Kyivstar, Ukraine’s largest mobile operator, has rolled out Starlink Direct-to-Cell nationwide, allowing customers to send and receive SMS where terrestrial mobile coverage is absent. The move makes Ukraine one of the early national adopters of SpaceX’s satellite-to-phone capability and strengthens civilian connectivity resilience.
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Briefing
Kyivstar’s rollout makes Ukraine one of the earliest national adopters of Starlink Direct-to-Cell, extending basic SMS capabilities into areas without terrestrial coverage and improving nationwide communications resilience.
The deployment follows commercial scaling of satellite-to-phone services, including Starlink’s major carrier agreements that opened access to roughly 150 million potential users, indicating a fast-moving market for carrier–LEO partnerships.
This rollout sits alongside international support and procurement trends—such as an Estonia allocation of €3.5 million to fund Starlink terminals for Ukraine and a U.S. clearance that included roughly $150M for Starlink services—highlighting the strategic and donor-backed dimension of LEO broadband in the conflict zone.
€3.5 million to fund Starlink terminals for Ukraine
access to 150M potential users
U.S. cleared a potential $150M Starlink package
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Via Satellite
• Rachel Jewett