Before the end of 2025 Ukraine is expecting to be one of the first countries to have the Starlink direct-to-cell satellite service up and running, thereby enhancing the resilience of the country’s connectivity landscape, thanks to a deal between Starlink and local operator Kyivstar.
Veon, a digital operator operating across six countries that currently provides converged connectivity and online services to around 160 million customers, has announced that Kyivstar, its digital operator in Ukraine, has signed an agreement with satellite internet service Starlink, a division of launch service company SpaceX, to introduce direct-to-cell satellite connectivity in Ukraine.
Kyivstar anticipates launching Starlink direct-to-cell services with SMS and OTT messaging functionality in the fourth quarter of 2025 for Kyivstar customers. It plans to expand to voice and data in later stages.
Kaan Terzioglu, Veon Group CEO, says: “Kyivstar has done a tremendous job in investing in Ukraine’s 4G connectivity, expanding coverage to remote areas and increasing the energy resilience of its network. Today’s announcement helps us take our commitment to Ukraine’s connectivity to the next level, exponentially amplifying the resilience of our services with satellite connectivity.”
He continues: “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.”
With access to Starlink direct-to-cell technology, says Veon, Kyivstar customers will benefit from satellite-powered connectivity even when the terrestrial network is unable to service an area. Veon adds that it has invested more than US$10 billion in Ukraine since 2013 and has committed US$1 billion to the country’s recovery and reconstruction from 2023 through 2027.
As Reuters explains, direct-to-cell devices are connected to satellites equipped with modems that function like a cellphone tower, beaming phone signals from space directly to smartphones. Starlink launched its first set of satellites with direct-to-cell capabilities in 2024.
Reuters adds that financial details of the agreement have not been disclosed but says Starlink already provides critical internet connectivity to the country and its military, although Russia has ramped up its efforts to jam signals between Starlink satellites and ground terminals in Ukraine since 2022.
