The operator has announced new measure to addresses power blackouts with an industrial-grade generator fleet
VEON has said its wholly owned subsidiary, Kyivstar, continues to invest in resilient connectivity for Ukraine. It plans to deploy an additional 848 industrial generators and 61,766 batteries for service continuity during the extended blackouts caused by attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Since the war started, resilience has been part of Kyivstar’s strategy to maintain crucial communication services and safeguard digital operations. The operator has deployed 2,322 generators and 115,000 four-hour duration batteries at base stations to provide backup power during blackouts.
Kyivstar now plans to deploy 848 more stationary industrial generators and 61,766 new batteries to support business continuity of the network. The systems will be deployed throughout the country, including at critical facilities that require at least three days’ generating capacity in a major outage
VEON and Kyivstar announced their commitment to invest $1 billion in Ukraine from from 2023 to 2027 at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Belin. Kyivstar was named as Ukraine’s largest foreign investor in 2022 and 2023 by Forbes Ukraine. It was also recognised at MWC 2024 with the GSMA’s Global Mobile Award for Best Mobile Innovation Supporting Emergency or Humanitarian Situations for its Network Resilience Project.
Oleksandr Komarov, CEO of Kyivstar, commented, “Energy resilience and preparedness against blackouts have been at the centre of our investment priorities since the end of 2022. Consistent and significant investment of over $24 million over the last two years has helped us improve energy resilience.
“However, the changing nature of threats to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and extended blackouts now necessitate a reinforcement in our strategy. This second wave of focus on energy resilience will enable Kyivstar to support critical connectivity with even further resources dedicated to energy resilience.”