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Ukraine to Launch Starlink Mobile Services in Europe First

Mobile

Business Honor
10 July, 2025

Kyivstar to deliver satellite messaging, broadband, and voice via Starlink by 2026

Ukraine will be the first European nation to provide mobile services powered by Starlink. Top Ukrainian telecom provider Kyivstar will start launching messaging services by late 2025, followed by mobile satellite broadband and voice services in mid-2026. This follows under a deal with SpaceX to utilize its Starlink satellite system for direct-to-cell communication, enabling smartphones to directly link to satellites, similarly to how they connect to a mobile tower. Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov stated that field trials are already in progress under the pact, which takes effect until the end of 2024.

The initial stage is the messaging through apps such as WhatsApp, Signal, and others. It will be launched in the final quarter of this year," Komarov said in an interview. "We aim to provide satellite broadband data and voice services by Q2 2026." Starlink's direct-to-cell service will offer secure communication even in remote or destroyed areas, providing a significant uplift to Ukraine's telecom network amidst conflict.

SpaceX has not yet made an official statement on the deal. But comparable services are rolling out elsewhere—U.S. wireless carrier T-Mobile will roll out Starlink-based satellite data services this October. Komarov spoke before a Ukraine Recovery Conference in Italy, intended to aid government reconstruction efforts and to create new business partnerships. Veon-owned Kyivstar is also lining up for a listing on the NASDAQ stock market. Komarov aims to finalize the U.S. listing in Q3 2025, describing it as a historic step in times of war.

In spite of continuous attacks on infrastructure, telecommunications services in Ukraine are holding up strongly. "We can now operate mobile and fixed services for up to 10 hours in national blackouts," Komarov added. Ukraine's jump into satellite mobile technology is a bold move towards enhancing both communication and resilience in conflict.