Mobile operator lifecell has expanded its coverage area and started 5G testing in five Ukrainian cities
The Datagroup-Volia-lifecell group reported financial growth and enhanced network energy resilience two years after their merger. The mobile operator lifecell increased its revenue to 15.9 billion UAH over the past year. This was reported by The Page citing DVL, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
In 2025, the holding’s total revenue grew by 16%. The mobile segment served as the primary driver of profitability, with lifecell’s profit reaching 6 billion UAH, while tax contributions to the state budget amounted to nearly 4 billion UAH.
Investment activity in recent years has focused on infrastructure modernization, with over 20 billion UAH spent on these efforts. A significant portion of these funds was directed toward energy autonomy: the installation of lithium batteries and generators now allows base stations to maintain connectivity for up to 10 hours without external power.
Network modernization and 5G deployment
Synergy between the merged companies allowed for the upgrading of approximately 3,000 base stations, ensuring their connection to high-speed fiber-optic backbones. Simultaneously, the group expanded its GPON network presence, which now covers over 670,000 households.
Technological upgrades also extended to the network core, which now utilizes cloud-native architecture. This development supported the growth of VoLTE, which is currently used by nearly 2.8 million customers. Additionally, in 2026, the company launched 5G pilot operations in Kharkiv, Odesa, Kyiv, Borodianka, and Lviv.
Services and support for Defense Forces
In the services sector, the company promotes convergent tariffs that bundle mobile communications with fixed-line internet and continues to develop the ‘Inet’ service. lifecell remains the market leader in terms of subscribers who have utilized the mobile number portability service.
Beyond its business operations, the group implements charitable initiatives, directing resources toward supporting children who lost parents in the war, facilitating the evacuation of the wounded, and providing technical equipment to the Defense Forces. As of the end of the first half of 2026, the total volume of aid provided exceeded half a billion UAH.
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