Spacesail Kazakhstan, a subsidiary of China's Spacesail International, has officially registered at Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) with a capital investment of $17mn. 

Often regarded as a potential competitor to Elon Musk’s Starlink, the company is positioning itself as a major player in the "mega-constellation" satellite internet sector.

In 2024, Spacesail successfully put 18 satellites into low-Earth orbit using the Long March 6A rocket launched from Taiyuan Launch Complex in China’s Shanxi Province. By 2025, the company plans to deploy 648 satellites to cover China’s entire territory, with an ambitious long-term goal of launching approximately 15,000 satellites worldwide by 2030. 

Once fully operational, Spacesail aims to provide high-speed internet access globally. 

The company plans to establish a local facility to integrate its satellite internet services with Kazakhstan’s communication infrastructure.

Kazakhstan's Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry is expected to formalise cooperation with Spacesail by signing a memorandum of understanding within the year, after which a detailed timeline for the satellite internet rollout in Kazakhstan will be announced, Kursiv reported on January 22. Spacesail Kazakhstan has pledged to comply with requirements from the ministry.

Kazakhstan is already testing its satellite internet capabilities. A pilot project has been launched to bring Starlink internet services to schools in remote areas. Additionally, satellite internet services from global providers OneWeb and Amazon Kuiper were introduced in the country in 2024.