Ukrainian mobile operator Kyivstar has signed an agreement with Elon Musk’s Starlink to introduce direct-to-cell satellite communications. This was reported by Reuters with reference to the parent company VEON.
Direct-to-cell technology allows smartphones to connect to satellites that act like cell towers using the 4G band, establishing a connection directly through space.
The launch of direct messaging services is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2025. In the future, the operator plans to expand them to voice and Internet communications. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX that provides Internet connectivity for Ukraine, launched the first direct-to-cell satellites earlier this year. Starlink has already entered into similar agreements with providers in the US, Japan, New Zealand and other countries.
The agreement comes amidst Elon Musk’s active engagement with the new Trump administration in the US. In November, Musk took part in a conversation between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where he assured that Starlink would continue to supply satellites to Ukraine.
Ukraine will become one of the first countries in the world where direct mobile communication will work. At the same time, Russia, which has launched a war against Ukraine, has stepped up efforts to jam signals between Starlink satellites and ground terminals to hinder military operations.
Earlier we reported on how the USA granted Ukraine access to the Starshield military satellite network.
