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Over 1.2 million SMS messages have been delivered over satellite since the service’s launch last year
Veon-owned Kyivstar says it has registered more than 3 million users for Starlink’s Direct to Cell (D2C) low-earth-orbit satellite service since the commercial launch on 24 November 2025.
The operator reported the service has delivered over 1.2 million SMS messages and that take-up has been strongest in Kyiv, Lviv, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, and Dnipro. The service also provides “especially vital” support to customers in the southern and eastern regions, where terrestrial infrastructure is frequently damaged or under restoration.
Coverage explicitly excludes occupied areas, border regions, and active combat zones, as part of SpaceX’s efforts to maintain its status as a civilian communications provider.
The service is offered free to all Kyivstar 4G smartphone subscribers as part of their regular plans.
Kyivstar’s figures, released in a company statement, mean roughly 19% of its 15.5 million 4G subscribers have registered for D2C.
“The rapid adoption of Starlink Direct to Cell services by Kyivstar subscribers demonstrates the critical importance of enhancing Ukraine’s resilience and our customers’ appreciation for the availability of satellite-based connectivity,” said Kaan Terzioğlu, VEON Group CEO and Executive Chairman of Kyivstar. “We will continue to lead the way in providing innovative services that Ukraine needs to build its digital future and in meeting the ever-growing demand of our customers for digital connectivity.”
The initial commercial rollout of Starlink’s D2C service is limited to SMS, with voice and video services to be added as part of the constellation’s second generation of satellites, which are currently being launched.
The service is only available on Android devices, with iPhone users with iPhone 13 and later models must wait for a forthcoming software update before they can use the feature, Kyivstar said.
Beyond Kyivstar, Veon is also preparing to launch Starlink’s D2C technology in other markets. Veon’s subsidiary Beeline Kazakhstan, for example, has completed field tests of the service ahead of a planned commercial launch in that market during 2026, pending regulatory approval.
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