Kyivstar to Launch Europe's First Starlink Mobile Services

Messaging service will start by the end of 2024 and satellite broadband and voice will start by mid-2026.

Tests on the ground are already in progress under a deal struck with SpaceX to bring direct-to-cell services to the war-torn country, Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov said. The effort is meant to sustain Ukraine's communications infrastructure despite its conflict.

Messaging by 2024, Broadband by 2026
The initial roll-out stage will enable over-the-top (OTT) messaging on popular applications such as WhatsApp and Signal. This is something Komarov is going to make available by the end of the year. The second wave will provide mobile satellite broadband data and voice services, scheduled in the second quarter of 2026.

The direct-to-cell technology enables satellites to act like mobile towers, beaming signals from space straight to smartphones without going through conventional towers and base stations.

Especially in conflict zones or locations with crippled networks, the method is useful.

The news comes just as U.S. carrier T-Mobile also announces it is going to start offering a Starlink-powered satellite data service in October.

Foreign Relations and Prospective Listing
Komarov's comments came ahead of a major Ukraine recovery conference in Italy, to be hosted three years after Russia's invasion began on a full scale in February 2022.

The event features President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and emphasizes reconstruction and new international business partnerships.

At the conference, Komarov said he was looking to support Ukraine's government and build new ties, especially with Italian companies willing to invest in the country.

Kyivstar, a part of the world's largest international telecoms group VEON, is also gearing up for a listing at the NASDAQ stock exchange.

Komarov said the plan is advancing and would be ready in the third quarter of this year. If successful, it would be the first time that a Ukrainian company lists directly on an American stock exchange during wartime.

Telecom Resilience Despite Conflict
Despite ongoing Russian attacks, including attacks on Ukraine's power grid, Kyivstar's network has not collapsed. In 2022, the telecom system "was deployed in a way that was less resilient," said Komarov, and services can currently remain operational for a period of up to 10 hours during blackouts, up to and including a full national blackout.

As Ukraine focuses on building the country's digital immunity, the imminent launch of the Starlink mobile service will guarantee that the country stays connected even under catastrophic circumstances.