Veon has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rakuten Symphony with a focus on rebuilding infrastructure in Ukraine through collaborative investment in Open RAN and digital services.
The MoU details plans to build “a robust and future-proof telecommunications infrastructure that can seamlessly deliver high speed connectivity enhanced with 5G, enabling the next generation of digital services.”
The partnership will support the Ukrainian government’s efforts to rebuild infrastructure damaged during the country’s ongoing war with Russia. Veon has already implemented a broader recovery strategy for Ukraine including a US$600 million investment in digital technology. It has also accelerated the 5G deployment of its Ukrainian mobile subsidiary Kyivstar, noting that Rakuten Symphony’s Open RAN offering was a “compelling choice” for further rollouts.
Kyivstar leads the Ukrainian mobile market, offering “leading digital services in health, entertainment, information and education”, while Rakuten has extensive international experience with messaging and financial services. The firms have indicated that their shared focus on digital ecosystems will lead them to explore opportunities in other markets.
Veon has underlined its commitment to Ukraine bydivesting its operations in Russia and exiting the market entirely over the conflict.
