The largest Ukrainian telecommunication operator, Kyivstar, will continue to invest in the energy independence of fixed internet in 2024, with investments totaling 50-70 million hryvnias by the end of the year.
As reported by the company's press service on Friday, during 2023, Kyivstar invested over 200 million hryvnias in providing uninterrupted power sources for the fixed internet network. These investments will enable access to the internet for nearly 700,000 subscribers even during power outages.
The company will install equipment for uninterrupted operation of home internet in 44 cities across Ukraine. Uninterruptible power sources (UPS) will be installed at 22,300 addresses, with 180 specialists engaged in their installation.
Thanks to this modernization, the Home Internet network will be able to operate without power for up to five hours, according to the company.
Kyivstar began connecting the Home Internet network to UPS in October 2022. Additionally, since late 2023, the company has been developing energy-efficient internet using GPON technology.
In 2024, the company plans to partially modernize and replace existing technologies with GPON in some cities. "In the short and medium term, GPON can provide consumers with internet access for a longer period during power outages, partly because we are building lines from base stations equipped with mobile diesel generators. As long as we have the human resources and the ability to supply fuel and components, providing power to the generator at the base station, internet access for users connected via GPON technology will be maintained," said Serhiy Sukhoruk, Head of the Fixed Communications Department at Kyivstar.
Previously, it was reported that Kyivstar had begun connecting business clients in Dnipro to the gigabit optical network GPON.
By the end of March 2024, Kyivstar plans to connect seven more cities to high-speed internet via GPON. The company will offer services such as fixed internet, data transmission, and telephony at speeds of 20 Mbps, 50 Mbps, and 100 Mbps. Additionally, the range of services and connection conditions will expand in the future, according to the company.
GPON (Gigabit-capable passive optical network) enables internet to operate even in the absence of electricity in a building. This network is less dependent on external factors, as optical fibers can transmit data over long distances without significant signal loss and without active equipment, as clarified by Kyivstar.
