December 30, 2024, 4:17:25 PM IST (Published) 2 Min Read Kyivstar PJSC, Ukraine’s largest mobile operator, signed a deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink to introduce satellite-powered cellular service in the war-torn country in a bid to place telecom infrastructure beyond the reach of Russian attacks. The deal will allow Kyivstar customers to use space-based connectivity when the terrestrial network is unable to service an area, the Ukrainian company said in a statement on Monday. Kyivstar expects to offer text messaging using the technology in the fourth quarter of 2025, and will expand to voice and data in later stages. Russian forces have regularly struck at Ukrainian infrastructure, including telecommunications networks, since the February 2022 invasion. Portable Starlink terminals are critical to Ukraine’s war effort, providing high-speed broadband internet connections for military communications and the civilian population. In January, SpaceX unit Starlink launched to orbit its first satellites enabling direct-to-cell service. The Federal Communications Commission in the US last month granted SpaceX approval to provide some coverage to consumer mobile phones. The company has partnered with T-Mobile US Inc. to reach customers in dead zones with its growing Starlink network, which has thousands of satellites in orbit. SpaceX is one of a handful of companies trying to use satellites to provide connectivity to consumer smartphones. Kyivstar is Veon Ltd.’s Ukrainian subsidiary. In June, it pledged to invest $1 billion over a five-year period through 2027 to restore Ukraine’s digital infrastructure. Continue Reading