We’ve already written about the communications of the future: Ukraine is a testing ground for mobile Starlink in Europe. On November 24, Kyivstar launched Starlink Direct to Cell technology, which has already been used by more than 2 million users.
Starlink Direct to Cell technology provides direct connection of conventional 4G-enabled smartphones to Starlink satellites in areas where there is no mobile coverage. Ukraine became the first European country to launch a pilot project of this technology in partnership with Kyivstar mobile operator.
At the moment, the service is available to Kyivstar subscribers on Android and iOS devices (iPhone 13 and newer models with iOS 26.2 or higher) and supports SMS messaging only. According to the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, more than 540 thousand SMS have been sent via Starlink Direct to Cell since November 24 to date. The highest activity was recorded in the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine, where stable communication remains critical.
Starlink Direct to Cell is a SpaceX technology that provides direct connection of smartphones to Starlink satellites and allows mobile communication in areas without ground coverage. Unlike classic Starlink user terminals, the technology does not require any additional equipment – a 4G (LTE) smartphone and a clear line of sight to the sky are enough.
New generation satellites are equipped with built-in LTE modules and their own eNodeB nodes, which allows a mobile device to recognize the satellite as a standard cellular base station. The received signal is relayed between the satellites via laser inter-satellite links and transmitted to ground gateways for further routing in the operator’s network.
Sending SMS via satellite is only the initial stage of Starlink Direct to Cell implementation: in 2026 Kyivstar plans to expand the service’s functionality to include voice calls and mobile data. Currently, Starlink Direct to Cell covers the entire government-controlled territory of Ukraine, except for the temporarily occupied regions, active military operations and border areas.
The launch of Starlink Direct to Cell in Ukraine demonstrates the practical readiness of satellite networks to complement terrestrial mobile infrastructure in a crisis. The current implementation in the SMS format has confirmed the technology’s viability in the mass market, and the planned expansion to voice and mobile Internet can significantly increase the resilience of the country’s telecommunications system.
