Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation said it launched a pilot program for 5G connection in the city center of Lviv on Monday.
The 5G technology, unlike the 4G networks used in Ukraine, offers more than 10 times the mobile internet speed and can enable a variety of applications.
The ministry said over 20 5G base stations have been built in Lviv, with plans to roll out the program in the city of Borodyanka in the Kyiv region this month, in Kharkiv in February, and later in other cities.
Lviv was chosen due to the presence of 5G-ready smartphones in the city, the ministry said.
“Lviv is becoming a technological laboratory that will help us work out all the technical aspects before the national launch. The city has one of the highest penetration rates of 5G-ready smartphones in Ukraine,” the ministry wrote in a Telegram update.
In late 2024, Ukraine also conducted non-public 5G testing in Lviv.
In a press release, the ministry said the pilot program will run until the end of 2026 and will be extended if necessary.
It said the purpose of the pilot is to “test the compatibility of 5G equipment with military equipment in order to scale the technology to the entire country after martial law is lifted.”
“The main condition for launching 5G during martial law is the absence of obstacles to the work of the military. The pilot launch was made possible thanks to the coordinated work of the state, mobile operators, and the Defense Forces,” the press release says.
“As of today, more than 30 base stations supporting 5G technology have already been installed throughout the country.”
Full rollout delayed until martial law ends
Previously, another ministry official told Kyiv Post that the technology cannot be implemented at present, as the ministry needs to “do a lot of research to understand that 5G equipment will not interfere in the military operations during martial law.”
The latest updates have echoed that decision.
Oleksandr Komarov, CEO of telecom operator Kyivstar, said the pilot program is meant to test 5G applications in urban environments.
“The biggest challenge is the availability of frequencies. A full-fledged launch of 5G in Ukraine is possible simultaneously in two bands – 700 MHz and 3500 MHz. This will become a reality after the end of martial law,” Komarov was quoted as saying in a ministry press release.
“But thanks to the active position of the Ministry of Digital Affairs, we can already test the technology in real urban conditions.”
Mykhailo Shelemba, CEO of telecom operator Lifecell, said Ukraine’s energy crisis, prompted by Russian attacks, also made it difficult to roll out the technology.
“5G also significantly increases energy consumption, which requires a stable power supply,” he was quoted as saying, adding that a lot of the company’s subscribers also do not own phones that support 5G.
Shelemba also echoed Komarov’s comments, saying that wartime frequency restrictions made it difficult for all three major telecom operators to roll out the technology.
“An important nuance: For high-quality coverage, a combination of 700 MHz and 3500 MHz frequencies is required. In Ukraine, only 20 MHz is currently free in the 700 MHz band,” Shelemba said.
“This is not enough for three operators. The state needs to free up at least another 10 MHz in this band.”
Komarov, Shelemba, and Vodafone Ukraine CEO Olha Ustinova said the postwar rollout of 5G internet would require significant investments to upgrade mobile stations, but ruled out price increases during the pilot program.