Ukraine’s use of SpaceX’s satellite internet service is projected to experience dramatic growth this year, with user numbers anticipated to climb from 5 million to approximately 12 million, according to a telecommunications industry leader.
Kaan Terzioglu, chief executive of telecoms company Veon, shared this forecast during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Tuesday. His company partnered with Elon Musk’s SpaceX last year to provide satellite internet access to mobile phone users in areas with limited connectivity.
“I would expect every Ukrainian to consider having the ability to connect to satellite,” Terzioglu explained to Reuters. “Due to electricity outages, it could be the case that everybody once in a while will need the service.”
The projected 12 million users would represent approximately half of all customers served by Kyivstar, Veon’s Ukrainian subsidiary that has deployed the satellite service throughout the war-affected nation.
Veon, headquartered in Dubai, is also working to incorporate Starlink connectivity into its Beeline network in Kazakhstan. Terzioglu expressed optimism that this expansion would be fully operational by the end of March.
The company is eyeing further expansion opportunities, with potential launches planned for at least one additional market this year among Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Uzbekistan, where Veon currently operates.
Looking ahead, the telecommunications group is considering entry into “large-population, underserved markets” across South Asia, Latin America, and Africa within the next three to five years, contingent on favorable conditions including pricing and tax structures.
While Veon maintains non-exclusive agreements and continues discussions with other satellite providers including Amazon’s Project Kuiper, AST SpaceMobile, and Eutelsat OneWeb, Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov indicated his company won’t utilize alternative satellite services before the end of next year due to operational timelines.
Komarov also revealed plans to launch the first large language model using Google’s Gemma framework within the next quarter, specifically designed for “Ukrainian state purposes,” including wartime applications.
