Kyivstar Reaches 3 Million Customers with Starlink Direct to Cell and Strengthens Ukraine’s Connectivity
Rhea-AI Summary
Kyivstar (Nasdaq: KYIV) announced that its Starlink Direct to Cell satellite service reached 3.0 million subscribers since launch in November 2025 and has carried over 1.2 million SMS messages. The service is widely used in southern and eastern Ukraine and most active in Kyiv, Lviv, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi and Dnipro. Kyivstar enabled iPhone support for devices on iOS 26.2+, and subscribers can test satellite SMS on existing SIM plans at no extra cost. Service currently supports SMS only and requires clear line of sight; data services are planned for the future.
Positive
- 3.0M subscribers registered since November 2025
- 1.2M SMS messages sent over the satellite network
- Automatic iPhone (iOS 26.2+) connectivity expands user access
- Subscribers can test satellite SMS at no extra cost
Negative
- Service currently supports SMS only, not data
- Connectivity requires open line of sight, limiting indoor/urban use
News Market Reaction
On the day this news was published, KYIV gained 0.33%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
KYIV fell 2.97% with elevated volume, while peers showed mixed moves: TEO at -2.53%, GSAT at -0.7%, LBTYB at -3.23%, LBTYK slightly negative and LBTYA slightly positive. With no peers in the momentum scanner and no same-day peer headlines, the move appears more stock-specific than sector-driven.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 12 | 5G pilot launch | Positive | +0.2% | Launch of 5G pilot in Lviv with high-speed testing results. |
| Dec 16 | Earnings timing update | Neutral | +2.2% | Announcement of release date and call for FY and Q4 2025 results. |
| Dec 16 | Energy acquisition | Positive | +2.2% | Acquisition of solar power company to enhance energy resilience. |
| Dec 01 | AI/LLM partnership | Positive | -4.0% | Selection of Google’s Gemma as base model for national LLM. |
| Nov 24 | Starlink launch | Positive | +5.5% | Initial launch of Starlink Direct to Cell SMS connectivity in Ukraine. |
Recent news flow shows mostly positive or strategic announcements, with share price typically reacting in the same direction as the news tone, except for one negative reaction to otherwise constructive AI/LLM collaboration news.
Over the past few months, Kyivstar has reported a series of strategic developments. On Nov 24, 2025, it launched Starlink Direct to Cell connectivity in Ukraine, with a 5.49% positive price reaction. This was followed by AI/LLM collaboration with the Ministry of Digital Transformation on Dec 1, 2025, which coincided with a -3.95% move. The company then announced a solar power acquisition and an earnings release date in mid-December, both associated with positive returns. A 5G pilot launch in Lviv on Jan 12, 2026 saw a modest gain. Today’s Starlink adoption milestone builds on this connectivity and infrastructure trajectory.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement underscores rapid adoption of Starlink Direct to Cell in Ukraine, with over 3.0 million subscribers and 1.2 million SMS messages sent since November 2025. It extends earlier launch news by adding iPhone support and reinforcing nationwide coverage goals. In context of recent 5G and digital initiatives, investors may focus on sustained user uptake, future expansion from SMS to data services, and how these connectivity advances support Kyivstar’s broader USD 1 billion 2023–2027 investment plan.
Key Terms
satellite-to-mobile technical
sms technical
cloud technical
cybersecurity technical
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
In a short time, the satellite-to-mobile service has reached an unprecedented number of customers with life-saving connectivity
Company opens access to testing satellite messaging on iPhone devices
KYIV, Ukraine, Jan. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kyivstar (Nasdaq: KYIV; KYIVW), Ukraine's leading digital operator, today announced that its strategic investment in Starlink Direct to Cell satellite technology is delivering critical connectivity to Ukraine. Since launch in November 2025, over 3.0 million subscribers registered for the service and over 1.2 million SMS messages were sent.
The technology has proven especially vital in Ukraine’s southern and eastern regions, underscoring the crucial role of connectivity in these areas and reaffirming Kyivstar’s dedication to maintaining nationwide communication. The satellite technology has been most broadly used in five cities: Kyiv, Lviv, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi and Dnipro.
Further expanding this essential service, Kyivstar has also now enabled access for iPhone users, with iPhone devices running iOS 26.2 or later automatically detecting and connecting to the "Kyivstar | SpaceX" network when terrestrial signals are lost.
"The broad adoption of Starlink Direct to Cell satellite service validates our strategic investment in Starlink technology to bring connectivity directly to Ukraine's residents," said Oleksandr Komarov, CEO of Kyivstar. "This technology supplements our terrestrial network capabilities and provides essential communication when other means are unavailable – which is exactly what Ukraine needs right now."
Kyivstar subscribers can test the satellite connectivity technology on their SIM cards within their existing tariff plans at no additional cost. At present, only SMS messaging is available when connected to the “Kyivstar | SpaceX” network, and in the future, it will expand to data services. The technology operates in open areas with a clear line of sight to the sky.
About Kyivstar Group Ltd.
Kyivstar Group Ltd. (“Kyivstar”, the “Group”) is a Nasdaq-listed holding company that operates JSC Kyivstar, the country’s leading digital operator and the first Ukrainian company to have its shares traded on a U.S. stock exchange. The Group’s companies provide a broad range of connectivity and digital services, including mobile and fixed-line voice and data, ride-hailing, e-health, digital TV, and enterprise solutions such as Big Data, cloud, and cybersecurity.
Together with VEON, Kyivstar intends to invest USD 1 billion in Ukraine between 2023-2027, through social investments in infrastructure and technological development, charitable donations and strategic acquisitions. For more information, please visit https://investors.kyivstar.ua.
Nasdaq tickers: KYIV; KYIVW
About JSC Kyivstar
JSC Kyivstar is Ukraine’s leading digital operator, serving more than 22.5 million mobile customers and over 1.2 million home internet fixed line customers as of September 30, 2025. The company provides services using a wide range of mobile and fixed technologies, including 4G, Big Data, cloud solutions, cybersecurity services, digital TV, and more. JSC Kyivstar is advancing new telecommunication technologies in Ukraine and together with VEON plans to invest USD 1 billion in this direction between 2023–2027.
The company contributes to overcoming the challenges of wartime and, over the past three years, has allocated more than UAH 3.4 billion to support the Defense Forces, its subscribers, and the implementation of social projects. Kyivstar has operated in Ukraine for 27 years and is recognized as the largest taxpayer in the digital communications market, a top employer, and a socially responsible company.
Additional information: pr@kyivstar.net, www.kyivstar.ua.
Disclaimer
This press release contains “forward-looking statements,” as the phrase is defined in Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to, among other things, Kyivstar’s Direct to Cell technology development plans as well as Kyivstar Group’s ability to achieve anticipated results and business objectives. There are numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and performance to differ materially from those expressed by such statements, including risks relating to Kyivstar’s Direct to Cell technology development plans as well as Kyivstar Group’s ability to achieve anticipated results and business objectives, among others discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” included in the final prospectus filed by Kyivstar Group with the U.S. Securities and exchange Commission (“SEC”) on December 18, 2025, as amended and supplemented from time to time, and in any other subsequent filings with the SEC by Kyivstar Group.
FAQ
How many subscribers did Kyivstar register for Starlink Direct to Cell as of January 15, 2026 (KYIV)?
What services does Kyivstar's Starlink Direct to Cell provide on iPhone (KYIV)?
How many messages have been sent over Kyivstar's satellite service (KYIV) so far?
Are Kyivstar subscribers charged extra to test the satellite SMS service (KYIV)?
Where in Ukraine has Kyivstar's satellite service been most used (KYIV)?
