Ukraine’s largest telecom firm Kyivstar began public testing of its Direct to Cell service Monday in partnership with SpaceX’s Starlink.
Kyivstar’s Monday press release said it is the first operator in Europe “to open access to testing of the satellite technology.”
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
The service is currently limited to SMS text messages, with voice calls and mobile internet expected to be available as the technology progresses, according to Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov’s Tuesday LinkedIn update.
The company said the service is accessible for all subscribers with no additional charge, though currently only 4G (LTE)-compatible Android smartphones can access it. iPhone users with models 13 and newer will need to wait for an upcoming software update.
Starlink announced the Direct to Cell service in January 2024, allowing users to send and receive texts through satellites that function as “cell towers in space” when there is no local network coverage, likening it to a roaming service via satellites.
Komarov recently cautioned that Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid are disrupting networks, with 30% of Kyivstar’s infrastructure affected. He wrote that as household internet goes down, more users rely on mobile networks, adding extra load to the towers.
In his latest update, Komarov called the Direct to Cell service “an essential backup during peak loads.”
“For Ukraine, satellite communication becomes especially critical during prolonged blackouts. While we have equipped our network with backup power, Starlink Direct to Cell serves as an essential backup during peak loads,” he wrote.
Ukraine Denies Striking Bus With Belarusian Youth Football Team
Komarov said 304,000 users have registered for the service within 24 hours of its launch, with “tens of thousands of SMS messages” sent and received.
He added that Kyivstar signed the agreement with Starlink in December when there were only 60 satellites in orbit – a number he said has grown to over 650.
Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s first deputy prime minister and minister of digital transformation, also hailed the role of satellite access during recent prolonged blackouts.
“Ukraine is the first among European countries launching Direct to Cell technology. This is an important step in the development of infrastructure that will provide access to communication even where traditional networks are absent,” Fedorov was quoted as saying in the press release.
“Despite all the challenges of wartime – constant Russian attacks on infrastructure, blackouts, damage to networks – we continue to develop innovative solutions, because reliable communication under any circumstances is one of our key priorities,” he added.
Starlink satellite terminals, which provide internet access without cell tower coverage, have been widely used in Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion.
For the Ukrainian military, the technology has become an essential tool for frontline communications and decision-making when ongoing hostilities wipe out mobile networks.
However, concerns have arisen over Kyiv’s reliance on the company due to the pro-Russian stance of Starlink owner Elon Musk – notably after he personally cut Kyiv’s access during a planned operation in Russian-occupied Crimea.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
Putin’s Worst Nightmare
