Narayan AmmachchiSpaceX, led by US billionaire Elon Musk, is in talks with the Brazilian government to offer satellite broadband services in remote parts of the country.
The primary goal is to give internet access to schools and health centers in remote areas, including the Amazon rainforest.
The news comes almost three months after SpaceX subsidiary Starlink began offering broadband services in Chile.
“We are talking about environmental issues and connecting people in rural schools in Brazil”, tweeted Brazil’s communications minister Fabio Faria after his meeting with Elon Musk in Austin, Texas.
The download speed offered by Starlink is reportedly enough for teleworkers and schools. SpaceX has launched close to 2,000 satellites into orbit over the past decade.
“Unbounded by traditional ground infrastructure, Starlink can deliver high-speed broadband internet to locations where access has been unreliable or completely unavailable,” reads Starlink’s website.
SpaceX low-orbit satellites will also help the Brazilian government to stop the illegal logging in the Amazon rainforest. “Our objective is to bring internet to rural areas and remote places, as well as to help control fires and illegal deforestation in the Amazon rainforest,” Faria said in a statement.
The Brazilian government has long been under pressure from international organizations to protect the rainforest. Moreover, it was a hot topic in the recent global climate summit in Glasgow.
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