Kyivstar Taps Starlink to Enable Direct-to-Cell Satellite Connectivity

VEON Ltd., a global digital operator, has announced that Kyivstar, its digital operator in Ukraine, has signed an agreement with Starlink, a division of SpaceX, to introduce groundbreaking direct-to-cell satellite connectivity in Ukraine.

Upon its launch, the service will make Ukraine one of the first countries to have the game-changing Starlink direct-to-cell service, enhancing the resilience of the country’s connectivity landscape. Kyivstar anticipates launching Starlink direct-to-cell services with SMS and OTT messaging functionality in the fourth quarter of 2025 for Kyivstar customers, and plans to expand to voice and data in later stages.

Direct-to-Cell Satellite Connectivity

“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. 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,” said Kaan Terzioglu, VEON Group CEO.  

"Kyivstar has been the backbone of Ukraine’s resilience throughout the war, and we are committed to leaving no stone unturned to keep Ukraine connected.  Our collaboration with Starlink is a game-changer in our journey towards achieving our ‘LTE everywhere’ ambition. We are humbled to be the operator that serves its customer with exceptional services, and the company that brings the invaluable capabilities of global technology giants to the people of Ukraine through our international partnerships,” said Oleksandr Komarov, Kyivstar CEO.

With its dedication to expanding 4G coverage to remote areas of Ukraine and maintaining the resilience of connectivity and digital services during energy blackouts, Kyivstar has invested significantly in its 4G network, spectrum and energy redundancy since the beginning of the war.  With access to Starlink direct-to-cell technology, Kyivstar customers will benefit from satellite-powered connectivity even when the terrestrial network is unable to service an area.

VEON, Kyivstar’s parent company, has invested more than USD 10 billion in Ukraine since 2013 and has committed USD 1 billion to the country’s recovery and reconstruction from 2023 through 2027. VEON, through Kyivstar, was named the top international investor in Ukraine for 2022 and 2023 by Forbes Ukraine and NV Ukraine.

“VEON’s pioneering spirit has always put us at the forefront of serving the underserved in frontier markets. 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. This agreement marks a transformative year for VEON, from relocating our headquarters to Dubai to focusing all our trading on Nasdaq in New York and ultimately to reinforcing our commitment to innovation and growth in the regions that need it the most” said Augie K Fabela II, Chairman and Founder of VEON.

Kyivstar is the largest telecoms operator in Ukraine with over 23 million mobile subscribers and over 1 million home internet subscribers. As Ukraine’s market-leading operator, the company has maintained network availability of above 90% on average since February 2022, supporting the connectivity of not only its own customers but also the broader Ukrainian population. Kyivstar is 100% owned by the VEON Group.