Veon-owned operator Beeline Kazakhstan delivered the first satellite-enabled mobile call in Central Asia using Starlink’s direct-to-device (D2D) technology, aiming to address coverage gaps across the country.

In a field test in the Akmolinskaya region, Beeline Kazakhstan CEO Evgeniy Nastradin and Kazakhstan’s deputy prime minister Zhaslan Madiyev successfully placed a WhatsApp audio call to Veon Group CEO Kaan Terzioglu using a standard 4G smartphone with a Beeline SIM. The pair also exchanged SMS messages and WhatsApp texts over the satellite link.

The operator hailed the milestone as particularly significant for Kazakhstan, the world’s ninth-largest country by land area where remote and sparsely populated regions present long-standing coverage challenges.

Madiyev stated the technology will prove crucial for national resilience, making it possible to stay connected “in places where traditional infrastructure is unavailable: in the mountains, the steppe, forests, and across long distances”. “For our country, given its geography, this is more than just a convenience – it is an important safety measure,” he added.

Last month, Veon’s Ukrainian operator Kyivstar switched on Starlink’s D2D service in the country, marking a Europe first and attracting 300,000 users in the first 24 hours of its launch. “First in Ukraine and now in Kazakhstan, we are demonstrating how terrestrial networks and satellite platforms can operate as one integrated system,” explained Terzioglu.

Beeline Kazakhstan plans to introduce Starlink D2D connectivity for customers starting with SMS services in 2026, subject to regulatory approval.