Ukraine is set to become the first European nation to introduce Starlink’s mobile services, with leading telecom provider Kyivstar preparing to roll out messaging capabilities by the end of this year and full mobile satellite broadband by mid-2026, according to the company’s CEO, Oleksandr Komarov.
In an interview with Reuters in Rome, Komarov revealed that field testing is already underway as part of an agreement with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network, signed for implementation by the end of 2024. The initiative will allow Elon Musk’s satellite internet service to deliver direct-to-cell connectivity in Ukraine.
The technology, which enables smartphones to connect directly to satellites equipped with modems functioning as orbiting cell towers, will initially support messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Signal.
“The first phase is over-the-top (OTT) messaging... this will be operational by the end of this year,” Komarov said.
“By early 2026—let’s say Q2 2026 to be cautious—we aim to offer mobile satellite broadband and voice services,.” he added.
SpaceX has not commented publicly on the development. In the U.S. T-Mobile announced plans in June to begin offering data services via its satellite-to-cell network, powered by Starlink, starting in October.
Komarov made his remarks ahead of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome, a major international event focused on Ukraine’s reconstruction following more than three years of war. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also participating in the summit.
Kyivstar, which is owned by global telecom group VEON, is additionally preparing for a U.S. stock market debut.
Komarov said the company is working towards a NASDAQ listing, with plans to finalise the move in the third quarter of 2025.
“I believe it will be a historic step—the first direct listing of a Ukrainian company on a U.S. exchange during wartime,” he noted.
Despite intensified Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in recent weeks, Komarov said the country’s telecommunications systems remain resilient. He pointed out that although last year’s strikes on power grids triggered widespread blackouts, the network’s capacity has improved significantly.
“We’re much more resilient now than we were in 2022,” he said. “Currently, we can keep our fixed and mobile services running for up to 10 hours during power outages—even nationwide blackouts.”
"I will be president for only a couple of weeks, and then I will resign," Vucic told supporters at a pro-government rally in the capital, Belgrade....
The death toll in the twin earthquakes which rocked Venezuela earlier this week has risen to 1,430, top lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez said on Saturday. Ano...
A tanker reported being struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, Britain's maritime security agency said, after the United States a...
The Central African Republic declared a cholera outbreak after 197 cases, including 24 deaths, were confirmed in two health districts southwest of the...
Australia said it would double the maximum penalty it can impose on tech firms found to have failed to uphold a groundbreaking social media ban for ch...
"I will be president for only a couple of weeks, and then I will resign," Vucic told supporters at a pro-government rally in the capital, Belgrade.
France said on Saturday it was considering taking reciprocal measures after Burkina Faso broke off diplomatic relations.
A light aircraft crash into a high-rise building in Beijing's Chaoyang district on Friday killed one person and injured 13, the district government said on Saturday in a statement posted on its social media account.
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose 100% tariffs on imports from any country that adopts a digital services tax. The move escalated tensions with trading partners over levies that Washington argues unfairly target American technology companies.
Tens of thousands of people are still unaccounted for after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela. At least 589 people have been confirmed dead and hundreds are believed to be trapped under rubble, as emergency crews and international rescue teams race to respond.
The U.S. Senate rejected a resolution on Wednesday that would have directed President Donald Trump to remove U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran unless Congress formally authorised military action.
France said on Saturday it was considering taking reciprocal measures after Burkina Faso broke off diplomatic relations.
Japan remained on high alert Saturday as Typhoon Mekkhala approached the eastern coast after Typhoon Higos weakened into a tropical depression. Authorities warned of continued heavy rain, flooding, and landslides, according to media reports.
ANEWZ can exclusively report that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to visit Azerbaijan on 1 July.
"I will be president for only a couple of weeks, and then I will resign," Vucic told supporters at a pro-government rally in the capital, Belgrade.
The death toll in the twin earthquakes which rocked Venezuela earlier this week has risen to 1,430, top lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez said on Saturday. Another 3,200 people were injured and 3,100 left homeless by the disaster, he added on state television.
Australia said it would double the maximum penalty it can impose on tech firms found to have failed to uphold a groundbreaking social media ban for children, as evidence mounts that the ban has had little effect on teen use.
France said on Saturday it was considering taking reciprocal measures after Burkina Faso broke off diplomatic relations.
Ukrainian-made Flamingo missiles hit a plant producing artillery systems and components for missile launch systems in Russia's Volgograd region overnight, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment