Ukraine’s Kyivstar delivered a strong third quarter despite wartime network pressure. The operator reported revenue growth of 17.5% year over year. Revenue reached $349 million during the period.
EBITDA also climbed 10.3% to $189 million. EBITDA measures earnings before several major financial deductions. It helps show core business performance.
The results stand out because Russia continues targeting Ukrainian infrastructure. Telecom networks remain vital for civilians, emergency teams, and businesses.
Mobile average revenue per user rose 8.6% to $4. Data usage increased by 20%. Meanwhile, 4G penetration reached 71.5% across the customer base.
Kyivstar also expanded in fixed broadband. Its broadband customer count grew 11.3% to 1.3 million. An open access deal with Ukrtelecom helped support that growth.
That agreement lets Kyivstar serve homes through Ukrtelecom’s fiber network. It gives Kyivstar wider reach without building every connection itself. However, shared infrastructure also requires careful coordination between operators.
Kyivstar President Oleksandr Komarov highlighted the resilience of the network. “Our network stayed online even in the most demanding conditions. The stronger our business, the more we can lead the way in keeping Ukraine connected, healthy and on the move.”
Meanwhile, Vodafone Ireland plans to trial 5G standalone this year. The first trials will start in Limerick and Shannon. Expansion will follow in Cork, Dublin, Galway, and Waterford next year.
The operator aims to reach over 70% of Ireland’s population by 2028. Standalone 5G uses a dedicated 5G core network. This can enable features such as network slicing.
Network slicing can reserve capacity for specific services or user groups. That can help emergency services, enterprises, or major events. Yet the feature still needs real-world maturity and strong operational controls.
In Spain, Cellnex reported better efficiency across its tower business. Adjusted EBITDA rose 6.5% in the first nine months of 2026. Revenue increased 2.4% to just over €3 billion.
The tower company reduced like-for-like operating expenses by 4.4%. It also operated 2,900 additional towers during the same period. Investment dropped 22% to €1.11 billion.
Marco Patuano, CEO of Cellnex, framed the figures as efficiency-led growth. “Cellnex is demonstrating that it can grow while using less capital and operating its portfolio more efficiently.”
Elsewhere, Finland jailed two crew members over subsea cable damage. The case involved the cargo ship Fitburg in the Gulf of Finland. Both men denied committing a crime.
In Africa, MTN Rwanda reported 20% service revenue growth. Subscribers rose 7.5% to 8.7 million. Mobile money users also increased by 12% to 6.5 million.
Finally, Safaricom posted rapid growth in Ethiopia. Service revenue there jumped 71.6% year over year. The figures show how emerging markets still drive major telecom expansion.
