National electronic communications operator Kyivstar has begun testing 5G technology in Odesa, which has become the fifth location in the company's pilot project. According to RBC-Ukraine, citing the operator's press release, 5G coverage in the city spans the historic center, Primorsky Boulevard, the Potemkin Stairs, and the surrounding area. As a result, the geography of the pilot zones, defined jointly with the Government of Ukraine, now includes Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, Borodyanka, and Odesa.
Pilot project scale: 1.6 million users and 200,000 connections per day
Since the start of the pilot project, more than 1.6 million Kyivstar subscribers have already used fifth-generation connectivity. The company notes that over 200,000 users connect to the 5G network daily — although the exact figure varies depending on the day of the week. The operator emphasizes that at the current stage, 5G does not replace but rather complements LTE: the technology is applied where there is a need to offload the LTE network, add extra capacity, increase data transfer speeds, and enable a large number of devices to operate simultaneously.
Technical parameters: NSA architecture and speeds up to 2.4 Gbit/s
In the test zones, Kyivstar uses the 5G NSA (Non-Standalone) architecture in the 3500 MHz band. This approach allows the existing 4G infrastructure to be leveraged while simultaneously testing the capabilities of the next generation of connectivity. According to the operator, the maximum data transfer speed in the 5G network exceeded 2.4 Gbit/s. After access was opened to all users and the number of connections grew, the average speed in the test network is 600–800 Mbit/s, with peak speeds reaching 2 Gbit/s. To connect, a user only needs a 5G-capable smartphone, an up-to-date firmware version, a standard USIM SIM card, and to be within the coverage area; billing is applied under the terms of the active plan.
4G remains the foundation: 96% population coverage
The 5G pilot is being carried out in parallel with the development of the fourth generation, which still remains the primary mobile connectivity technology in Ukraine. At present, Kyivstar's high-speed 4G is available to more than 96% of the country's population. PJSC "Kyivstar," which has been operating in the market for 28 years, serves approximately 21.8 million mobile subscribers and more than 1.3 million fixed-line subscribers as of 2026. Over the past three years, the operator has directed over 5.6 billion UAH toward supporting the Armed Forces, its subscribers, and the implementation of social projects.
Contradictory data
Despite the active promotion of the pilot 5G project and the launch of a new location in Odesa, in August 2026 the publication "Economic Truth" (minfin.com.ua) published an article titled "5G Will Have to Wait: 'Kyivstar' Names the Main Obstacle." This indicates that, although real-world testing is underway and gaining momentum, the full-scale commercial deployment of 5G in the country faces systemic barriers — primarily related to the regulatory environment, the allocation of radio spectrum, and the conditions of wartime. Thus, the stated "5G already in Odesa" reflects the stage of pilot testing rather than a mass commercial launch, and there remains a significant gap between the pilot's optimistic figures and the actual timeline for wide availability.
Regulatory context and prospects
Testing of 5G equipment in Ukraine was permitted by the NCC (the National Commission that regulates the communications and information sectors), as recorded in materials from delo.ua. It was precisely this decision that gave operators a legal basis for conducting field tests. Against the backdrop of 5G coverage still being limited to five locations and operating in NSA mode, experts and regulators emphasize the need to develop a unified strategy for rolling out the fifth generation, one that takes into account both technological readiness and the geopolitical realities of 2026.
