Main points
- Starlink Direct to Cell, available in Ukraine through Kyivstar, allows smartphones to work without traditional towers, providing connectivity in areas without coverage.
- The technology complements traditional mobile communications by offering a satellite connection for SMS and, in the future, for multimedia sharing, but does not replace it completely.
Starlink Direct to Cell will not replace terrestrial mobile communications / Kyivstar
Starlink Direct to Cell is a new satellite technology available in Ukraine through partner Kyivstar that allows smartphones to work without traditional towers. Currently, this solution complements connectivity, providing connectivity in areas without coverage, but does not yet replace classic mobile networks.
In Ukraine, more than 3 million Kyivstar subscribers have already connected to Starlink Direct to Cell — a satellite technology that works together with the terrestrial network. With its help, phones automatically connect to Starlink satellites when there is no signal from traditional towers. The first available service is the ability to send and receive SMS messages, more than 1.2 million SMS have been delivered via satellite communication. This was stated by Oleksandr Komarov, CEO of Kyivstar, in a blitz interview for the Ministry of Digital Transformation .
Can Starlink Direct to Cell replace conventional cellular communications?
The next stage of technology development involves the launch of Light Data , a special data transmission mode adapted for satellite connections. It will provide real-time text messaging and multimedia, but without support for video calls. Voice calls and mobile Internet are also planned to be launched with the expansion of the satellite constellation and network modernization.
According to Kyivstar management, Starlink Direct to Cell is not designed to completely replace traditional mobile communications . It serves as an additional means of communication where terrestrial networks are unavailable due to infrastructure damage, remoteness, difficult weather conditions, or in cases of temporary outages.
The satellite channel is especially useful for tourists in the mountains, the agricultural sector in the fields, rescue operations, and other situations where there is no terrestrial coverage.
The technology automatically connects to a satellite when your smartphone can't find a signal from a terrestrial network. This means that in all other cases, your phone continues to use the standard mobile connection that you are used to working with every day.
Starlink Direct to Cell is now available at no additional cost to Kyivstar subscribers within their tariffs. Connection is possible on 4G Android smartphones now, with iPhone support to be added later with a corresponding software update.
What are the advantages of Starlink Direct to Cell compared to regular cellular communication?
It is important to understand that this technology is not a complete replacement for conventional mobile communications, but rather an important complement to them. In practice, its biggest advantage is that it can provide communication in “dead zones” and during blackouts.
The main difference between a satellite solution and a traditional one is complete independence from ground infrastructure.
- The smartphone will be able to work in remote fields, dense forests, or high in the mountains, where installing a conventional tower is economically or technically impossible.
- In cases of infrastructure damage due to military actions, natural disasters, or prolonged power outages, the satellite channel remains stable.
- The user does not need to configure anything – the phone automatically switches to the satellite as soon as the signal from the terrestrial network disappears.
The technology is actively developing and although it is not currently possible to make calls using Direct to Cell, this possibility will appear in the future.