On January 12, Lviv officially became the first city in Ukraine to launch a pilot 5G mobile network. The announcement was made by Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov via Facebook.
Following approvals from the General Staff of the Armed Forces and successful technical testing, more than 20 5G base stations were activated in the city center. Lviv now serves as a technological testing ground to fine-tune the system before nationwide deployment.
Fedorov noted that Lviv has one of the highest rates of 5G-ready smartphone users in Ukraine, making it an ideal location for the pilot launch. The key advantage of 5G is its ultra-high data transfer speed — around 500 Mbps per user.
📡 Next cities scheduled for 5G rollout:
- January 2026 — Borodyanka
- February 2026 — Kharkiv
- Later — gradual expansion to other Ukrainian cities
According to the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the pilot phase will last through December 2026, with the option to extend. Full-scale 5G deployment across Ukraine is planned after martial law is lifted.
📱 How to access 5G services:
To use 5G, users need to update their smartphone’s software to the latest version. If the device supports 5G, it will automatically connect to the network when within coverage.
📘 5G development timeline in Ukraine:
- In 2021, the 5G Lab was launched — a joint initiative by the Ministry, Vodafone Ukraine, Huawei Ukraine, and UNIT.City.
- In August 2021, the Ukrainian government postponed the 5G spectrum licensing tender due to lack of funding for related research.
- In October 2023, Ukraine and Latvia signed a memorandum on joint 5G efforts.
- In May 2024, Vodafone conducted Ukraine’s first 5G test launch.