the pact, had already begun operations in Kazakhstan. Simultaneously, Brazil initiated negotiations with Project Kuiper and Telesat of Canada, seeking solutions that would enable access to high-speed internet at more competitive prices, especially in remote areas.

Since 2020, Starlink has launched more satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO) than all its competitors combined. This strategy has not only expanded the service's coverage – reaching isolated regions and conflict zones, such as the current war in Ukraine – but has also sparked apprehension among governments and analysts, who see this expansion as a stimulus for investment in competing technologies and military research.

Pressure has intensified with China's actions, which last year launched a record 263 LEO satellites in an attempt to rival Musk's constellation. SpaceSail, in turn, plans to launch 648 satellites this year and reach 15.000 satellites by 2030, while Starlink, which already has around 7.000 satellites, plans to operate 42.000 units by the end of the decade. In contrast, Beijing is projecting the Qianfan constellation – its first international breakthrough in satellite broadband – and aims to launch 43.000 LEO satellites in the coming decades.

In this scenario of hegemonic dispute between the US and China for technological leadership, Western policymakers are showing greater apprehension about Chinese expansion. According to the report, researchers from the US Foreign Policy Council suggest that Washington intensify cooperation with nations of the Global South to counter Beijing's influence, highlighting that the issue goes beyond commercial competitiveness and also involves aspects of "security".

The rapid expansion of Starlink and its use in conflict situations, such as in Ukraine, have attracted the attention of Chinese military researchers. In response, China has been investing significantly in the development of rival satellite networks, improving tools to track the Starlink constellation and focusing on low-latency, low-cost communication systems.