Kyivstar, Vodafone Ukraine and Lifecell expand 5G pilot to Kyiv

Details: John Tanner; Category: Wireless Networks; 23 July 2026; 478 views

Ukraine’s three main telcos – Kyivstar, Vodafone Ukraine and Lifecell – expanded pilot 5G services to Kyiv on Wednesday, with Odesa next on the list.

According to a statement from Ukraine’s deputy minister of Digital Transformation Stanislav Prybytko, coverage is limited to central Kiev, and varies by operator, although all three cover the main street area of Khreschatyk.

Vodafone Ukraine said in a statement its 5G coverage is available in all administrative districts of the capital: Holosiivsky, Darnytsky, Desniansky, Dniprovsky, Obolonsky, Pechersky, Podilsky, Sviatoshynsky, Solomiansky, and Shevchenkivsky.

Kyivstar said that its 5G pilot network covers tourist areas such as Sofia Square and St. Sophia Cathedral, the territory of the Golden Gate and the National Opera of Ukraine, Volodymyr Cathedral, Independence Square, Volodymyrska Hill and Landscape Alley, among others.

Lifecell said it is also focusing on high-traffic tourist areas, including Bessarabska Square, Khreshchatyk, Independence Square, Poshtova, Kontraktova Square, Sevastopolska Square, the Central Bus Station, the Central and Southern railway stations, the metro stations for Pecherska and Arsenalna, and several shopping centres.

Prybytko said the Kyiv pilot is supported by over 300 base stations, with more on the way, with all three operators using the 3,500 MHz and 700 MHz bands for 5G.

He also added that 29% of mobile devices in Ukraine support 5G technology. That said, many of them are concentrated in big cities. Kyivstar said almost 40% of smartphones in Kyiv support 5G. Lifecell put those figures at around 43% in Kyiv and 34% nationwide for its own subscriber base.

Kyiv is the fourth city in Ukraine to test 5G, following pilot launches in Lviv, Borodianka and Kharkiv at the start of this year.

Vodafone Ukraine said that over 400,000 of its subscribers customers took part have participated in those pilots, consuming over 391 TB of data via 5G at peak speeds of up to 1.9 Gbps.

Kyivstar said that more than 724,000 of its subscribers used 5G, downloading more than 755 TB at peak data speeds of 1.5-1.7 Gbps, and is 600-700 Mbps on average.

LIfecell said traffic consumption on its 5G network increased by 75%, and the number of simultaneous sessions by 35% since its 5G pilot launch, with average daily traffic consumption at 3.2 TB, with peak speeds of 1.5 Gbps.

Deputy minister Prybytko said that Odessa is the next city on the 5G pilot rollout schedule, although no time frame was given.

Prybytko also reiterated the government’s position that a full nationwide rollout of 5G won’t happen until martial law is lifted.

As we reported in January, Ukrainian telcos face war-related challenges, such as ensuring that spectrum usage doesn’t interfere with military communications and maintaining a stable energy supply, as 5G requires more power than 4G.