On September 10, 2026, mobile operators Kyivstar, Vodafone, and lifecell began test trials of the 5G standard in Odesa. The service is available in the city's central and most crowded areas at no additional cost to subscribers. This was reported by ThePage, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
Odesa has become the fifth settlement in Ukraine where a pilot new-generation network has been deployed. Similar trials have previously been conducted in Lviv, Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Borodianka, where companies are collecting load and speed metrics for the future commercial deployment of the technology.
Test coverage geography
The communication infrastructure from lifecell covered the area around Arcadia, the railway station, and the central part of the city, including Derybasivska, Richelievska, Hretska, and Preobrazhenska streets. Vodafone provided test access in the area of Prymorskyi Boulevard, Soborna Square, Kulykove Pole, and Pryvokzalna Square.
In turn, Kyivstar focused its technical capabilities in the historic center of Odesa, specifically around the Potemkin Stairs and adjacent territories. During the network configuration process using the 5G NSA architecture, which is based on existing 4G resources, specialists recorded peak data transmission speeds of up to 2.4 Gbit/s.
Technical requirements for subscribers
To use the test signal on the 3500 MHz frequency, subscribers do not need to purchase separate service packages. Billing is carried out according to the terms of existing tariff plans, provided the user has a smartphone with 5G support, updated software, and a USIM or eSIM card.
CEO of Vodafone Ukraine Olha Ustinova noted that every such launch provides the company with the necessary experience to scale the network. Operators warn that due to the specifics of the 3500 MHz band, indoor coverage may be limited compared to open spaces.
Illustrative photo: Oleh Kushch / CC BY-SA 4.0
