A Chinese state-backed company plans to launch a satellite service to compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink in Brazil, in a challenge for the US as Beijing expands its influence in Latin America.
The announcement from Spacesail, which is developing high-speed internet services through low Earth orbit satellites, came as Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Brazil this week, where he signed an upgraded partnership with his counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The deal with Spacesail also follows a recent dispute between Musk, whose SpaceX company owns Starlink, and Brazilian authorities over alleged misinformation on the billionaire investor’s X social media network.