ELON Musk’s Starlink satellite internet network is facing increasingly robust competition, with state-backed Chinese rivals and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s Project Kuiper vying for dominance in the burgeoning low-Earth orbit (LEO) communications sector, according to reports.
Reuters reports that Shanghai-based SpaceSail, backed by the Chinese state, has signed an agreement to expand into Brazil and is engaged in discussions with over 30 countries.
The Kazakh embassy in Beijing also confirmed that SpaceSail has commenced operations in Kazakhstan two months ago.
Separately, Brazilian officials have revealed that BrasÃlia is in talks with both Project Kuiper and Canada’s Telesat, seeking to diversify its high-speed internet options. These discussions are being reported for the first time.
Starlink, which has launched more satellites into LEO – altitudes below 2,000km – since 2020 than all its competitors combined, has established a significant lead. LEO satellites offer efficient data transmission, providing high-speed internet to remote communities, maritime vessels, and military operations.
Beijing views Musk’s dominance in space as a strategic threat, investing heavily in rival networks and funding military research into satellite tracking technologies, according to Chinese corporate filings and academic papers.
Data from astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, analysed by tech consultancy Analysys Mason, indicates that China launched a record 263 LEO satellites last year.
The Brazilian government has welcomed the emergence of competition to Starlink, aiming to provide high-speed internet to its remote regions. This comes after previous tensions with Musk over commercial and political matters.
A newspaper controlled by China’s telecoms regulator praised SpaceSail as “capable of transcending national boundaries, penetrating sovereignty and unconditionally covering the whole world… a strategic capability that our country must master”.
SpaceSail, controlled by the Shanghai municipal government, has ambitious plans to deploy 648 LEO satellites this year and up to 15,000 by 2030, forming the Qianfan, or “Thousand Sails”, constellation. Starlink, by comparison, operates approximately 7,000 satellites, with a target of 42,000 by the end of the decade, according to McDowell.
China is developing three other satellite constellations and plans to launch 43,000 LEO satellites in the coming decades, investing in multi-satellite launch rockets.
“The endgame is to occupy as many orbital slots as possible,” said Chaitanya Giri, a space technology expert at India’s Observer Research Foundation.
Researchers at the American Foreign Policy Council have urged increased cooperation with Global South nations to counter China’s growing digital dominance, describing Qianfan as a key component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
SpaceSail aims to provide reliable internet access, particularly in remote areas and during emergencies. Starlink’s use in the Ukraine war has prompted significant state funding for rival satellite networks, including Hongqing Technology, which recently raised 340 million yuan.
Last year, SpaceSail secured 6.7 billion Yuan in funding from a state-owned investment fund.
Chinese researchers have also significantly increased their focus on LEO satellite technology, with a record 2,449 patents published in 2023, up from 162 in 2019, according to Anaqua’s AcclaimIP database.
A Reuters review found that many patents focus on cost-efficient networks and low-latency communication systems, reflecting China’s efforts to close the technological gap.
-BTS Media
