VEON Claims 11M+ Unique Customers Have Connected To Direct-To-Device Service At Least Once In Locations Where There's No Mobile Service

VEON customers can use satellite-ready apps, share location, and send messages via apps and SMS on their existing LTE compatible phones.

VEON is the first operator group globally to launch Starlink Mobile across three markets. The service has commercially launched in Ukraine with Kyivstar, Kazakhstan with Beeline and most recently in Bangladesh with Banglalink – all within a year since the agreement was signed in November 2025.

Ukraine – Kyivstar (NASDAQ:KYIV) launched Starlink Mobile on 24 November 2025, the first such service in Europe. It is free to all of Kyivstar’s approximately 15.5 million 4G smartphone users.
Kazakhstan – Beeline Kazakhstan launched on 29 September 2026 to millions of customers as the country’s first Starlink Mobile operator. The service was developed with the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, and is offered free during an initial period.
Bangladesh – Banglalink launched on 9 October 2026 to 20 million customers, making Bangladesh the first country in South Asia to offer the satellite-to-mobile service, which can be activated through the MyBL super app, with the RYZE app to follow.
The milestone marks a shift in how the world connects. By combining Starlink Mobile satellites in low-Earth orbit with terrestrial mobile networks, VEON and Starlink are enabling existing phones with reliable connectivity in the mountains, on remote highways and at sea, and in places where ground networks have been damaged or knocked out by disaster, conflict or long power outages.

VEON works with leading U.S. technology companies, such as Starlink, to extend the American technology ecosystem, digital access and resilient infrastructure to high-growth markets.

The impact goes well beyond staying in touch. Reliable, affordable connectivity opens access to education, information, digital services. It provides a communication line of safety in  some of the world’s most underserved markets. In Ukraine, Kyivstar has seen the heaviest use in the south and east of the country, where connectivity is a matter of personal safety. In Bangladesh, the service is designed to keep people reachable during cyclones, floods and long power outages.

Starlink Mobile works with existing 4G/LTE smartphones in open areas with a clear view of the sky. Customers can send messages, use essential apps and share their location when no terrestrial signal is available.