Ukrainian mobile operators Kyivstar and Ukrtelecom have signed a telecoms infrastructure sharing agreement.

As part of the agreement announced this week, the two carriers will use parts of each other's networks to bolster fiber coverage across the country more quickly and efficiently.

This will see Kyivstar provide home Internet services and access to its digital ecosystem by using Ukrtelecom’s GPON network, while Ukrtelecom will provide optical Internet services by using Kyivstar’s extensive fiber network on an open-market basis.

The Open Access model aims to help mobile carriers reduce costs and avoid duplicating network infrastructure.

“For decades, the Ukrainian market has been evolving under a model whereby operators and service providers deployed and operated their own parallel networks. Open Access gives us a practical way to make better use of the infrastructure we’ve already built, while accelerating the rollout of modern digital services,” said Yurii Kurmaz, CEO of Ukrtelecom. “We believe this model will become one of the key drivers behind the next stage of growth in Ukraine’s telecoms sector.

To date, Ukrtelecom's fiber network infrastructure spans more than 95,000 kilometers. The company's GPON fiber service provides speeds of up to 1Gbps.

Meanwhile, Kyivstar, which is Ukraine's biggest telco with more than 21.8 million mobile subscribers, has more than 1.3 million home Internet fixed-line customers.

Each operator retains its direct relationship with its subscribers by independently defining its tariff policy and commercial terms, and is responsible for providing customer support and billing.

The network owner remains responsible for its operation and technical maintenance.

“This Open Access partnership is an important milestone in expanding Ukraine’s digital infrastructure. It lets us reach far more customers with high-quality fiber broadband, while making efficient use of the networks we already have in place,” said Oleksandr Komarov, CEO of Kyivstar.

“For our customers, this means greater opportunities to benefit from Kyivstar Home Internet services and Kyivstar’s digital ecosystem, including converged offerings that combine mobile communications, home Internet and television services within a single package. Through this partnership, these opportunities will become available to an even greater number of Ukrainians.”

The first phase of the project will begin in the Odesa, Vinnytsia, and Kirovohrad regions and will cover more than one million residents of Ukraine. This phase will see Kyivstar and Ukrtelecom validate the cooperation model and the operation of the information systems integrated into the project.

The partnership is expected to expand to other regions of Ukraine in subsequent phases, with further announcements to follow.