JSC Ukrtelecom plans to provide free Wi-Fi access to the Internet in the shelters of more than 400 schools in Ukraine, the company’s press service reported on Friday.
“Ukrtelecom received applications from 398 schools. The operator received most of them directly, in contact with the administration of educational institutions using its services, the other part came as part of a government initiative to create safe and comfortable learning conditions for schoolchildren – the all-Ukrainian initiative “Wi-Fi in shelters,” the company said.
According to the release, the largest number of applications came from the Chernihiv and Khmelnytsky regions and Kyiv.
In addition, the initiative was supported by about 30 companies – partners of Ukrtelecom in the development of optical networks. Their specialists perform connection work using the equipment and resources of Ukrtelecom.
As of August 25, 60 school shelters have already been equipped with Wi-Fi from Ukrtelecom. The company expects as part of the implementation of connecting shelters in more than 400 schools.
On August 16, the Minister of Education and Science, Serhiy Shkarlet, announced that 2,736 schools need high-speed Internet in shelters, and 558 schools already have Wi-Fi in shelters.
Mobile operators and providers continue to provide access to communication services as of 13:00 on April 2, 2022, according to a message in the telegram channel of the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine.
The situation with the coverage of mobile operators on the territory of Ukraine over the previous day has not undergone significant changes. The most problematic regions are Donetsk, Kyiv, Chernihiv regions.
At the same time, the operators began work to restore communications in the settlements of the Kiev region, liberated from the invaders.
“Despite all the difficulties and the destruction of infrastructure by the enemy, operators continue to provide mobile communications and Internet services. However, in order for companies to continue to work stably, ensure the functioning of networks and the provision of services, we remind all Ukrainians of the importance of paying for services,” the department noted.
Also, according to the State Service for Special Communications, on April 1, Ukrtelecom specialists restored damaged trunk lines and services in Odessa, Kherson and Nikolaev regions.
“Currently, the services of the company (Ukrtelecom – IF) are provided in all regions, except for the Luhansk region. The search for opportunities to resume telecommunications services continues,” the report says.
Internet providers in Ukraine recorded 128 cases of network damage or equipment unavailability per day.
Ukrainian television continues to go on the air in the vast majority of non-occupied territories. The Concern for Radio Broadcasting of Radio Communications and Television, which belongs to the management of the State Special Communications Service, maintains the operation of the relevant infrastructure so that Ukrainians can receive truthful information. Satellite broadcasting works stably.
The National Center for Operational and Technical Management of Telecommunications Networks (NTsU) under the State Special Communications Service provides full control of networks in war conditions.
Mobile operators and Ukrtelecom agree to provide communication to Ukrainians, even if there are no funds on their accounts.
“We are doing everything possible to keep everyone in touch even with a zero balance,” the press service of Vodafone Ukraine said in a commentary to Interfax-Ukraine.
Ukrtelecom reported that the decision not to disconnect subscribers for non-payment, as well as subscribers with a zero balance from the provision of services, was made by the operator this morning.
“Now we have more than 50,000 Internet service clients in dynamics, who could be affected by disconnection for non-payment. But we decided not to disconnect our subscribers,” Mykhailo Shuranov, director of corporate communications at Ukrtelecom, told the agency.
The lifecell press service also stated that they are ready to support their subscribers.
“In order for our subscribers to be able to contact their relatives and friends at any time, lifecell charges all its users a package of services at no additional charge. It contains 30 minutes for calls to any number in Ukraine and 5 GB of mobile internet. It can be used for 30 days,” the operator’s press service told the agency.
Therefore, the priority of lifecell is the continuity in the provision of mobile services.
As of 13:35 Thursday, the operator’s mobile network is operating normally. However, the operator warns that in conditions where millions of people simultaneously make calls, from time to time the connection may not occur the first time.
Kyivstar reported that calls in the operator’s network will be available to all subscribers of the subscription even without a paid package of services according to their tariff.
Kyivstar also abolishes the commission within the Extra Money service, thanks to which you can order additional funds to your account and return them later.
For subscribers of contract and corporate forms of service: the operator doubles the credit limits in their tariffs for up to two months. Subscribers who do not have the service of credit limits connected can order microcredit. For users of fixed services (Internet, telephony and data transmission), Kyivstar extends the bill payment term by 30 days.
In addition, Kyivstar will provide the Home Internet service free of charge: all customers whose service was disabled due to lack of funds on their account can use it again.
As previously reported, the National Center for Operational and Technical Management of Telecommunications Networks of the State Service for Special Communications addressed operators with a recommendation not to disconnect from mobile communications and access to the Internet subscribers who do not have enough funds on their account or have a debt.
Ukrtelecom’s total income in the first half of 2021 amounted to UAH 3.4 billion (more than 10% more than in the same period in 2020), and Internet income exceeded UAH 1 billion (more by 7.4%), the company’s press service has said on Monday.
Ukrtelecom’s EBITDA in the first six months amounted to UAH 1.1 billion (an increase of 29%). EBITDA margin increased by 4.5 percentage points (p.p.), to 31.3%.
It is noted that for the specified period, the company’s telecommunications services income amounted to almost UAH 2.4 billion. Private subscribers were provided with services for almost UAH 1.5 billion, and business consumers – for UAH 692 million. The fixed optical Internet user base grew by 83%, to 203,000 subscribers.
In the business segment, Internet income increased by 10.2%, to UAH 226 million, and in the mass segment – by 6.6%, to UAH 786 million.
Ukrtelecom notes that the connection of small towns and villages to high-speed optical Internet continues. Currently, work is underway in almost 150 settlements, where more than 4,500 km of fiber-optic cable have been laid.
“Throughout the country, 850 medical and 1,250 educational institutions, as well as 380 territorial communities are already using optical Internet from Ukrtelecom. Of these, 156 medical and 233 educational institutions, 21 territorial communities have been connected this year. Ukrtelecom is awaiting the announcement of tenders by local communities to participate in the Ministry of Digital Transformation’s program to provide modern optical Internet for social infrastructure and rural population,” the company said.
According to it, in January-June 2021, income related to asset management also increased, in particular, from receipts from commercial lease of property not involved in production processes. It amounted to more than UAH 213 million, which is almost 41% more than in the same period last year.
In addition, the operator has launched a three-year fleet renewal program, which provides for the replacement of more than 1,300 vehicles used in production activities, including for disaster recovery teams, deploying fiber-optic networks, connecting and servicing subscribers.
Capital investments in the first half of 2021 amounted to almost UAH 310 million.
“The problem remains with the debt of local budgets to reimburse the company’s expenses for telecommunications services provided to citizens entitled to benefits. As of June 30, this figure exceeds UAH 124 million,” the company said.
In 2021, Ukrtelecom has already paid UAH 975 million in taxes to the budgets of all levels.
PJSC Ukrtelecom in 2020 reduced its net income by 2%, to UAH 6.214 billion, the company’s CEO Yuriy Kurmaz said at a press conference in Kyiv on Wednesday.
At the same time, EBITDA increased by 4.8%, to UAH 1.698 billion, and EBITDA margin by 1.8 percentage points, to 27.3 compared to the operator’s audited statements for 2019.
The company’s capital investments decreased by 0.5%, to UAH 688 million.
In 2020, Ukrtelecom built 10,000 km of fiber-optic communication lines, providing 270,000 households with the access to the optical Internet network.
Ukrtelecom is the largest fixed-line operator in Ukraine. It is the sole founder and participant of TriMob LLC – a mobile operator of 3G/UMTS standard.
As of January 4, 2021, Ukrtelecom has already installed 45 UTrecharge charging stations for electric transport out of 50 provided in the pilot project in Kyiv and the suburbs.
According to the press service of the company, in Kyiv region the stations have already been installed in Vyshgorod (2 Shevchenko Square), Irpin (120a Severynivska Street), Boryspil (86a Kyivsky Shliakh Street), Vorzel (25 Kurortna Street), and Bucha (22 Ostrovskoho Street).
“The introduction of the service is part of Ukrtelecom’s activities for the efficient use of the company’s resources released as a result of technical re-equipment and modernization of the telecoms infrastructure. Ukrtelecom considers this business area to be promising, including in terms of supporting technologies that do not harm the environment,” the report says.
Ukrtelecom began to provide the service of charging electric vehicles at its own UTrecharge charging stations from January 1, 2021.
