Mobile communication from the satellite: “Kyivstar and Starlink launch a new service
10 July 2025 20:11
Ukraine is preparing to become the first country in Europe to launch mobile Internet based on Starlink technology. This became possible thanks to a partnership between Kyivstar and SpaceX, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports citing Reuters.
The new project involves the use of Direct-to-Cell technology, which allows the signal to be transmitted directly from the satellite to the smartphone, without the need for traditional mobile towers.
The partners have already signed a corresponding agreement at the end of 2024. Field trials of the service in Ukraine began in 2025, and the first results showed its effectiveness even in areas where the infrastructure is damaged or completely absent. This is extremely important for a country at war and regularly facing attacks on its energy and telecommunications systems.
Phased launch of the service
Starlink mobile internet will be launched in two stages. The first stage involves the launch of messaging via popular applications such as WhatsApp and Signal. This feature is expected to become available by the end of 2025. At the second stage, in the second quarter of 2026, the technology will allow users to make voice calls and connect to full-fledged broadband mobile Internet without the need for a traditional network.
The implementation of such a project makes Ukraine a leader in the European satellite mobile market. Even in the United States, similar services will be available only from October 2025, so the launch in Ukraine will take place almost simultaneously or even earlier.
Strategic importance for wartime communications
Direct-to-Cell technology is especially relevant for Ukraine in times of war. During massive attacks and power outages, traditional mobile networks are often unstable. According to Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov, “the infrastructure is currently capable of operating for up to ten hours without power. This is a significant improvement compared to 2022. But mobile satellite internet will allow us to keep in touch even when other channels are unavailable.”
Read also: European satellites instead of Starlink: how Ukraine will get a new connection
What you need to know about Starlink – a new generation of satellite internet
Starlink is a global satellite Internet access system developed by SpaceX under the leadership of Elon Musk. Its main goal is to provide stable, fast, and affordable Internet anywhere in the world, regardless of the quality of the ground infrastructure. It is a fundamentally new model of communication based not on fiber-optic cables or mobile towers, but on a constellation of satellites orbiting the Earth in low orbits.
Unlike traditional satellite systems that operate from a geostationary orbit at an altitude of more than 35,000 kilometers, Starlink satellites are located at an altitude of about 550 kilometers. This significantly reduces the signal delay (latency) and ensures faster data exchange. As a result, users receive Internet at speeds of up to 200 Mbps and ping at the level of regular mobile or home Internet.
The first Starlink satellites were launched in 2019. As of 2025, the company already has more than 6 thousand active satellites, and this number is constantly growing. In the future, SpaceX plans to increase the number of satellites to 42 thousand, which will create a continuous coverage of the Earth. Each user receives a special terminal, the so-called “dish,” which automatically searches for a signal and connects to the satellites in real time. Installation requires no special knowledge and takes a few minutes.
Starlink has become especially relevant in situations where traditional infrastructure is either destroyed or out of service. During Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it was Starlink that provided backup communications where other channels were down. The first terminals arrived in Ukraine in February 2022, and since then, this system has become indispensable for the military, volunteers, medics, and local authorities. It has made it possible to maintain coordination, conduct evacuations, provide assistance and maintain the Internet in shelters and frontline areas.
A new stage of development will be the launch of Direct-to-Cell technology, which allows you to connect to the satellite without a terminal: directly from your smartphone.
Today, Starlink is a game-changing tool in communications, defense and humanitarian response. It demonstrates how private innovation can solve challenges that the state or traditional infrastructure cannot handle.
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