VEON announced that Beeline Kazakhstan, its digital operator in Kazakhstan, has completed a field test and delivered the first-ever voice call through an app, as well as text messages, via Starlink Direct to Cell in Central Asia, successfully merging satellite and terrestrial mobile connectivity for another VEON market.
During the test, Beeline Kazakhstan CEO Evgeniy Nastradin and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan Zhaslan Madiyev successfully made a WhatsApp audio call to VEON Group CEO Kaan Terzioglu using a standard smartphone with a Beeline Kazakhstan SIM card that connected via Starlink Direct to Cell satellites. Additionally, they successfully exchanged SMS and WhatsApp messages.
Conducted in the Akmolinskaya region of Kazakhstan, the field test confirmed the practical interoperability between Starlink’s Direct to Cell satellites and Beeline Kazakhstan’s terrestrial mobile network. Using standard 4G smartphones and Beeline Kazakhstan SIM cards, the test team successfully demonstrated that everyday devices can stay connected even where traditional coverage ends.
This is a major technological milestone, not only for Kazakhstan, the world’s ninth-largest country by land area, but for VEON’s broader mission of delivering ubiquitous, resilient, and inclusive connectivity through seamless integration of space-based and ground-based networks. Satellite-enabled mobile connectivity offers a complementary layer of coverage, designed to close remaining gaps in remote and sparsely populated areas while strengthening the resilience of national communications networks.
Following this successful test, Beeline Kazakhstan plans to introduce Starlink Direct to Cell connectivity for customers beginning with SMS services in 2026, subject to regulatory approval.
Zhaslan Madiyev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Today for the first time in Central Asia messages were successfully transmitted via Starlink Direct to Cell satellites using standard 4G smartphones with Beeline Kazakhstan SIM cards. Starlink’s Direct to Cell satellites make it possible to stay connected in places where traditional infrastructure is unavailable: in the mountains, the steppe, forests, and across long distances. For our country, given its geography, this is more than just a convenience – it is an important safety measure. As technologies like this are implemented in Kazakhstan, we are creating a more resilient digital environment and ensuring that people can stay connected in any part of the country. This is an example of how international trchnology partnerships directly improve the quality of life of our citizens
Evgeniy Nastradin, CEO of Beeline Kazakhstan
Beeline Kazakhstan is moving quickly to implement Starlink Direct to Cell satellite connectivity in Kazakhstan to bring this cutting-edge technology to our customers. This is not just an extension of coverage; it is a transformation of what coverage means. By integrating satellite and terrestrial networks, we will enable customers to stay connected anywhere in Kazakhstan using the smartphones they already own
