Our telecommunications company Ukrtelecom and JSC Kyivstar have signed an agreement to work together under an Open Access model, based on the shared use of telecommunications infrastructure. Each operator will use parts of the other's fibre network, which makes it faster and more efficient to bring fibre coverage to homes across Ukraine. The first phase starts in the Odesa, Vinnytsia and Kirovohrad regions and will cover more than one million residents, with other regions to follow.
What have Ukrtelecom and Kyivstar agreed?
JSC Ukrtelecom, part of SCM, and JSC Kyivstar have agreed to use parts of each other's networks on a reciprocal basis. Kyivstar will provide Home Internet services and access to its digital ecosystem using Ukrtelecom's GPON network. Ukrtelecom will provide Optical Internet services using Kyivstar's fibre network, on open market terms. JSC Kyivstar is Ukraine's leading digital operator and part of Kyivstar Group Ltd. (Nasdaq: KYIV; KYIVW).
How does the Open Access model work?
Open Access gives network access on transparent and non-discriminatory terms. According to the FTTH Council Europe, this approach supports fair competition between service providers. Each operator keeps its direct relationship with its subscribers, sets its own tariffs and commercial terms, and provides customer support and billing. The owner of the network remains responsible for running and maintaining it. The companies exchange only the technical data needed to provide network access under the project.
What do the companies say about the partnership?
"Open Access gives us a practical way to make better use of the infrastructure we've already built, while accelerating the rollout of modern digital services," commented Yurii Kurmaz, CEO of Ukrtelecom, on the launch of the partnership. "We believe this model will become one of the key drivers behind the next stage of growth in Ukraine's telecoms sector. With 95,000 kilometres of existing fibre network, Ukrtelecom is ready to scale this approach and open up new opportunities for modern telecommunications services across the country."
Oleksandr Komarov, CEO of Kyivstar, called the agreement an important milestone for Ukraine's digital infrastructure that lets the company reach many more customers with fibre broadband.
Where will the project start?
The first phase will begin in the Odesa, Vinnytsia and Kirovohrad regions and will cover more than one million residents of Ukraine. In this phase the companies will test the cooperation model and the information systems built for the project, before extending it to other regions.
Why does this matter for Ukraine?
The project makes better use of networks that already exist, at a time when every investment in Ukraine's infrastructure has to count because of russia's war against Ukraine. It supports the development of the telecommunications market and gives more people in Ukraine access to fibre broadband and modern digital services.
JSC Ukrtelecom is Ukraine's leading fixed-line telecommunications operator and the owner of the country's largest GPON infrastructure. It has been part of SCM since 2013.
