The Ministry of Digital Transformation talked about the «Communication Generator» program, under which citizens and businesses can power operators' base stations with their generators for a certain fee. How much will it cost to rent your generator and what do mobile operators say about it?
The Ministry of Digital Transformation talked about the «Communication Generator» program, under which citizens and businesses can power operators' base stations with their generators for a certain fee. How much will it cost to rent your generator and what do mobile operators say about it?
The Ministry of Digital Affairs reported that the goal of the program is to provide Ukrainians with communication during blackouts, to call an ambulance, make emergency notifications, and communicate with relatives.
«For example, you are the manager of a shopping or office center and use a stationary industrial generator. Operators can connect a nearby base station to it. Then, during a blackout, residents in the area will be able to call nearby or emergency services. If you are ready to share the generator with mobile operators, please write to this email address — [email protected],» said Mykhailo Fedorov, Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.
You can rent a generator with a capacity of 7.2 kW or more. After connecting, the owner can receive from 110 to 140 UAH per hour. For 12 hours of base station power supply, an individual will receive about 1,320 UAH, and a legal entity — about 1,720 UAH.
«To join the project, call the free hotline at 0 800 33 63 28 (working hours: Mon-Fri from 9:00 to 18:00, Saturday-Sunday — weekends). The operator will select the nearest base station to your location, explain the conditions, calculate the approximate payment amount, and transfer your contacts to the operator,» the Ministry of Digital Affairs explains.
After that, an operator will contact you to check the technical capabilities, agree on the terms and conclude a contract. The owner of the generator is responsible for its maintenance and refueling. The operator’s employees are responsible for the technical connection to the base station.
dev.ua asked mobile operators about their expectations from the generator rental program. Here’s what they told us.
The company’s press service reported that its networks currently include more than 70,000 base stations throughout Ukraine.
«Currently, all network facilities are provided with backup power from batteries and generators. The only exceptions are those base stations whose equipment is placed on poles, as well as base stations located in a combat zone where it is physically impossible to install backup power,» Kyivstar says.
As of November 2025, more than a quarter of Kyivstar’s network is equipped with generators. The average figure for Ukraine is about 25,8%.
«We are open to cooperation and will be happy to attract new partners who are ready to join in maintaining the sustainability of the network through the „Communication Generator“ program,» the company notes.
Kyivstar reported that the stability of the base station, which
powered by an external generator, will be monitored by the actual number of kW generated, according to the meter readings at the base station and the hour meter on the generator, i.e. by the actual number of hours of generation.
«Previously, we have already invited businesses to cooperate on a commercial basis — under the Generator as a Service model, which provides for compensation for the cost of fuel for the provided power of 8 kW or more. According to this principle, Kyivstar has successfully cooperated with over 200 business partners. The model has been tested in practice, so we do not see any risks in this form of interaction,» the company says.
Kyivstar assures that the goal of the program is to increase the stability of communications during long power outages, not to save money, so Kyivstar will compensate all partners for the cost of generation. «Such costs exceed the usual cost of electricity,» the press service notes.
«Unfortunately, outages are quite long and frequent, and the period of power availability does not always allow the batteries to charge. However, investments in previous periods, namely in replacing batteries, installing additional generators, and attracting employees, allow the network to operate with an availability of at least 95%,» the company told dev.ua.
Vodafone noted that during 2024-2025, their fleet of lithium-type batteries increased more than 8 times and it is planned to put more than 20,000 new lithium-type batteries into operation.
The operator currently has 3,030 generators operating at its base stations. The number of generators has increased by a third, and Vodafone is adding more than 500 units in 2025. The company has already purchased and expects another 5,500 generators to arrive in Ukraine in the near future.
«Vodafone is actively cooperating with ATCs, enterprises, and institutions to attract additional generation capacity on site to achieve greater energy sustainability,» the press service noted.
