Tokyo and Kyiv, February 13 - Rakuten Symphony, a subsidiary of global technology leader Rakuten Group, and Kyivstar, Ukraine’s largest telecommunications operator and VEON Group’s wholly owned subsidiary, today announced that the two companies are set to start the in-country laboratory testing phase of their Open RAN collaboration.
Kyivstar will conduct testing of software from Rakuten Symphony’s RAN portfolio along with its Cloud-Native Platform in a controlled laboratory environment. The testing phase underlines VEON and Kyivstar’s commitment to delivering robust, high performing connectivity to its 24 million mobile subscribers, and is being undertaken to yield learnings that will form a key part of Ukraine’s long-term strategy for the deployment of critical digital infrastructure.
Upon successful completion of this critical step, the parties aim to expand their collaboration further in line with their joint ambition of strengthening Ukraine’s resilience and rebuild its digital future.
Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO of Rakuten Group, said, “Rakuten is proud to support Ukraine in its journey of recovery and resilience, and to play a key role in building infrastructure that supports the country’s long-term digital roadmap. By leveraging the benefits of Open RAN, Kyivstar is showcasing its commitment to innovative mobile network technology and future-proofing its national digital assets with increased agility and openness.”
Kaan Terzioglu, Group CEO of VEON, said, “We believe in the potential of Open RAN to rebuild Ukraine’s digital infrastructure for the future. We are delighted to partner with Rakuten Group, bringing in their cutting-edge technological expertise to Ukraine’s digital connectivity landscape. The start of in-country testing is a critical milestone, and we hope to accelerate our collaboration further upon its successful completion.”
This development follows a number of measures taken by Rakuten and VEON to support Ukraine throughout the war, demonstrating a commitment to its people, economy and post-war reconstruction.
Rakuten has provided consistent support to Ukraine throughout the war and demonstrated a commitment to its people, economy and post-war reconstruction. In addition to recently opening a dedicated office in Kyiv, Rakuten launched the Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Emergency Relief Fund through its online donation platform at the war’s onset, and held a t-shirt donation drive to support Ukraine that raised more than 1.3 billion yen*1.
Kyivstar, with VEON’s full support, has been a pillar of Ukraine’s resilience, and VEON has made investing in Ukraine a key part of its mission. Having invested more than USD 10 billion in the country's economy since Kyivstar joined the VEON Group, VEON committed to invest USD 1 billion to rebuild Ukraine’s digital infrastructure through 2027. Kyivstar’s most recent investments include spectrum acquisition during an auction held in November 2024 and the ongoing expansion of the energy resilience of the Kyivstar network in order to keep the country connected.
Notes
*1 Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Emergency Relief Fund: Approximately 1.29 billion yen
Charity T-shirt donation drive for Ukraine: Approximately 51 million yen
About Kyivstar
Kyivstar is the largest telecoms operator in Ukraine with 24 million mobile subscribers and over 1.1 million home internet subscribers. The company provides services based on mobile and fixed-line technologies, including 4G, as well as Big Data, IoT, cloud solutions, digital TV, digital health and others. Kyivstar is 100% owned by the international VEON Group, headquartered in the Netherlands and listed on NASDAQ and Euronext Amsterdam stock exchanges.
For more information visit: https://www.kyivstar.ua
About VEON
VEON is a global digital operator that currently provides converged connectivity and online services to nearly 160 million customers in six dynamic markets. We are transforming people’s lives, empowering individuals, creating opportunities for greater digital inclusion and driving economic growth across countries that are home to more than 7% of the world’s population. VEON is listed on NASDAQ.
For more information, visit: https://www.veon.com
About Rakuten Symphony
Rakuten Symphony is reimagining telecom, changing supply chain norms and disrupting outmoded thinking that threatens the industry’s pursuit of rapid innovation and growth. Based on proven modern infrastructure practices, its open interface platforms make it possible to launch and operate advanced mobile services in a fraction of the time and cost of conventional approaches, with no compromise to network quality or security. Rakuten Symphony has operations in Japan, the United States, Singapore, India, Europe and the Middle East Africa region.
For more information, visit: https://symphony.rakuten.com
About Rakuten Group
Rakuten Group, Inc. (TSE: 4755) is a global technology leader in services that
empower individuals, communities, businesses and society. Founded in Tokyo in 1997 as an online marketplace, Rakuten has expanded to offer services in e-commerce, fintech, digital content and communications to 1.9 billion members around the world. The Rakuten Group has more than 30,000 employees, and operations in 30 countries and regions. For more information visit https://global.rakuten.com/corp/
