Updated
Updated · The Fast Mode · Aug 18
Kyivstar, Ukrtelecom Sign Open-Access Fiber Deal for 1 Million Ukrainians
Updated
Updated · The Fast Mode · Aug 18

Kyivstar, Ukrtelecom Sign Open-Access Fiber Deal for 1 Million Ukrainians

3 articles · Updated · The Fast Mode · Aug 18

Summary

  • Kyivstar and Ukrtelecom agreed to share parts of their telecom networks, launching an Open Access model aimed at speeding optical internet expansion across Ukraine.
  • More than 1 million residents in Odesa, Vinnytsia and Kirovohrad regions will be covered in the first phase as the operators test system integration and operating procedures.
  • The arrangement lets Kyivstar deliver Home Internet over Ukrtelecom’s non-volatile GPON network, while Ukrtelecom will offer optical internet using Kyivstar’s broader fiber footprint.
  • Each company will keep its own subscribers, tariffs, billing and support, while data sharing is limited to technical information needed to provide network access.
  • Ukrtelecom said its 95,000-km optical network can help scale the model, which both companies cast as a way to widen digital access and boost competition.

Insights

Will Kyivstar and Ukrtelecom's unprecedented network-sharing deal lower internet costs for Ukrainians, or simply create an unbeatable telecom duopoly?
How might sharing infrastructure across war-torn regions secretly boost the profit margins of Ukraine's biggest telecom giants?