Elon Musk’s Starlink has updated its broadband-by-satellite options for Ukraine. Ukrainians can now buy the Starlink Mini service for the equivalent of $200 (€173) and use the Home Lite plan for $25/month, instead of the previous $450 kit and $75/month plan.

Ukraine has just become one of the first countries in the world to launch Starlink’s Direct to Cell technology, which allows you to send SMS messages even without mobile network coverage.

The announcement was made by Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov. Together with Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov, he said he had tested the new technology. The first text messages from smartphones via satellite have already been successfully sent. Users do not need additional equipment – a regular 4G smartphone with a SIM or eSIM is enough.

Direct to Cell will allow Ukrainians to stay connected during war and emergency outages, in the mountains, during bad weather, or in any area without mobile coverage. The only requirement is direct visibility of the sky.

Ukraine is saying that despite the war, the country continues to innovate to ensure stable connectivity for its citizens.

D2D is currently in beta testing, with an official launch planned for this autumn.

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Categories: Articles, Broadband, Satellite

Tags: d2d, starlink, ukraine