Pilot 5G network launched in Borodianka, with plans to roll it out later in Kharkiv, Odesa and Kyiv – ministry

A pilot 5G communication network was launched in the city of Borodianka near Kyiv, further plans are to expand the technology in Kharkiv, and later in Odesa and Kyiv, the Ministry of Digital Transformation said in a statement.

A pilot 5G project has been launched in Borodianka, Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation said Wednesday. The pilot will allow testing the technology using restored telecommunications infrastructure and prepare the network for nationwide rollout after martial law ends, the ministry said in a press release.

The ministry noted that Borodianka is the second city after Lviv to host a 5G pilot. The project will initially cover the city’s central district, while separate 5G zones may be deployed at the request of businesses, it added.

As previously reported, 5G services from all three Ukrainian mobile operators began operating in test mode in central Lviv on January 12. The technology was expected to be introduced in Borodianka later that month and in Kharkiv in February.

Vodafone Ukraine, the country’s second-largest mobile operator, said 44,000 subscribers joined the 5G network in the pilot zone in central Lviv within the first 12 hours.

Kyivstar, Ukraine’s largest mobile operator, told Interfax-Ukraine that more than 26,000 subscribers used faster internet via 5G during the first 24 hours after launch.

Lifecell, the third-largest operator, said that within the first 12 hours, 63% of subscribers who were in the coverage area and had compatible devices tested the new technology.