The authorization was granted last week by the regulator Anatel.
SpaceSail, also known as Qianfan, will compete with the US-based Starlink, which last year became the country’s 13th-largest internet company after closing the year with 606.200 accesses, an annual increase of 85.5%. In the same period, broadband in Brazil grew 2.5%.
In addition to SpaceSail, the start of operations of Amazon LEO is expected, among other players.
Currently, Brazil has 46 authorized geostationary satellites, of which 16 are Brazilian and 30 foreign. Of that total, 42 are in operation.
As for non-geostationary satellites – such as those of SpaceSail, Starlink and Amazon LEO – there are 14 authorized systems, all foreign, of which eight are in operation.
SpaceSail's plans
The company plans to offer broadband access services to end users, internet of things (IoT) applications for the agricultural, industrial, and environmental sectors, as well as backhaul for mobile networks.
In 2024, the Brazilian company Telebras signed a memorandum of understanding with SpaceSail to collaborate on digital inclusion and the provision of satellite internet in areas where fiber-optic infrastructure does not reach, such as rural areas.
In accordance with the regulator's authorization, the company will install six access stations (gateways) in Brazilian territory. SpaceSail has already confirmed the location of the first two, in São Paulo and Brasilia. A network operations center (NOC) will also be installed in Brazil.
SpaceSail will use Ku-band and Q/V-band frequencies for its communications.
The company’s global system will consist of 648 satellites distributed in 18 orbital planes, with 36 satellites in each plane and an altitude of 1,160 km.
SpaceSail will also showcase the overseas practice achievements of the Qianfan Constellation at the 2026 8th Aviation Digital Connectivity Technology Congress held in Hangzhou from April 23 to 24, to jointly explore new development paths for the aviation digital connectivity industry.