Ukraine is set to become the first European country to offer mobile services via Starlink, the satellite network operated by SpaceX, according to Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov. The country will begin with satellite-based messaging services by the end of 2025, followed by full mobile broadband and voice services in mid-2026.
Speaking to Reuters at a Ukraine recovery conference in Rome, Komarov said Kyivstar has already begun field testing its direct-to-cell partnership with SpaceX. The agreement, signed in late 2024, enables satellites equipped with modem technology to connect directly to smartphones, effectively acting like cell towers in space.
“The first phase is OTT messaging — WhatsApp, Signal, and others — by the end of this year,” said Komarov.
“Full mobile broadband and voice should be ready by Q2 2026.”
The launch will make Ukraine the first country in Europe to offer such satellite mobile services and reflects a major technological advance amid ongoing challenges from Russia’s war.
Komarov also noted that Kyivstar, which is owned by telecoms group VEON, plans to go public on the NASDAQ stock exchange in the third quarter of 2025. If successful, it would mark the first-ever direct listing of a Ukrainian company in the U.S. during wartime.
“It will be an exemplary move,” Komarov added.
Despite frequent attacks on critical infrastructure, he said Ukraine’s telecom network has significantly improved its resilience since 2022. The system can now operate for up to 10 hours during national blackouts.
The move comes as U.S. carrier T-Mobile prepares to launch its own Starlink-powered satellite-to-cell data service in October 2025.
The announcements were made as global leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, gathered in Rome to discuss reconstruction and investment opportunities in Ukraine.
