Ukraine’s largest mobile network operator Kyivstar has successfully completed the first ever field test of Starlink’s direct to cell satellite technology in Eastern Europe. The company announced the trial on Tuesday.
The pilot test took place in the Zhytomyr region, where Kyivstar’s Chief Executive Officer Oleksandr Komarov and Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov exchanged messages using ordinary smartphones. No mobile network was used in the process.
This technology is designed to provide stable connectivity when ground-based networks are not working. It is particularly important for Ukraine, where frequent damage to infrastructure from Russian attacks disrupts communication services.
The satellites for this service are fitted with advanced cellular modems that work like mobile towers in space. They send signals directly to smartphones on the ground, removing the need for additional equipment or applications.
Telecommunication companies around the world are adopting satellite solutions to remove dead zones, especially in remote regions where building terrestrial networks is too costly or faces serious geographical challenges.
Starlink, which is owned by SpaceX, has already signed agreements with mobile operators in 10 countries to offer the direct to cell service. Kyivstar will be the first operator in Europe to provide it.
Kyivstar and Starlink aim to commercially launch the service in the last quarter of 2025, starting with messaging functions. Mobile satellite broadband data will follow in early 2026, according to Komarov.
Kyivstar’s parent company VEON is also in discussions with other providers, including Amazon’s Project Kuiper, to further develop satellite-based mobile services beyond Ukraine.
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