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Elon Musk’s Starlink is encountering growing challenges to its dominance in high-speed satellite internet, with competition emerging from China’s state-backed SpaceSail and Jeff Bezos’ Amazon-funded Project Kuiper.
Shanghai-based SpaceSail has been expanding aggressively, signing an agreement in November to enter Brazil and engaging in talks with over 30 countries. Two months later, it launched operations in Kazakhstan, according to the Kazakh embassy in Beijing. Meanwhile, Brazil is negotiating with Project Kuiper and Canada’s Telesat for potential satellite internet services, according to a Brazilian official.
Since 2020, Starlink has deployed more low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites—positioned at altitudes below 2,000 km—than all its competitors combined. These satellites provide efficient, high-speed internet to remote areas, maritime operations, and military forces. However, Beijing views Starlink’s dominance as a strategic threat and has been heavily investing in rival satellite projects while funding military research into tracking satellite constellations, according to corporate filings and academic papers.
China launched a record 263 LEO satellites in 2024, according to data from astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, analysed by consultancy Analysys Mason. SpaceSail, controlled by the Shanghai municipal government, plans to deploy 648 LEO satellites this year and aims to launch up to 15,000 by 2030. Starlink, which currently operates around 7,000 satellites, has set a target of reaching 42,000 by the decade’s end.
SpaceSail’s satellite network, named Qianfan or “Thousand Sails,” represents China’s first global push into satellite broadband. Three other Chinese constellations are under development, with Beijing planning to launch 43,000 LEO satellites in the coming decades while investing in multi-satellite rocket technology. Experts suggest this strategy aims to secure as many orbital slots as possible.
Western policymakers have raised concerns that China’s growing presence in LEO could extend Beijing’s internet censorship influence. A February report by the American Foreign Policy Council urged Washington to strengthen digital partnerships with Global South nations to counter China’s satellite expansion, describing Qianfan as a key part of the space component of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative. Critics argue that the $1 trillion infrastructure project is primarily designed to enhance China’s geopolitical influence.
While China’s foreign ministry stated that it was unaware of SpaceSail’s overseas expansion, it emphasised that Beijing pursues space cooperation for mutual benefit. SpaceSail has positioned itself as a provider of reliable internet access, particularly for remote communities and disaster recovery efforts.
Neither Starlink, Project Kuiper, Telesat, nor Brazil’s communications ministry responded to requests for comment. SpaceSail also declined to address questions about its expansion plans. However, a state-controlled newspaper praised the company’s ambitions, stating that it has the potential to “transcend national boundaries, penetrate sovereignty, and unconditionally cover the whole world”—a capability that China sees as strategically vital.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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