Two of Ukraine’s top mobile operators claim to have launched 4G in the largest cities in the country.
Two out Ukraine’s three biggest cellphone companies – Vodafone and lifecell – said on March 30 they’d started to service 4G in big cities.
Lifecell said it had launched fourth generation mobile internet services in all of Ukraine’s regional centers, apart from Donetsk, Luhansk and Simferopol in Crimea, which are under Russian occupation. Meanwhile, Vodafone Ukraine announced it would first offer 4G services in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Lviv and Odesa, and would then gradually expand the service to the same cities as lifecell .
While the State Center of Radio Frequencies said it would give operators permits to launch 4G services on March 30, Kyivstar said it hasn’t got all the permits yet and is to roll out 4G only on April 10.
“It’s important for us that our subscribers have a pleasant experience using the service. The speed (in rolling out 4G) does not necessarily mean the service will be of good quality,” Kyivstar spokeswoman Irina Lelichenko told the Kyiv Post on March 30.
Currently, the coverage provided by lifecell and Vodafone is available in only the most densely-populated areas, as they use radio frequencies in the 2600 MHz band – frequencies that cover short distances but allow numerous connections at the same time and can better penetrate buildings. The operators acquired licenses for them on Jan. 31 for $88.3 million.
The cellphone providers will improve the coverage as they start using radio frequencies around the 1800 MHz band. This will start happening over the summer of 2018.
In total, the three top operators paid Hr 8 billion, or $300 million, for their 4G licenses.
To connect to the faster service, both the phone and a SIM card must support 4G. To check this, a lifecell user has to dial *455#; Kyivstar clients have to dial *245*4# to verify their SIM cards or *245*5# – for phones; Vodafone Ukraine users have to dial *222# (though the Vodafone service didn’t appear to work at the time this story was published).
If a SIM card does not support 4G, it can be replaced at one of the operators’ branches for $1, while keeping the same number. Users do not have to change their current tariff plan to switch to 4G either.
To start using 4G, go to the phone’s settings, choose Cellular – Cellular Data Options – Voice & Data and press LTE.
The Kyiv Post’s technology coverage is sponsored by Ciklum and NIX Solutions. The content is independent of the donors.
