Key facts
- Ukraine is preparing to launch a 5G spectrum auction without a regulatory framework for high-risk vendors.
- Chinese vendors Huawei and ZTE could gain a foothold in Ukraine's next-generation network.
- The auction follows extensive 5G trials that have seen significant deployment of Chinese equipment.
- Vodafone sites run Huawei and Nokia, while Kyivstar's pilot sites run almost exclusively on Huawei.
- Brussels has been pressing Ukraine to align with the EU’s 5G Cybersecurity Toolbox as part of its accession process.
- The European Commission's 2025 enlargement report criticized Ukraine for limited progress on excluding high-risk vendors.
Ukraine is preparing to launch a long-awaited 5G spectrum auction, but a lack of regulatory framework around high-risk vendors has raised concerns in Europe about Chinese companies like Huawei Technologies and ZTE gaining a foothold in the country's next-generation network. The upcoming auction follows extensive 5G trials that have already seen significant deployment of Chinese equipment.
For the past two years, Ukraine's telecommunications policy has prioritized wartime resilience, focusing on keeping networks operational amid missile attacks. However, this phase is ending, and the National Commission for the State Regulation of Electronic Communications (NCEC) is expected to announce the commercial competition auction shortly. This auction will allocate scarce spectrum rights crucial for communication infrastructure for decades.
Currently, over 300 non-standalone 5G base stations are operating as "trials" serving 1.5 million users. Vodafone sites use Huawei and Nokia equipment, while Kyivstar, the market leader, uses Huawei almost exclusively for its 200 pilot sites. Similar trends are seen in the fixed-line market, where smaller providers continue to purchase Chinese brands.
Brussels has urged Ukraine to align with the EU’s 5G Cybersecurity Toolbox as part of its accession process. The European Commission's 2025 enlargement report noted "limited progress" by Ukraine in excluding high-risk vendors, recommending that Kyiv introduce such provisions into its licensing framework. A draft legislative package to implement a Ukrainian version of the 5G Toolbox has been prepared, aiming to bind operators via their licenses, similar to the EU approach.