VEON’s Beeline Kazakhstan completes Starlink Direct-to-Cell call in Central Asia. Photo: Beeline Kazakhstan

Beeline Kazakhstan, VEON’s digital operator in Kazakhstan, has completed the first Starlink Direct-to-Cell call in Central Asia. The call was conducted in the Akmolinskaya region of Kazakhstan. It was done using standard 4G smartphones and Beeline Kazakhstan SIM cards. VEON announced the successful call, Dec.15.

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.

“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,” Evgeniy Nastradin, CEO of Beeline Kazakhstan, said in a statement.

Beeline Kazakhstan plans to introduce Starlink Direct to Cell connectivity for customers in 2026, subject to regulatory approval. The service will start with SMS messages.

Last month, another VEON company, Ukraine mobile network operator Kyivstar, started direct-to-cell services for customers with Starlink.