One of the university departments that actively cooperates with Kyivstar within the framework of its cooperation agreements with Igor Sikorsky KPI is the Educational and Scientific Institute of Telecommunication Systems. Recently, the company's leading experts gave a lecture to its students, covering a range of issues that are particularly useful for future engineers in the field.
However, it should be noted that the university's cooperation with the company is not limited to such lectures. Therefore, prior to the announced lecture, the editorial staff of Kyiv Polytechnic sent Kyivstar several questions regarding its interaction with the university. We are sharing its answers with our readers.
Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute and Kyivstar are long-standing partners. Please tell us a little more about this cooperation and its goals.
Kyivstar consistently implements a strategy for developing young talent and actively cooperates with leading Ukrainian universities, in particular Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, with which it has signed a memorandum of cooperation. Kyivstar and KPI have been developing their cooperation for many years, so we are convinced that young professionals bring new energy, fresh ideas, and a modern vision of development in the electronic communications market to the department teams.
Please give some examples of educational initiatives from Kyivstar, which, by the way, was recently recognized for the second time as the best network in Ukraine in terms of mobile internet speed and coverage according to Ookla.
This was achieved thanks to the management and engineering and technical staff of our company. In this regard, it is worth emphasizing that today's students, in particular those at Kyiv Polytechnic University, have the opportunity to combine work in our departments with their studies at the university. They can gain practical experience every day.
It is also worth noting that the company is currently developing corporate employment programs. Kyivstar regularly implements programs with names that speak for themselves: “BezVagan” and “On your marks, get set, career.” They may be of interest to both students and graduates of higher education institutions. Participants from your university have the opportunity to join the “On your marks, get set, career” programs on exclusive terms.
Among our company's educational initiatives, we would like to mention our partnership in the development and approval of individual educational programs that are being implemented at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute and correspond to current technological trends. As before, Kyivstar plans to hold workshops, webinars, and master classes for modern students in online and offline modes. We participate in university educational and scientific events, as well as consultations on career development for potential candidates for positions in the company. Kyivstar employees hold meetings, master classes, and lectures for KPI students, both online and offline.
During a guest online lecture by Andriy Gvozdytsky, head of the radio network optimization department at Kyivstar, and his colleague Dmytro Sandugey, chief engineer of the same department, for fourth-year students of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Telecommunication Systems, a table was presented explaining the reasons for the intimidation of the population by various “experts” who warn about the effects of radio waves. I would like to briefly summarize the reasons for the unfounded fears regarding the impact of 4G and 5G standards.
– Fear of radio waves is a typical example of a misconception arising from confusion between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. 4G and 5G mobile technologies operate within the non-ionizing spectrum, meaning they do not have enough energy to alter the structure of human cells or damage DNA. Moreover, the radiation levels of base stations are hundreds of times lower than the maximum permissible limits set by international and Ukrainian standards. A simple example: imagine sunlight coming into a room through a curtain: the light is visible, but it is safe.
– The sun is understandable...
– In an article dedicated to this topic (kyivstar.ua/about/important-data/healthy), you can find more detailed answers to your question. Mobile phone communication today is one of the most successful and dynamic areas of radio communication. More and more people are using mobile phones as a common and necessary means of communication.
The number of subscribers is constantly growing, and there is a need to cover new territories with the network. It is only natural that, as a result, operators are increasing the number of base stations to improve the quality of communication and customer service.
However, most users are unfamiliar with the principles of radio communication. This has led to public debate about the possible negative health effects of high-frequency radio signals transmitted between mobile phones and base stations. Posts appear on social media that openly speculate on people's fears. Combined with a lack of reliable information, this raises understandable questions from the public. Mobile operators in Ukraine have agreed on a common position for the telecommunications industry.
– And what is the official position of the telecommunications industry?
– Today, there are more than 51 million subscribers to various mobile operators in Ukraine. The mobile penetration rate is about 108% (this means that there are 108 active mobile cards per 100 residents on average, which exceeds the population, since one person can have several cards – ed.). Over the past 10 years, the number of mobile subscribers has increased a thousandfold. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 6.9 billion people worldwide use mobile communications. Mobile phones have become the primary means of communication and an integral part of our lives.
It should be noted that mobile communications are provided by a developed network of base stations (fixed antennas) that transmit information to switching centers using radio frequency signals (RF signals). There are currently almost 1.4 million base stations in operation worldwide, more than 60,000 of which are located in Ukraine. In order to improve the quality of mobile communications, operators are increasing the number of base stations and constantly upgrading them in line with the latest technological developments in the industry. The presence of a large number of radio engineering facilities sometimes causes concern due to the possible impact of radio signals on the health of users.
This issue has long been under close scrutiny by the international community. Over the past decade, several hundred studies have been conducted worldwide on radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields, including the effects of mobile device signals and network elements on humans. As a result of these studies, the WHO has officially recognized that “none of the recent studies have confirmed that RF fields generated by mobile phones or mobile base stations have a negative impact on human health.” The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has also expressed its position on rumors about the impact of mobile phone base stations on human health and the environment: "The level of radiofrequency radiation from base station antennas used for mobile cellular communications is significantly lower than the maximum permissible federal radio safety standards. Therefore, there is no reason to spread rumors that base stations may pose potential health risks to the population living in the area covered by such equipment."
It is also important to know that Ukraine has adopted European safety standards for electromagnetic radiation levels for mobile communication network elements. The maximum permissible radiation levels established in Ukraine are significantly lower than the permissible level of exposure to RF signals from radio and television transmitters and some other household appliances (e.g., microwave ovens).
Let's return to the lecture given online by Andriy Gvozdecky and Dmytro Sandugey. What could fourth-year students learn from it?
When planning each lecture, we use not only theoretical material, but also take into account the requests of the students themselves. Constant communication with teachers and the integration of our specialists' practical experience into the student community allow us to create content that is as adapted to market realities as possible, regardless of the field: whether it is telecommunications technology or marketing.
In general, students of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Telecommunication Systems may find it useful to study the following main topics: planning and designing base stations, communication generations (3G, 4G, 5G standards), radio wave characteristics, etc. However, this is not a complete list of topics that we offer for study, and we are ready to invite speakers from the company who have valuable experience and expert knowledge.
– Are there any further educational and practical events planned by Kyivstar for KPI students in the near future?
– Yes, definitely! We plan to actively involve students of Igor Sikorsky KPI in new educational initiatives. The memorandum signed between us and the university opens up wide opportunities for the implementation of various activities, both practical and theoretical. Kyivstar wants students, regardless of their field of study, to have the opportunity to learn more about the company, try their hand at solving real-world problems, and find their place in a large team of specialists. The exchange of experience is not only useful but also extremely valuable for both sides.
During an online lecture for fourth-year students of the Igor Sikorsky KPI ITC, given by Kyivstar specialists, students had the opportunity to learn first-hand many interesting facts about the history of the implementation of mobile communication (MC) standards from 2G to 5G and about the technologies of planning, designing and implementing modern MC base stations. They also learned about ensuring high-quality communication in cities, villages, and the most remote corners of Ukraine, familiarized themselves with the process of designing MC base stations, the main calculations during the adjustment of technological coverage, and the parameters of radio network load.