Mobile network development in Ukraine: what drives and hinders it
25 March 16:56
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has supported a draft law that will simplify the process of obtaining land plots for lease by mobile operators for the construction of mobile base stations. This was reported by the Government portal, according to
This parliamentary decision, in particular, should help expand 4G coverage along national and international roads.
What should change after the adoption of the new law
The new rules will allow mobile operators to
– reduce the timeframe for allocating municipal and state-owned land plots from an average of 6 to 3 months
– use the limited right to use someone else’s land plot for the construction of mobile communication towers (land easement)
– to install temporary electronic communications equipment and facilities, which will eliminate the risk of their dismantling, as there is currently no procedure for the placement of such equipment and facilities.
Thus, the introduced changes will help provide residents of remote rural areas with access to the mobile Internet and, as a result, to government online services, expand 4G coverage along important highways, and restore communication in the de-occupied territories faster.
To prevent corruption risks, the draft law stipulates that only operators included in the register of electronic communication networks and/or services providers will be able to use simplified procedures. The NCCIR, the regulator in the fields of electronic communications, radio frequency spectrum and postal services, will compile and control this register.
The extent of mobile coverage in Ukraine
In 2025, mobile and Internet coverage in Ukraine will be about 98%, excluding the temporarily occupied territories. With them, the coverage is almost 91%. Denys Pozdnyakov, Advisor to the Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine on Electronic Communications, told UNIAN.
The speed of mobile Internet has also increased over the past year.
“In 2025, mobile and Internet coverage will be 97.9% (without the temporarily occupied territories, 90.9% with them), and the Internet speed will be 31.23 Mbps, while in 2023 it was 23.13 Mbps,” the official said.
According to him, in 2024, mobile operators built 3,400 mobile base stations and provided 4G connectivity to 809 settlements in Ukraine.
What influences the development of the mobile network
One of the main reasons why mobile communications are also suffering is the Russian shelling, which is destroying the energy infrastructure.
As reported, as a result of Russian aggression in Ukraine, 25% of fixed networks were damaged, and 4,300 mobile base stations were destroyed or damaged.
Also, according to Denys Pozdnyakov, Advisor to the Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine on Electronic Communications, internal migration has an impact: due to the war and shelling, people are leaving settlements and, accordingly, to use resources efficiently, operators are building new towers where there are more people.
“One of the obstacles is that mobile operators in Ukraine do not have the opportunity to build base stations on credit, as is the case, for example, in most EU countries. In Ukraine, they build infrastructure at the expense of their profits, which slows down the process of increasing coverage,” the expert explained.
Mobile coverage is also affected by geographical features and terrain, as difficult terrain can interfere with signal transmission. In addition, scattered settlements in rural areas complicate the economic feasibility of building base stations.
Denys Pozdniakov also drew attention to the problem of “radiophobia” among citizens, who sometimes simply prevent the construction of mobile base stations out of fear.
As reported by
