Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell service hits 3m users in Ukraine

Kyivstar has signed up more than 3 million users to Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell satellite service since its commercial launch on 24 November 2025, roughly 19% of the operator’s 15.5 million 4G customers. The service has carried over 1.2 million SMS messages so far, with the highest uptake in Kyiv, Lviv, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, and Dnipro. Kyivstar says the satellite link is especially important in southern and eastern regions where ground networks are frequently damaged or under repair. Usage is free for all Kyivstar 4G smartphone subscribers.

Coverage deliberately excludes occupied territories, border areas, and active combat zones, in line with SpaceX’s stance that Starlink remains a civilian communications network. For now, Direct-to-Cell in Ukraine supports SMS only, with voice and video planned once Starlink’s second-generation satellites are fully deployed. The service currently works on Android devices; iPhone 13 and newer models will need a future software update. Outside Ukraine, Veon plans to expand the technology, with its Beeline Kazakhstan unit having completed tests ahead of a possible 2026 commercial launch, subject to regulatory approval.