Ookla (the United States), the developer of Speedtest service, has recognized Vodafone Ukraine as the mobile network operator with the highest average mobile Internet speed in Ukraine in July-December 2020.
Such data were released during an online conference on Thursday.
“Now we have already recorded almost 5 million Ukrainians who have tested Internet services on this platform. This is an extraordinary figure in scale. Today we are here to welcome the fastest mobile Internet in Ukraine – Vodafone Ukraine,” the sales director at Ookla said during the conference.
According to him, in Q3-Q4 2020, Vodafone Ukraine reached the Speed Score of 30.85 (in 2019 it was 17.93). The average download speed was 29.38 Mbps, upload – 14.1 Mbps (in 2019 it was 19.37 Mbps and 11.16 Mbps, respectively).
He also said that in 2020, Ukraine climbed one position in the global ranking in terms of Internet connection speed, being 86th.
Ookla is a leader in fixed and mobile internet speed testing and analysis. According to the company, users run more than 10 million tests on the application every day.
Mobile network operator Kyivstar has expanded its 4G network coverage in Volyn and Zhytomyr regions and connected 402 more settlements to new mobile technologies.
The press service of the company said on Thursday that in particular, in Zhytomyr region, high-speed mobile Internet appeared in the settlements of Andriyivka, Bilkivtsi, Zamyslovychi, Kalynivka, Korostyshiv, Lebedivka, Nemyrivka and in Volyn region in the settlements of Borokhiv, Volodymyr-Volynsky, Horodysche, Domanove, Liubeshiv, and Ruzhyn.
The operator said that in order to improve coverage, LTE900 technology was activated at 98 base stations.
According to the data provided, a total of 14,000 base stations of the operator support 4G communication, which makes it possible to access new mobile technologies for 87% of the population of Ukraine.
At the same time, the operator said that in 2021 it intends to continue developing the network to increase the population’s access to 4G up to 90%.
The mobile network operator Kyivstar has begun to use a digital graphic signature on the screen to connect contract subscribers to its network in its branded stores, as well as in national and regional multi-brand electronics networks.
The operator’s press service said on Monday that the introduction of the digital graphic signature is an opportunity to speed up service and use a more environmentally friendly way of document flow that does not require paper consumption.
“Subscribers and store employees do not need to spend time preparing and printing paper documents. As a result, now it takes only about 5 minutes to sign mobile phone contracts,” the press service said.
Kyivstar said that the digital graphic signature is a handwritten signature of an individual on the tablet screen, linked to the contract, and is confirmed by a qualified electronic signature of the operator.
The functionality became possible thanks to the introduction of Jet, the new application for service and sales in Kyivstar branded stores and multi-brand electronics networks.
The Kyivstar mobile operator has received the Microsoft Gold Certified Partner status under the Microsoft partnership program in four competencies, the company has said.
According to the press release, in order to obtain the Microsoft Gold Certified Partner status, Kyivstar’s cloud services development and implementation specialists have passed exams, passed certification and confirmed the following competencies: Cloud Productivity, Data Platform, Small and Midmarket Cloud Solutions, Windows and Devices.
“The evolution of Kyivstar from a traditional mobile operator into a provider of integrated technological convergent solutions, in particular in the field of big data processing, artificial intelligence and cloud technologies, is not only our advantage, but also a strategic aspiration. Each implemented project or such achievement as the Microsoft Certified Partner status, helps us prove our expertise and remain a reliable partner for business,” Illia Polshakov, the director of new business development at Kyivstar, said.
The Microsoft Gold Certified Partner status provides the mobile operator with a number of advantages, including flexible and quick access to innovative Microsoft materials, information about developments, solutions and products, training programs, as well as access to technical and consulting support, the company emphasizes.
“The acquisition of Gold level competencies by Kyivstar demonstrates the necessary knowledge, relevant experience and certification of specialists in specific areas of Microsoft solutions. Together we provide Ukrainian business not only with innovative services and products, but also accelerate the process of digital transformation of our customers, create opportunities for building a more successful, profitable and competitive business,” Daniil Biktimirov, Microsoft Partner Development Manager in Central and Eastern Europe, said.
The operator said that in general Kyivstar has ten silver and gold competencies, which were received by 20 specialists of the operator.
The mobile operator Kyivstar is starting to implement VoLTE (voice-over-LTE) technology in its 4G network, which will allow subscribers to make ordinary phone calls through a high-speed mobile Internet.
As noted in the operator’s statement on Tuesday, this technology will work throughout the country by the end of 2020, where the operator’s 4G network is provided.
At first, VoLTE will be available for contract subscribers who actively use most of Kyivstar’s services. And during 2021, the technology will become available to prepaid subscribers.
“In less than three years, 85% of Ukrainians gained access to 4G. In terms of construction rates, Kyivstar is ahead of even the countries of the European Union, which took an average of five years to get the same result. This is a great achievement of the company, which gives us the opportunity introduce new technologies, such as VoLTE. Due to this technology, not only residents of large cities, but also villages, will receive the best quality of voice communication. After all, it will work in a modern 4G network,” President of Kyivstar Oleksandr Komarov said.
The operator said that due to voice transmission via 4G, subscribers will receive better sound quality during calls, and the connection between them will be faster, since the smartphone will not switch between different standards.
The launch of the new technology throughout the country, where 4G from Kyivstar works, will be completed in December 2020.
“The next stage is that the ability to use this technology on subscribers’ smartphones, depends on the device manufacturers. After all, the peculiarity of VoLTE is that smartphone manufacturers separately activate this technology in the network of each mobile operator. For this, Kyivstar is actively negotiating with the most popular brands in Ukraine,” the company said.
According to the operator, such models of Apple smartphones have already been activated: iPhone 12 and 12 Pro, iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, iPhone XR and XS MAX, iPhone SE, and during 2021 smartphone manufacturers will activate VoLTE on other popular models that support this technology.
Mobile network operator Kyivstar has launched 4G communication in the 900 MHz range in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where refarming of radio frequencies and reconfiguration of operator equipment have recently been completed.
“Thus, 4G in the 900 MHz band is already available in all regions of Ukraine. This is the completion of the first important stage of expanding the coverage of high-speed Internet in rural areas, which was launched in June 2020,” the operator’s press service said on Thursday.
Another 84,000 people living in 90 small towns or villages received access to 4G-network from Kyivstar in Donetsk and Luhansk regions today.
“The construction of 4G network in small villages is the most important tool to bridge the digital divide in Ukraine. To make this possible, Kyivstar voluntarily gave up part of its frequencies, which were then distributed among other operators to launch LTE in the 900 MHz band. High-speed Internet is starting to work today in small and remote villages, including those where only 50-100 people live,” President of Kyivstar Alexander Komarov said.
In general, high-speed mobile Internet from Kyivstar is already available in almost 14,000 cities, towns and villages, where 85% of the Ukrainian population lives.
According to the operator, half of these settlements were connected to 4G in 2020.
The company plans to provide at least 90% of the country’s population with high-speed mobile Internet by July 2022.
“The deployment of the national 4G network in rural areas was accelerated thanks to the use of the 900 MHz band, which has a larger coverage radius compared to the 1800 MHz and 2600 MHz bands. This was preceded by two years of painstaking work with the participation of all mobile network operators, the regulator, the Ministry of Digital Transformation and other public bodies,” Kyivstar said.
Since the beginning of 2020, Kyivstar has invested UAH 4.3 billion in the construction of the network, increasing investments by 22% compared to last year, and in general, over the past five years, the company’s expenses, including on the development of 3G and 4G communication in Ukraine, exceeded UAH 28 billion.
