Kyivstar made progress on its open RAN ambitions, announcing the launch of a laboratory test in Ukraine in partnership with Rakuten Symphony as part of ongoing efforts to rebuild the country’s digital infrastructure.

Veon-owned Kyivstar stated it will test Rakuten Symphony’s cloud-native RAN software in a controlled laboratory environment.

The companies explained the testing process is intended to shape Ukraine’s long-term digital infrastructure strategy, as Kyivstar continues its push for an open and robust mobile network for its 24 million subscribers.

The development comes after Veon and Rakuten Symphony signed an agreement in 2023 to jointly rebuild Ukraine’s telecoms infrastructure in the aftermath of its ongoing war with Russia. The companies pledged to invest in digital services and open RAN in a commitment to re-establish network infrastructure in the country.

Kaan Terzioglu, CEO of Veon, described the testing phase as a “critical milestone” in the digital recovery efforts and expressed ambitions to further expand the companies’ partnership beyond the current project.

Meanwhile, Mickey Mikitani, CEO of Rakuten Group, stated the company’s focus on open RAN underscores its “commitment to innovative mobile network technology and future-proofing its national digital assets with increased agility and openness”.

The initiative adds to a series of moves by the operators to support Ukraine’s connectivity rebuild. While Rakuten has mobilised financial aid through a relief fund and donation drive, Veon committed $1 billion in investments through 2027 to accelerate Ukraine’s digital transformation.