In less than one year, Starlink Mobile Connects 11 Million People Across VEON’s Three High Growth Markets
The customer milestone counts unique users who connected at least once, rather than recurring or paying subscribers.
Sentiment and the balance of points
Rhea-AI Sentiment reads the wording of the document, how positive or negative its language is on a 1 to 5 scale. The balance of points shown with the takes weighs what the document actually discloses, so the two can disagree, for example when a trial that missed its main goal is described in upbeat language.
Rhea-AI Summary
VEON (VEON) announced that more than 11 million unique customers have connected to Starlink Mobile at least once across three markets.
The satellite-to-phone service launched through Kyivstar in Ukraine on 24 November 2025, Beeline Kazakhstan on 29 September 2026 and Banglalink in Bangladesh on 9 October 2026. It is free for Kyivstar’s approximately 15.5 million 4G smartphone users and initially free in Kazakhstan. Bangladesh’s launch covered 20 million customers. VEON says the service could reach more than 40 million people across its footprint. It works on existing 4G/LTE smartphones where terrestrial signals are unavailable, but requires open areas with a clear view of the sky.
How this balance works
Rhea-AI gives every point it takes from this document a weight. Minor counts 1, Moderate 3 and Major 9, so one Major point outweighs several Minor ones. The bar adds up the weights on each side, and when neither side holds more than 65% of the total the balance reads Mixed.
It reads the document as published, with the same rules for every company, and it does not look at what the market expected or at how the stock traded, so a point can be objectively good on a day the stock falls.
Rhea-AI Sentiment measures something else, the tone of the wording.
Positive
- Moderate pointMore than 11 million unique VEON customers have connected to Starlink Mobile at least once.
- Moderate pointCommercial launches in three markets completed within a year of the November 2025 agreement.
Negative
- Minor pointOpen areas with a clear view of the sky are required for satellite connectivity.
Key Figures
- Customers connected
- More than 11 million people
- VEON customers who connected to Starlink Mobile at least once
- Markets launched
- 3 markets
- Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Bangladesh
- Potential reach
- More than 40 million people
- Potential reach across VEON's footprint
Historical Context
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Banglalink launched Starlink-powered satellite-to-mobile access in Bangladesh, with emergency-connectivity use described.
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Beeline Kazakhstan launched Starlink Mobile, offering satellite access outside terrestrial coverage.
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Key Terms
direct-to-device technical
sms technical
low-earth orbit technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
- In less than one year since the service launched in Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Bangladesh, the direct-to-device service has connected a combined 11 million people
- From Ukraine to Central Asia and South Asia, the service has the potential to reach more than 40 million people across VEON’s footprint
Dubai, New York and Starbase, 19 October 2026 – VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital operator, and Starlink Mobile today announced that more than 11 million unique VEON customers have now connected to the direct-to-device service at least once in locations where cell signal cannot reach. VEON customers can use satellite-ready apps, share location, and send messages via apps and SMS on their existing LTE compatible phones.
VEON is the first operator group globally to launch Starlink Mobile across three markets. The service has commercially launched in Ukraine with Kyivstar, Kazakhstan with Beeline and most recently in Bangladesh with Banglalink – all within a year since the agreement was signed in November 2025.
- Ukraine – Kyivstar (Nasdaq: KYIV) launched Starlink Mobile on 24 November 2025, the first such service in Europe. It is free to all of Kyivstar’s approximately 15.5 million 4G smartphone users.
- Kazakhstan – Beeline Kazakhstan launched on 29 September 2026 to millions of customers as the country’s first Starlink Mobile operator. The service was developed with the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, and is offered free during an initial period.
- Bangladesh – Banglalink launched on 9 October 2026 to 20 million customers, making Bangladesh the first country in South Asia to offer the satellite-to-mobile service, which can be activated through the MyBL super app, with the RYZE app to follow.
The milestone marks a shift in how the world connects. By combining Starlink Mobile satellites in low-Earth orbit with terrestrial mobile networks, VEON and Starlink are enabling existing phones with reliable connectivity in the mountains, on remote highways and at sea, and in places where ground networks have been damaged or knocked out by disaster, conflict or long power outages.
VEON works with leading U.S. technology companies, such as Starlink, to extend the American technology ecosystem, digital access and resilient infrastructure to high-growth markets.
The impact goes well beyond staying in touch. Reliable, affordable connectivity opens access to education, information, digital services. It provides a communication line of safety in some of the world’s most underserved markets. In Ukraine, Kyivstar has seen the heaviest use in the south and east of the country, where connectivity is a matter of personal safety. In Bangladesh, the service is designed to keep people reachable during cyclones, floods and long power outages.
Starlink Mobile works with existing 4G/LTE smartphones in open areas with a clear view of the sky. Customers can send messages, use essential apps and share their location when no terrestrial signal is available.
“In less than a year, more than 11 million people have taken out their own phone, with no signal anywhere in sight, and connected through a Starlink Mobile satellite overhead. A family in eastern Ukraine, a herder on the Kazakh steppe, a fisherman in the Bay of Bengal. This is American space technology changing lives in real time,” said Kaan Terzioglu, CEO of VEON Group. “And we are just getting started. We intend to put it in every hand, in every corner of every market we serve.”
About VEON
VEON is a digital operator that provides connectivity and digital services to over 150 million connectivity users and more than 228 million digital customers. Operating across five countries that are home to 550 million consumers, more than
About Starlink Mobile
Starlink Mobile is the world’s only and largest constellation with 650 launched satellites in low-Earth orbit that delivers data, voice, video and messaging to devices in remote locations. Connecting millions of customers across six continents, Starlink satellites work with existing LTE phones wherever you can see the sky. Acting like a cell phone tower in space with the most advanced phased array antennas in the world that connect seamlessly across the Starlink network over lasers to any point in the globe, it enables network integration similar to a standard roaming partner. Starlink is the world’s largest 4G coverage provider and partners with Mobile Network Operators all over the world. Learn more here and follow @Starlink on X.
Disclaimer
This 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. These include statements about VEON’s and Starlink’s plans to expand satellite-to-mobile services, the availability and adoption of these services in VEON’s markets, the number of people these services may reach, and related regulatory approvals. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts and can often be identified by words such as “will,” “expect,” “plan,” “aim” and similar words. They are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including the risks described in VEON’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2025, filed with the SEC on 16 March 2026, and in SpaceX’s filings with the SEC. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. Neither VEON nor SpaceX undertakes any obligation to update them, except as required by U.S. federal securities laws.
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
How many VEON customers have used Starlink Mobile?
More than 11 million unique VEON customers have connected at least once across Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Bangladesh. The figure measures customers who have used the service at least once, not a disclosed recurring-use measure.
How can Banglalink customers activate Starlink Mobile in Bangladesh?
Banglalink customers can activate Starlink Mobile through the MyBL super app. Activation through the RYZE app is planned to follow.