Kyiv has joined the 5G pilot program — following Lviv, Kharkiv, and Borodyanка. Three operators are simultaneously deploying test zones in the capital: Kyivstar, Vodafone, and lifecell are operating on 3500 MHz frequencies. The Ministry of Digital Transformation announced the start of the pilot.
What's already working
In Kyiv's test zones, the network demonstrates average speeds of 600–800 Mbps, and under peak conditions — over 1.7 Gbps. This is approximately 17 times faster than a typical home tariff of 100 Mbps. To connect, you only need a 5G-enabled smartphone and a USIM or eSIM card — no additional settings or separate tariffs are required.
Across the country as part of the pilot program, over 300 base stations have already been installed. During testing in previous cities, almost 1.5 million users gained access to the next-generation network.
Why Kyiv is not just another city on the list
The capital is the largest market and the most complex testing ground at the same time. According to Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation Stanislav Prybytko, the technical stage in Kyiv required separate time: operators were coordinating base station locations and ordering equipment to ensure maximum coverage.
«Currently, a purely technical stage is underway: mobile operators are ordering equipment and finalizing locations for base stations to ensure coverage in the capital is of the highest quality».
Stanislav Prybytko, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation
A separate factor is security. Before a national launch, research and development work must be conducted jointly with the military: 5G frequencies overlap with ranges used in defense. This is not a formality — this step alone determines the difference between a «pilot» and a commercial network.
Infrastructure under pressure
In parallel with 5G deployment, operators are addressing two challenges directly related to the war. The first is energy independence: 5G base stations in previous cities are equipped with battery backup for up to 10 hours of autonomous operation. The second is frequency liberation: Kyivstar is gradually shutting down 3G in a number of cities, redirecting resources to 4G and preparation for 5G. This is a global trend, but in Ukraine it coincided with the urgent need to densify coverage amid infrastructure destruction.
The Electronic Communications Development Strategy through 2030, adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers in 2025, sets a goal: gigabit internet for 75% of households and a contribution to GDP at the level of 56 billion hryvnias.
What's next
lifecell directly stated: large-scale 5G implementation across the country will occur after restoring connectivity in deoccupied territories. In other words, a full commercial launch is tied not only to the lifting of martial law but also to the reintegration of networks in liberated lands — a process whose timeline no operator publicly predicts.
If frequency coordination with the military drags on after the active phase of the war ends — the Kyiv pilot risks remaining an «eternal test»: the technology exists, coverage exists, but there's no commercial product. Will the government set a specific deadline for this coordination — or leave it as an open process with no accountability?
