Kyivstar recently switched on Starlink‘s direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity in Ukraine, becoming one of the first mobile operators in Europe to introduce this service. This activation follows a series of tests earlier this year conducted by the Veon owned company.
Kyivstar customers with standard 4G smartphones will now be able to stay connected in areas where terrestrial networks are down, damaged or out of reach. The initial phase enables SMS services, with voice and data set to follow in 2026.
The operator highlighted the importance of the technology amid the country’s ongoing war with Russia, stating it will be crucial in regions facing prolonged blackouts, recently de-occupied territories undergoing network restoration and areas used for rescue and humanitarian missions. Businesses operating in hard-to-access areas will also benefit.
Ukraine’s minister of digital transformation Mykhailo Fedorov hailed the launch as “an important step in developing infrastructure that will ensure connectivity even in areas without traditional networks”. He also highlighted the pressures of wartime conditions, pointing to “constant Russian attacks on infrastructure, blackouts and network damage”.
Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov said it marks an upgrade to national resilience, noting the operator’s existing system of batteries and generators already provide up to ten hours of backup coverage during grid failures. With D2D satellite connectivity, he said Kyivstar is “enhancing this resilience significantly” with “a vital functionality that is critical for our people”.
The service is available at no extra cost to subscribers with a 4G smartphone across Ukraine, excluding occupied areas, border regions and active combat zones.
The commercial debut comes ten months after the pair struck a deal to introduce space-based connectivity in the country. In August, the partners conducted a pilot in Ukraine’s Zhytomyr region, where Komarov and Fedorov used standard 4G smartphones to exchange messages through Starlink’s D2D technology.
Following the pilot, Kyivstar said that Starlink’s D2D data service, which will support video communication through messaging apps, remains under development.
Source: Mobile World Live
Image Credit: Starlink & Ukraine Flag
