Mobile network ecosystem
Overall, the Ukrainian telecommunications market has been actively growing in recent years. In May 2020, there were 1,280 telecommunications operators and providers in Ukraine according to the register of the National Commission for the State Regulation of Communications and Informatization.
Mobile network coverage in Ukraine is more extensive than that of fixed Internet access connection. Whereas mobile network coverage exists almost in all cities, towns and villages, big Internet providers usually do not penetrate deeper than rayon centers. All major cities have 4G mobile communications, but as of May 2020, there was no high-speed mobile Internet in the metro.
This also reflects the major trend in device usage, where mobile phones are very common for all age groups and locations, having penetrated deep even in rural areas. At the same time, there is a quite tangible difference in desktop/laptop usage between towns and smaller rural communities where it is far less common.
The mobile network market used to be more diversified in the past, having been represented both by a bigger number of players and more diverse custom-tailored packages. An overall trend consists of the fact that mobile network companies used to bet on providing better or more diversified conditions than their competitors whereas now, with package offers having undergone significant unification, mobile network providers bet on making their products more affordable.
Ukrainians are reported to buy new mobile network devices once in 5-6 years,5-6 million smartphones are sold per year in the country with a population of about 42 million people.
According to a study by the provider Cable.co.uk, which analyzes the availability of the Internet in 228 countries, mobile Internet in Ukraine is the cheapest in Europe and 5th in availability in the world. The study was conducted in3 February and 25 February 2020.