Elon Musk’s Starlink has entered into a contract with Kyivstar, a Ukrainian mobile service, to provide satellite connectivity support, according to VEON, Kyivstar’s parent company.
“Kyivstar has done a tremendous job investing in Ukraine’s 4G connectivity, expanding coverage to remote areas and increasing energy resilience of its network,” VEON Group CEP Kaan Terzioglu said on Monday, adding that the agreement with Starlink will take Ukraine’s connectivity “to the next level.”
“We are excited to work with Starlink to make Ukraine one of the leading countries in the world to have direct-to-cell services, and we look forward to exploring the opportunities across our markets that are home to 520 million people,” Terzioglu said.
VEON said there will be a “groundbreaking” advancement in direct-to-cell service upon the launch of Starlink’s satellite that will expand messaging, voice, and data functionality by late 2025.
The decision will lead to more coverage in Ukraine’s remote areas even when war-related actions cause terrestrial networks to shut down, resulting in blackouts, the company said.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Kyivstar has “been the backbone” of internet connection, Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov said, calling the agreement with Starlink a “game-changer in our journey towards achieving our ‘LTE everywhere’ ambition.”
In November, Musk joined President-elect Donald Trump in a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during which Musk said he would continue to supply Ukraine with Starlink satellites.
“We are humbled to be the operator that serves its customers with exceptional services, and the company that brings the invaluable capabilities of global technology giants to the people of Ukraine through our international partnerships,” Komarov said.
According to Starlink, direct-to-cell service works for long-term evolution (LTE) phones “wherever you can see the sky,” acting as a “cellphone tower in space.”
“No changes to hardware, firmware, or special apps are required, providing seamless access to text, voice, and data,” Starlink states on its website.
VEON says it has invested more than $10 billion in Ukraine since 2013, with a commitment of $1 billion for reconstruction from 2023 to 2027.
“Working with Starlink, we will now leverage space technology to bridge the connectivity gaps to extend our reach far beyond the current 160 million people we serve,” said VEON chairman and founder Augie Fabela.
The Dubai-headquartered VEON serves regions throughout six countries. Its subsidiary, Kyivstar, is the largest mobile provider in Ukraine, with more than 23 million customers.
