Ukraine will be first in Europe to introduce mobile communications via Starlink

Ukraine will become the first European country to launch mobile services based on Starlink satellite communications. Kyivstar plans to launch a messaging service by the end of 2025, and full-fledged mobile satellite Internet and voice communications in mid-2026.

The operator's CEO Oleksandr Komarov announced this in an interview with Reuters.

According to him, this is about the implementation of agreements reached with SpaceX at the end of 2024. The technical basis of the new service is satellites with built-in modems, which will act as "space base stations", providing smartphones with a communication signal directly from orbit.

The first stage will be the launch of OTT messaging - that is, the ability to send messages via applications such as WhatsApp, Signal, Viber, etc. - even in areas without mobile coverage.

"We expect this function to be operational by the end of the year. And satellite Internet and voice communication will probably appear in the first half of 2026," Komarov noted.

This decision should strengthen the resilience of Ukraine's communications infrastructure, in particular in conditions of hostilities and outages. Mobile satellite communication will allow you to stay connected even if ground base stations are destroyed.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, in March, American billionaire, head of the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk, promised that he would not disconnect the terminals of the Starlink satellite Internet system for Ukraine.