Users of the energy-efficient Internet Vodafone Ukraine using GPON technology in Kharkiv remained connected for more than 72 hours, despite power outages, the company's general director Olha Ustinova said at the annual conference of Ukraine is in Touch.

“We are investing very heavily in GPON, because this is a technology that really allows you to be connected. At least, as Kharkiv is demonstrating now. Those who used GPON in Kharkiv were in touch for more than 72 hours,” Ustinova said.

According to her, in 2024, Vodafone Ukraine invested UAH 250 million in GPON and has strong investment plans for 2025.

“I can’t reveal the numbers, because this is a competitive story, but it will definitely be a bigger teaser than this year, and we are looking at this in the perspective of not one year, but two,” Ustinova added.

She also noted that the company continues to invest in 4G and is making pilots to introduce 5G. According to her, in the two years since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the company has invested UAH 9.3 billion in the development of the 4G network, including UAH 5.7 billion in 2023, which is a record.

“I can say that before the war, investments were somewhere at the level of UAH 3.3-3.6 billion. We have grown very powerfully, because we understand that we must continue to invest and invest,” she emphasized.

Regarding 5G, the general director of Vodafone Ukraine noted a cautious approach to the implementation of the technology, because it concerns frequencies for the military.

“Audit of networks, systems, everything is being prepared, everything is being done. We’ll see when the pilots allow us to do it. We did everything in our laboratories, in offices, it’s all clear. But we need to do it on the network, in the areas, to see how it works,” Ustinova summed up.