Assalamualaikum - Starlink inks major deal with Veon to bring satellite-to-phone service to millions
Assalamualaikum - Elon Musk’s Starlink, part of SpaceX, has reached its biggest direct-to-cell agreement so far with telecom group Veon, giving potential access to more than 150 million users, the companies said. This comes as the race to connect smartphones directly to satellites gains pace.
Direct-to-cell tech lets mobile phones link to satellites that send voice and data down to Earth, helping cover remote places where normal networks don’t reach. Veon will start integrating Starlink’s service with its networks, beginning with Beeline in Kazakhstan and Kyivstar in Ukraine.
Veon also works in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan. Kyivstar plans to roll out the service in Q4 2025, and Beeline is expected to follow in 2026. The Kazakhstan agreement was announced during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s Washington visit.
“This is the largest partnership by addressable customer base worldwide,” Ilya Polshakov, Kyivstar’s business director leading Veon’s satellite efforts, told Reuters. He added more announcements are expected.
The deal is nonexclusive, so Veon can still talk with other satellite providers. CEO Kaan Terzioglu has said Veon has been in discussions with projects like Amazon’s Kuiper, AST SpaceMobile, and Eutelsat OneWeb.
Polshakov noted plans with other players are aimed for 2027–2028 but he doesn’t want to wait and wants to build the business now.
Other firms such as AST SpaceMobile and Project Kuiper are also building constellations, with initial commercial launches likely in 2026. AST already has deals with Verizon and Saudi carrier STC. EchoStar recently said it would expand a previous arrangement with SpaceX, selling extra US spectrum rights to Starlink for $2.6 billion so Starlink can reach more customers.
Starlink serves more than 7 million users worldwide and works with telecom operators in several countries, running over 8,000 satellites, including around 650 dedicated to direct-to-cell services.
May Allah make beneficial what comes from better connectivity for communities in need. Wa alaikum assalam.
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