U.S. to cut Japan tariffs on autos under trade deal
The U.S. will lower tariffs on Japanese cars and auto parts by 16 September under a trade deal formalised by President Donald Trump, Japan’s chief n...
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.”
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
French President Emmanuel Macron faces a deepening political crisis as he searches for his fifth prime minister in under two years, following the expected resignation of Francois Bayrou on Tuesday after parliament rejected his budget plans.
South Korea will send a chartered plane to Atlanta as early as Wednesday to bring back workers detained during a huge immigration raid last week on a car battery plant in the U.S. state of Georgia, a Korean Air spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Norway's minority Labour Party government led by Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, won a second term in power on Monday while the populist right achieved its best-ever election result, official results showed, in a ballot dominated by concerns over rising living costs and wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
Nepal has lifted a social media ban following protests that resulted in the deaths of 19 people, Cabinet spokesperson and Communications Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung said on Tuesday.
Violent clashes broke out on Monday in Nepal between police and protesters demonstrating against a social media ban and alleged corruption.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment