Ukrainian mobile operator Kyivstar plans to completely turn off the 3G network throughout the country by the end of 2026. The company decided to accelerate this process in order to free up frequency resources for the development of the more modern 4G standard.
Ukrainian mobile operator Kyivstar plans to completely turn off the 3G network throughout the country by the end of 2026. The company decided to accelerate this process in order to free up frequency resources for the development of the more modern 4G standard.
This was announced by Kyivstar President Oleksandr Komarov during a conference call following the results of the first quarter of 2026. According to him, the operator seeks to strengthen its technological leadership in the market.
«We have accelerated the process of abandoning 3G. This year will be the last year of using 3G technology for Kyivstar in Ukraine,» said Komarov.
The head of the company noted that Kyivstar is currently as close as possible to fulfilling its license obligations regarding 4G. Coverage already covers almost 97% of the country’s population, including all major highways. According to Komarov, LTE will remain the basic technology for the Ukrainian market for a long time.
«In my opinion, this will be the main technological direction of mobile communications for the next, probably, five to seven years. We do not expect that 5G will be really implemented in Ukraine before the end of the war. So the most likely scenario is somewhere 12 months after the war,» the company’s president explained.
In parallel with the change in technological focus, the operator is recording changes in the subscriber base. In the first quarter, it decreased by 400,000 people (3%) and now amounts to 22 million customers. This is explained by the refusal of users from additional SIM cards, the update of the tariff grid and demographic challenges. Despite this, according to NKEK, Kyivstar’s share remains stable and exceeds 47% of the market.
Recall that the final shutdown of 3G is scheduled for December 31, 2030. The Ministry of Digital Affairs believes that a specific date for the termination of 3G support will allow operators to more clearly plan network modernization, avoid technological lag, and facilitate the transition of subscribers to modern communication standards. Ukrainian operators began to gradually turn off 3G in early 2025 — in certain settlements and regions.
Last year, Kyivstar noted that only 5% of the entire Kyivstar subscriber base still uses 3G.
