Cellular and mobile Internet service providers “Kyivstar” and “Vodafone Ukraine” are already working to expand the list of their services to also include access to satellite Internet. Thanks to this, users of mobile operators will be able to stay connected even when there is no power supply.
Exactly how the leading Ukrainian companies plan to provide their customers with an Internet connection, Forbes journalists learned, the MC.today editorial office reports the details. So, “Kyivstar” is preparing to become the official representative of British satellite communications in Ukraine. As Kostyantyn Vechir, the B2B director of the company, said during the Business Wisdom Summit, it is about OneWeb. At the same time, Vodafone Ukraine is considering the possibility of a partnership with Starlink. The fact is that connecting to the satellite Internet will allow Ukrainian operators to become less dependent on the energy situation in the country.
As the president of “Kyivstar” Oleksandr Komarov noted, the company is already piloting a joint project with OneWeb, but the terms of cooperation have not yet been discussed directly, so its possible details have not yet been disclosed. It is known that thanks to such a partnership, the operator will be able to offer the state and the population a connection resistant to blackouts. However, the managing partner of E&C consulting company Anatoly Frolenkov, who has extensive expertise in the telecom market, believes that this may be a rather niche solution for Kyivstar. The basis of the service package, as before, will be fixed Internet and cellular communication.
It is worth noting that the partnership with OneWeb is not intended to compete with Starlink satellite communications. In part, this is an image project, which at the same time will enable OneWeb to work with a large local operator, and “Kyivstar” – commercial, technical and service competencies. It is also noted that satellite Internet is a corporate solution that, along with certain advantages, such as higher speed, has a corresponding price.
As for Vodafone Ukraine, the company is considering becoming an official representative of Starlink in Ukraine. CEO of the company Olha Ustinova also does not disclose either the potential conditions of such a partnership or its economic effect. Currently, “Vodafone Ukraine” uses Starlink terminals to restore communication in the de-occupied territories of Ukraine and is considering a possible partnership also from the point of view of providing satellite Internet services to the end user. According to Frolenkov, this can also be one of the steps to expand the list of services for business.
Also, according to assumptions, if “Vodafone Ukraine” cooperates with Starlink, the company can help reduce the cost of satellite Internet services for Ukrainians. For comparison, the subscription fee for users from Europe is €40-50 per month depending on the country, in Ukraine it is €75.