US EditionStarlink's direct-to-cell service launches in Ukraine in European first
Kyivstar uses Starlink satellites to provide SMS service during wartime blackouts, serving 22.5 million customers with plans for voice and data next year.
- On Monday, Kyivstar launched Starlink's direct-to-cell technology in Ukraine, the first European deployment linking smartphones directly to space-based networks.
- After repeated strikes on the power grid, Russia's attacks on Ukrainian power sector caused long blackouts, prompting satellite use in recently de-occupied territories and for rescuers and humanitarian missions.
- Under a Starlink–Veon deal, Kyivstar will initially offer SMS over satellite at no extra cost to subscribers, supporting Android handsets with more than 50,000 terminals already in operation.
- For Kyivstar's customers, the deployment could keep about 22.5 million connected during blackouts, with Oleksandr Komarov saying `In Ukraine, staying connected means staying safe` and Direct to Cell boosts resilience.
- Across Europe, operators are moving quickly: Virgin Media O2 recently confirmed a Starlink-based launch in the first half of 2026, Orange will start Message Satellite from December 11, and Vodafone aims for AST SpaceMobile service this year.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Starlink Launches Europe's First Direct-To-Cell Service In Ukraine
Ukraine's largest mobile operator Kyivstar has become the first in Europe to launch Starlink's direct-to-cell satellite technology in a bid to keep millions connected amid wartime blackouts and disrupted infrastructure, the company said on Monday.
Kyivstar, the largest mobile phone operator in Ukraine, became the first European to launch Starlink's "direct-to-cell" satellite technology to keep millions of people connected under current conditions...
The mobile phone operator Kyivstar, the largest in Ukraine, became the first European to launch Starlink's "direct-to-cell" satellite technology in an effort to keep millions of users connected during the massive...
Testing of Starlink Direct to Cell satellite communication open to all Kyivstar subscribers in Ukraine
Testing of Starlink Direct to Cell satellite communication technology, which allows you to exchange SMS messages in the absence of mobile communication, is now available to all subscribers of the largest Ukrainian mobile operator Kyivstar in Ukraine, company's president and CEO Oleksandr Komarov said during a briefing on Monday.
Starlink's direct-to-cell service launches in Ukraine in European first
KYIV :Ukraine's largest mobile operator Kyivstar has become the first in Europe to launch Starlink's direct-to-cell satellite technology in a bid to keep millions connected amid wartime blackouts and disrupted infrastructure, the company said on Monday.Kyivstar is initially offering SMS capabilities via the t
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