A Long March-2C carrier rocket carrying a test satellite for satellite internet technologies blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Dec 30, 2023. The satellite was launched at 8:13 am (Beijing Time), and successfully entered its preset orbit. Photo: Xinhua

Brazil and China are collaborating to negotiate a memorandum of understanding aimed at bringing a Chinese satellite company to Brazil, reported The Rio Times. An expert told the Global Times on Thursday that this move indicates the increasing competitiveness of China's commercial aerospace sector.

Brazil's Secretary of Telecommunications Hermano Barros Tercius confirmed the plans to the BBC. According to The Rio Times, SpaceSail, developed by Chinese company Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology, which operates in the low Earth orbit satellite internet sector, aims to begin operations in Brazil by 2025. 

SpaceSail, also known as Qianfan megaconstellation project, or G60, was launched with the aim of providing more extensive and high-quality communication services for domestic users. In the long run, it is expected to establish a network of over 15,000 low Earth orbit wide-screen multimedia satellites by the end of 2030.

The Brazilian Minister of Communications Juscelino Filho visited the factory of the company in Shanghai in October. SpaceSail intends to provide its internet services via a constellation of low-orbit satellites in Brazil in the next two years, according to Forum Macao.

The report by The Rio Times said that the move comes amid tensions between Elon Musk and Brazilian authorities, which stemmed from disputes over content moderation on X, formerly known as Twitter. Musk's Starlink currently dominates the Brazilian satellite internet market with a 45.9 percent share, according to the report. 

Meanwhile, Starlink's rapid growth has raised concerns about market monopolization, according to the report. Brazilian government seeks to diversify providers to ensure competition and better service options for consumers. The report also noted that the specific timeline for SpaceSail's operations in Brazil hasn't been set yet.

The potential for cooperation highlights the growing competitiveness of China's commercial space companies, Wang Yanan, chief editor of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times on Thursday, adding that following China's significant breakthroughs in technological advancements, the development of commercial space enterprises is currently in a relatively strong position.

Another important trend is that China's satellite internet is likely to become a global commercial resource for low-orbit satellites upon its completion, whether it is commercial or organized by the government, Wang added.

If China's low-orbit satellite internet is successfully established in the future, it is expected to cover a substantial portion of the globe. Increased cooperation will then unlock greater commercial potential, allowing China to connect regional and national commercial space agencies. This partnership would also benefit these agencies by enabling them to utilize orbital resources to develop their own commercial ecosystems, Wang noted.

Wang also pointed out that China's cooperation is both open and fair. Consequently, many countries are likely to choose China, particularly in the realm of infrastructure like the internet, which is essential for the functioning of national economies.

In 1999, the first China-Brazil earth-resource satellite was successfully launched, which was the first satellite jointly developed by China and another country, according to the Xinhua News Agency, and China and Brazil have jointly developed six earth-resource satellites over the past 30 years.