KYIV, Ukraine, Oct. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kyivstar (Nasdaq: KYIV), Ukraine’s leading digital operator, has initiated a large-scale network modernization project that will run throughout 2025–2026. The initiative aims to enhance service quality, expand 4G network capacity, and prepare infrastructure for fifth-generation (5G) mobile communications rollout.

Network modernization is a comprehensive set of technical measures aimed at upgrading and developing infrastructure, improving service quality, and enhancing customer experience. This includes replacing outdated equipment, updating radio modules, and more.

While Kyivstar conducts regular network upgrades, this large-scale modernization program will deliver substantially higher service quality and unlock new opportunities for customers.

The company is prioritizing modernization of telecom sites with the heaviest traffic — those with the highest number of users and data consumption. Deploying state-of-the-art equipment will increase network capacity and boost data transmission speeds while enabling new software features that allow significantly more data transfer within the same timeframe. This results in faster download speeds and stable service even under heavy network load.

Kyivstar is currently analyzing initial results of already-completed work. The modernization effort began with sites most in need of upgrades, and those locations are now demonstrating an average increase of about 30% in data transfer speed and roughly 50% in network capacity.

During equipment replacement and network reconfiguration, short-term changes in mobile internet speed, call quality, and temporary reductions in radio coverage may occur in certain areas. These are standard steps of the modernization process, which will ultimately deliver greater stability and service quality.

Thanks to significant infrastructure investments and ongoing network expansion and modernization, Kyivstar has once again been recognized as Ukraine’s Best Mobile Network by Ookla — the global leader in connectivity analytics and developer of the Speedtest service. Based on results from H2 2024 and H1 2025, the operator received all key Speedtest Awards in Ukraine: Best Mobile Coverage, Fastest Mobile Network, and Best Mobile Network.

Kyivstar Group Ltd
Kyivstar Group Ltd (Nasdaq: KYIV; KYIVW) ("Kyivstar Group") is a Nasdaq-listed holding company that manages the Kyivstar group of companies in Ukraine. Through its subsidiaries, Kyivstar Group is the country’s leading digital operator and the first Ukrainian company to have its shares traded on a U.S. stock exchange.

The group’s companies provide a broad range of connectivity and digital services, including mobile and fixed-line voice and data, ride-hailing, e-health, digital TV, and enterprise solutions such as big data, cloud, and cybersecurity.

Together with VEON, Kyivstar Group has committed to investing USD 1 billion in Ukraine during 2023–2027, focusing on infrastructure and technology development, charitable support, and strategic acquisitions

For more information, please visit https://investors.kyivstar.ua.

About JSC Kyivstar
JSC Kyivstar (“Kyivstar”) is Ukraine’s leading digital operator, serving around 22.4 million mobile subscribers and over 1.1 million fixed-line Home internet customers as of June 30, 2025. The company provides services using a wide range of mobile and fixed technologies, including 4G, Big Data, cloud solutions, cybersecurity services, digital TV, and more. Kyivstar is advancing new telecommunication technologies in Ukraine and together with VEON plans to invest USD 1 billion in this direction during 2023–2027.

Kyivstar is wholly owned by Kyivstar Group Ltd (Nasdaq: KYIV; KYIVW), the first Ukrainian company to have its shares traded on the U.S. stock exchange Nasdaq.

The company contributes to overcoming the challenges of wartime and, over the past three years, has allocated more than UAH 3.4 billion to support the Defence Forces, its subscribers, and the implementation of social projects. Kyivstar has operated in Ukraine for 27 years and is recognised as the largest taxpayer in the digital communications market, a top employer, and a socially responsible company. Additional information: pr@kyivstar.net, www.kyivstar.ua.