Ukraine among first countries to roll out Starlink Direct to Cell

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister for Innovation, Education, Science and Technology and Minister of Digital Transformation, reported the information on his Telegram channel.

“Together with Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov, we tested Starlink Direct to Cell. This technology will allow Ukrainians to stay connected without mobile network coverage via SMS... During the meeting, we successfully exchanged the first text messages via satellite directly from smartphones,” the statement says.

Fedorov explained that thanks to the satellite technology, users do not need expensive equipment — a 4G smartphone with a SIM or eSIM card is sufficient. Ukrainians will be able to stay connected in hard-to-reach areas, during network outages, bad weather, or power cuts. An important condition is a clear line of sight to the sky.

“Ukraine is among the first countries in the world, along with the United States, Australia, Japan, Canada, and New Zealand, to launch Direct to Cell technology. Despite the war, we continue to develop innovative solutions, because reliable connectivity for every Ukrainian is one of our key priorities,” the minister emphasized.

The technology is currently in beta testing, and its official launch is planned for this fall.

• Ukraine will be the first in Europe to implement Starlink mobile services: Kyivstar plans to launch SMS by the end of 2025, and internet and voice service by mid-2026.