Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk‘s Starlink faces mounting competition in the satellite internet sector as China’s state-backed SpaceSail and Amazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos‘ Project Kuiper advance their expansion plans.
What Happened: SpaceSail, a Shanghai-based company, has begun establishing its presence in international markets, signing an agreement to enter Brazil and launching operations in Kazakhstan, Reuters reported.
The company aims to deploy 648 low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites in 2025 and plans to expand to 15,000 by 2030, challenging Starlink’s current constellation of approximately 7,000 satellites.
The competition intensifies as Brazil engages in talks with Project Kuiper and Canada’s Telesat, according to the report, which cited a Brazilian official source. This diversification reflects growing market demand for high-speed internet in remote areas and during natural disasters.
Why It Matters: Starlink’s effectiveness was recently demonstrated during Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, where its emergency deployment provided crucial communication services. The Federal Communications Commission granted SpaceX and T-Mobile emergency approval to implement direct-to-cell technology in affected areas.
The satellite internet race has spurred significant technological advancement, with China publishing 2,449 LEO satellite-related patents in 2023, up from 162 in 2019. Antoine Grenier, global head of space at Analysys Mason, describes the current environment as a “wild west” where pioneers are positioning themselves before regulations tighten.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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