Kyivstar launches testing of messaging apps using D2C technology

Kyivstar, Ukraine’s largest mobile operator, will begin testing messaging apps using Starlink Direct to Cell (D2C, direct satellite communication with smartphones) in Light Data mode, enabling text messaging and real-time multimedia exchange, the company announced Thursday.

"Now we’re taking the next step – opening up the possibility of using messengers, particularly WhatsApp, via satellite communications to make communication even more accessible when it’s needed most. We’re grateful to the regulator for allowing testing and for its openness to innovation," Illia Polshakov, Director of New Business Development at Kyivstar, noted in a release.

The company, which launched a D2C SMS service last fall, clarified that the operator received the appropriate permission to conduct testing from the National Commission for State Regulation of Electronic Communications, Radio Frequency Spectrum, and Postal Services.

Kyivstar engineers are expected to conduct testing to ensure Light Data data transmission for all 4G subscribers in the future and make a range of services available to subscribers for testing as early as 2026.

"The inclusion of OTT services (messengers) during testing will open up more opportunities for users to utilize Direct to Cell technology in areas where terrestrial networks are unavailable," Lilia Malion, head of the National Commission for the State Regulation of Electronic Communications and Postal Services (NCEC) noted in a release.

The mobile operator also noted that for apps to continue working in satellite mode, developers must adapt them to the relevant technical requirements. Specifically, the operator is currently collaborating with smartphone and app manufacturers to optimize them.

It is expected that the mobile operator will further expand its range of applications.