26 Feb 2024
Rakuten Symphony and Kyivstar Sign Letter of Intent to Deploy Open RAN to Rebuild Ukraine's Digital Infrastructure Companies intend to take the first steps in implementation in 2024
Barcelona, February 26, 2024 - VEON, (NASDAQ: VEON, Euronext Amsterdam: VEON), a global digital operator that provides converged connectivity and online services, today announces that its wholly-owned subsidiary Kyivstar and Rakuten Symphony, a subsidiary of the leading internet services company Rakuten Group have signed of a Letter of Intent (LoI) that confirms Kyivstar's interest in procuring and deploying Rakuten Symphonys Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) technology in its network.
The LoI confirms Kyivstar's intent to use Rakuten's Open RAN and 5G technologies to help rebuild Ukraines digital infrastructure, reinforcing both companies' commitment to supporting Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction. The companies intend to take the first steps in the implementation of their cooperation within 2024. Kyivstar and Rakuten Symphony are currently collaborating to define the scope of their initiative, which will involve both 4G and 5G Open RAN technology.
Rakuten and VEON celebrated the signing of the LoI between Rakuten Symphony and Kyivstar at the MWC24 Barcelona. Left to right: Volodymyr Lutchenko, Kyivstar CTO; Lasha Tabidze, VEON Group Digital Operator Officer; Mickey Mikitani, Group Chairman and CEO, Rakuten; Vice Minister Hiroshi Yoshida, Vice-Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan; Kaan Terzioglu, VEON Group CEO; Oleksandr Komarov, Kyivstar CEO and Hideyuki Hirama, EVP, COO and CSO, Rakuten Symphony.
Rakuten and Kyivstar held a signing ceremony for the LoI in the presence of Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister of Japan, and Denys Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine, at the Japan-Ukraine Conference for Promotion of Economic Growth and Reconstruction, hosted in Tokyo on February 19, with Hideyuki Hirama, EVP, COO and CSO of Rakuten Symphony, and Sergiy Korsunsky, Ukrainian Ambassador to Japan, in attendance.
Keidanren
Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten Group, said, Rakuten is extremely proud to continue its support for Ukraine's efforts to rebuild its infrastructure and in supporting Kyivstar's vision for deploying Open RAN. We look forward to advancing collaboration between our two organizations and to realising Ukraine's digital potential through the rebuilding of the country's digital infrastructure.
Kaan Terzioglu, Group CEO of VEON, said We are now in the implementation phase of our 600 million USD investment commitment for the reconstruction of Ukraine. I share the excitement of our Kyivstar team, under the leadership of Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov, in working with Rakuten to rebuild the country's infrastructure with Open RAN as a part of this commitment. We have a shared passion for building Ukraine's digital future and I'm glad to see the progress in our joint effort.
The signing follows a number of measures taken by Rakuten and VEON to support Ukraine throughout the war, demonstrating a commitment to its people, economy and post-war reconstruction. In August 2023, Rakuten Symphony and VEON, Kyivstar's parent company, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore cooperation in Ukraine, with the goal of accelerating the reconstruction of the country's infrastructure, through collaboration on Open RAN and digital services.
Rakuten Group Chairman and CEO Mickey Mikitani accompanied Japanese government officials on a diplomatic mission to Ukraine in September 2023. Serving as a representative of Japan's private sector, Mikitani met with Ukraine leaders including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister for Innovation, Development of Education, Science and Technology and Minister of Digital Transformation.
Rakuten also launched the Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Emergency Relief Fund through its online donation platform, Rakuten Clutch Special Charity Fund, and held a t-shirt donation drive to support Ukraine that raised more than 1.3 billion yen.
VEON's Kyivstar, the largest telecommunications operator in Ukraine, has kept its 24 million customers connected at home and abroad throughout the past two years, and continued to invest heavily in its network and digital services. One of the largest taxpayers in Ukraine, Kyivstar also supports a number of charitable causes, most recently raising 4.8 million USD for the demining of Ukraine.
VEON has committed 600 million USD in investments over three years, supporting Ukraine's reconstruction and recovery; and has announced the intention to widen the scope of its commitment to 1 billion USD in five years, if market conditions permit.
About VEON
VEON is a global digital operator that currently provides converged connectivity and online services to nearly 160 million customers in six dynamic markets. We are transforming people's lives, empowering individuals, creating opportunities for greater digital inclusion and driving economic growth across countries that are home to more than 7% of the world's population. Headquartered in Amsterdam, VEON is listed on NASDAQ and Euronext Amsterdam. For more information, visit: https://www.veon.com
About Kyivstar
Kyivstar is the largest telecoms operator in Ukraine with 24 million mobile subscribers and over 1.1 million home internet subscribers. The company provides services based on mobile and fixed-line technologies, including 4G, as well as Big Data, IoT, cloud solutions, digital TV, digital health and others. Kyivstar is 100% owned by the international VEON Group, headquartered in the Netherlands and listed on NASDAQ and Euronext Amsterdam stock exchanges. For more information visit: https://www.kyivstar.ua.
About Ra
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
19/03/2026
Berklee Popular Music Institute's 24th Showcase Channels '80s Prom Nosta...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
How Chris Bolte Builds the Sound of PlayStation Games Chris Bolte '16 is a technical sound designer at Sucker Punch Productions, where he helps create the...
19/03/2026
Other Voices presents a legendary night of music as Foo Fighters bring their stadium anthems to St James' Church, An Daingean. The surprise performance teas...
19/03/2026
***Issued by RT on behalf of RTS Ireland Awards / Gradaim RTS 2026...
19/03/2026
It's a double feature on GFN Thursday. This week, GeForce NOW offers smoother sights in virtual reality (VR) and a sprawling new land to conquer.
Streaming...
18/03/2026
Newly named chief product officer (CPO), Larissa G rner Meeus will return to Net Insight on May 4.
Larissa G rner Meeus will become CPO of Net Insight on May 4...
18/03/2026
SVG Europe's The Football Summit 2026 explored how the sports broadcasting i...
18/03/2026
The 2026 NAB Show kicks off one month from today and SVG is once again set to cover the show from every angle. SVG's SportsTech@NAB Show Blog is now live - ...
18/03/2026
(L-R) The cast and crew of Dead Lover at The Ray Theater for its premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo by Robin Marshall/Shutterstock for Sundan...
18/03/2026
Yamaha C7 captured in Nashville
Wiltone Productions have announced the release of Music Row Piano, a deeply sampled Yamaha C7 piano library that's been ...
18/03/2026
Bass-enhancement plug-in upgraded
Along with a steady stream of new releases, Techivation have recently been revisiting some of the older plug-ins in their ...
18/03/2026
Mix-reference plug-in overhauled
iZotope's powerful mix-referencing plug-in has just reached its third major version, and now boasts a new capture proce...
18/03/2026
Latest EZKeys 2 expansion arrives
Toontrack's staggering collection of EZKeys 2 expansions has grown once again, and the latest instalment delivers a on...
18/03/2026
Jess Ho explores the politics of food in new SBS Audio podcast For The Culture
18 March, 2026
Media releases
New SBS Audio podcast For The Culture, hosted ...
18/03/2026
Future-ready broadcasts with ATSC 3.0 and enhanced services from Rohde & Schwarz...
18/03/2026
London Calling - When The Industry Convened to Help Streaming Find its MoJo In this blog, Laura Rognoni reflects on key discussions from the Connected TV World...
18/03/2026
SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations
Brie Clayton March 18, 2026
0 Comments
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, a...
18/03/2026
Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K
Brie Clayton March 18, 2026
0 Comments
LED wall virtual production blends 12K open gate acquisition w...
18/03/2026
Brainstorm transforms productivity and sustainability with Suite 7 at NAB Show 2...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today unveiled its educational presentations for the 2026 NAB Show. This year SMPTE will ...
18/03/2026
Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, gaming, and more, today ann...
18/03/2026
Digital Alert Systems
Preview
2026 NAB Show
April 19 - 22
Booth C3452
At the 2026 NAB Show, Digital Alert Systems will showcase Version 6.0 of its DASDEC ...
18/03/2026
Setplex today announced that it will showcase its complete, fully integrated Zapflex platform for the first time at the 2026 NAB Show, introducing powerful new ...
18/03/2026
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES TO THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE ...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking DP for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Director of Photography for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy Feature Film- I...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Location, Sound for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Location/Sound for Low Budget Dramed...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Film - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
Calrec Redefines Broadcast Workflows at NAB 2026 with its Most Powerful Hardware...
18/03/2026
Oscar Nominated Two People Exchanging Saliva Posted with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
DaVinci Resolve Studio handle...
18/03/2026
Boston Conservatory Presents Celebrated Musical Satire Urinetown Performances for this Center Stage production will take place at Boston Conservatory Theater ...
18/03/2026
Charlie Puth Joins Switched on Pop at Berklee NYC The Berklee alum spoke with host and Berklee NYC professor Charlie Harding for a live taping, answering audi...
26 Feb 2024
