Turkcell’s subsidiary Astelit, which operates under the 'life:)' brand in Ukraine, has officially launched its 3G service, making it the first GSM operator to offer 3G services in Ukraine. The Operator has enabled 3-Carrier aggregation technology on the new network allowing theoritical download speeds of up to 63.3Mbps. Founded in 2005, life:) which is 55%-owned by Turkcell, is the third Operator to enter the Ukraine mobile market and presently boasts over 14 million customers. According to Turkcell, it now leads the Ukraine market with a smartphone penetration of 36% and already has over 40% 3G-compatible devices on its network, giving it an advantageous position to market 3G services in the country.
Kaan Terzioglu, CEO of Turkcell
At the end of 2014, Turkcell had become the first operator globally to offer 3G with 3-Carrier technology with its network update in Turkey. life:) is starting to offer 3G from this very high point which we have achieved a very short while ago” said. “life:) is a very important success story for Turkcell’s international presence and influence. It will be our pilot project as Turkcell elevates its relevance in the region and raises its profile on the international scene. Praise from Ukrainian officials for “technological breakthrough.