Ukraine Becomes The First European Country To Launch Starlink Internet Network

Starlink service will be present in Ukraine (photo: dock. SpaceX)

JAKARTA Ukraine will launch a satellite-based mobile service from Starlink in the middle of next year. This launch was carried out to strengthen network connectivity amid the war.

Ukraine will be the first European country to offer a Starlink satellite network. The network will be introduced through a service launched by Kyivstar, the country's largest mobile telecommunications operator.

Launching from Reuters, this launch will be followed by a messaging service that Kyivstar will introduce at the end of this year. Reportedly, this service has been tested after an agreement between the two companies came at the end of last year.

In the agreement agreed by Kyivstar, SpaceX will launch mobile services for people in Ukraine. This is a Starlink Direct to Cell service that provides direct connectivity from satellites to users' smartphones.

This technology is developed via a satellite equipped with a modem. This satellite works like a cell phone tower and emits signals directly from outer space. Compared to ordinary cellular networks, satellite-based networks have a faster connection.

Kyivstar deliberately divides the launch of Starlink's capabilities in two stages. In the first phase, only messaging applications support the use of the Starlink network. After that, the ability will be improved in the second quarter of 2026.

"The first phase is the delivery of over-the-top (OTT) messages ... so messaging via WhatsApp, Signal, and other systems will be available by the end of this year," said Kyivstar Chief Executive Oleksandr Komarov, quoted by Reuters on Thursday, July 10.

Next year, the Starlink service will include voicemail support. That way, users can communicate freely without worrying about communications cut off during wartime.