The LLC “Strumin” provides electronic communication services based on its own fibre-optic network covering all districts of Kharkiv and its suburbs. Its clients include IT companies, government agencies, retail, HoReCa and others. The company’s core business is providing Internet access for businesses and households, building IT infrastructure and maintaining it.
From the very first days of the Russian full-scale invasion to Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the Kharkiv region and the city of Kharkiv came under massive shelling by Russian artillery, which resulted in significant human losses, infrastructure damage and massive displacement of the population. Network construction and restoration specialists had to risk their lives every day in the course of their duties, and the issue of staff safety and job security became the first major challenge for companies providing electronic communications services.
Among the new challenges – large-scale power outages across the country caused by Russian targeted attacks on Ukraine’s energy facilities. This necessitated the search for new solutions to ensure the operation of electronic communication networks in the face of prolonged power outages.
These challenges continued to accompany the LLC “Strumin” during 2023. Limited financial resources had to be allocated between retaining staff, restoring cable infrastructure and upgrading communication hubs using alternative power supply systems. The company has created duty schedules and action algorithms for emergency repair teams in case of line damage and power outages.
To ensure stable operation during long power outages, the company needed modern batteries that could be charged quickly and provide power to equipment for 12-16 hours. This would allow emergency repair teams to reach remote locations in time to charge them using generators.
By participating and winning a grant competition under the ReACT4UA programme, which is funded by the German government and implemented by the German federal company “Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the LLC “Strumin” bought powerful batteries to ensure the autonomous operation of the central communications hub. Subsequently, the company carried out numerous upgrades to ensure communication sustainability and energy independence. By installing the batteries and adding solar power elements to them, the company was able to save up to UAH 10,000 per month on electricity in the summer and up to UAH 14,000 on fuel for generators during rolling blackouts. With the grant support, 100% of the demand for equipment for the planned modernization of the central node was fulfilled. In addition to direct savings, the company avoided significant costs for transporting generators to remote sites, and emergency response teams were able to focus their efforts on developing the network and connecting new customers.
“For a month now, 30% of our regional hubs have not been consuming electricity from the grid. Not because there is no power, but because we have worked with alternative power systems and configured them so that they also work as the main power supplier for equipment and use the battery life only within 10% of their capacity. That is, when the sun is shining or the battery charge is above 90%, electricity from the grid is not used. Thanks to the grant support provided by the ReACT4UA programme, these innovations have become possible,” comments Tetyana Viter, director of the LLC “Strumin”.
Reference information
Non-reversible financial support (grants) to Ukrainian telecommunication operators in de-occupied territories is provided within the international cooperation project ReACT4UA (“Utilization and Implementation of the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine in the field of trade”), financed by the German Government and implemented by the German federal company “Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH”. The grants were made possible by ad-hoc funding from the German Government. The programme aims to support Ukraine’s economic resilience, recovery and growth, create better conditions for the development of Ukrainian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as support innovation and exports.
The strategic implementer of the programme is the German federal company “Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH”. The implementing partner is Better Regulation Delivery Office (BRDO). The support is given by: The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.
The contents are the sole responsibility of BRDO and do not necessary reflect the views of the European Union and the German Government.
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