In 2026, Ukraine will become the first country in Europe to launch mobile services from Starlink. This will be made possible through a collaboration with the company "Kyivstar."
This was announced by Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov to Reuters. He anticipates that Starlink’s mobile satellite broadband access will start operating in Ukraine in mid-2026, with messaging in messengers by the end of 2025.
The collaboration agreement was signed at the end of 2024, and field testing of the technology is currently underway. After the launch, each Kyivstar subscriber will be able to connect to Starlink satellites, which are owned by SpaceX, the American billionaire Elon Musk’s company. Each satellite is equipped with modems that function as a separate cellular tower and are capable of transmitting phone signals from space directly to smartphones.
"The first stage is OTT messaging (over-the-top), meaning messaging through WhatsApp, Signal, and other services... it will be launched by the end of this year. And at the beginning of 2026, more reliably in the second quarter of 2026, we will be able to offer mobile satellite communication for data... and voice," notes Komarov.
The American mobile operator T-Mobile also plans to introduce the "satellite-cellular" data transmission service in its network based on Starlink at the beginning of October.
Starlink will have an official representation in Ukraine
Ukraine may become one of the first Eastern European countries to open an official representation of Starlink, the global satellite internet project by Elon Musk’s company. The company Stetman, specializing in servicing satellite terminals, has been trying for one and a half years to negotiate with SpaceX to open an official representation in Ukraine.
As noted by the company’s CEO, Dmytro Stetsenko, by the end of May 2025, they are still waiting for feedback from Starlink, although they have already provided additional materials to the American partners. If the negotiations are successful, Stetman will be able to ensure the official sale of terminals and provide local technical support to Ukrainians.