Kyivstar & Starlink see 3 Million D2D Subscribers in First Two Months

Ukraine’s largest operators, Kyivstar, says more than 3 million subscribers have registered for its Starlink Direct-to-Device service since launch in November 2025, with over 1.2 million SMS messages sent via satellite connectivity.

The service automatically connects compatible smartphones to the “Kyivstar | SpaceX” network when terrestrial coverage is unavailable, providing SMS connectivity in open areas with line of sight to the sky.

Kyivstar has now expanded testing access to iPhone users, widening adoption and reinforcing the role of standardized smartphones in NTN rollouts. While the service is currently limited to messaging, Kyivstar has confirmed plans to extend it to data services over time.

The operator says the deployment has been particularly impactful in southern and eastern regions of Ukraine, underlining the resilience value of NTN as a complementary layer to terrestrial networks during infrastructure disruption. As one of the largest real-world Direct-to-Device deployments to date, the milestone demonstrates that satellite-enabled mobile connectivity is moving rapidly from trials to mass-market relevance.

SOURCE: https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/kyivstar-reaches-3-million-customers-120000359.html