Kharkiv online: how the Internet has changed over the past 24 years – memories from the Maxnet team

From Dial-up to Ethernet

The first widely used method of accessing the internet in the late 1990s and early 2000s was Dial-up. You may remember those days when access to the network was provided via a standard telephone line: a modem converted the computer’s digital signals into analogue ones, connected to the provider’s network via the telephone infrastructure, and the user gained access to the network at speeds that today seem almost symbolic — up to 56 Kbps.

Heavy web pages could take 5-10 minutes to load, and files could take hours to download. And since the phone was tied up at the time, you had to choose: either a call or the Internet. What’s more, connection quality depended on the condition of the telephone line. That is precisely why the Internet back then was more of an occasional service than a fully-fledged part of everyday life.

According to Alla Struchaieva, CEO of Maxnet:

Due to the limitations of dial-up, it was soon replaced by ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) technology. The principle remained the same: a standard copper telephone line was run into the home. However, the ADSL modem used frequencies unavailable for voice calls, and a special splitter separated the signals so that the Internet and the telephone no longer interfered with each other. It was possible to surf the web and make a phone call at the same time.

The term «asymmetric» reflected the technology’s key feature: the download speed (from the provider to the user) was significantly higher than the upload speed (from the user to the outside world). This perfectly met the needs of the average subscriber, as people primarily received information from the Internet rather than sending it.

Between 2005 and 2007, a speed of 512 Kbps was considered the «sweet spot» for this technology, whilst 1 Mbps was already regarded as a premium level. Compared to Dial-up, it seemed like science fiction. Payment finally shifted from an hourly rate to a fixed monthly subscription fee, which fundamentally changed the very culture of Internet use: now the network was no longer ‘unlocked’ for a specific period, but simply left switched on.

Although it was the ADSL model that allowed many users to experience «always-on Internet» for the first time, it remained dependent on the quality of the copper telephone infrastructure. The older the line, the poorer its condition and the greater the distance to the equipment, the more noticeably stability and speed declined.

It is worth noting that, alongside ADSL, local Ethernet-based networks were actively developing in Kharkiv and other cities across Ukraine. In some buildings in Kharkiv, users accessed the Internet via ADSL, whilst in other buildings or districts, providers offering Ethernet access were already operating. And in the second half of the 2000s and early 2010s, the latter began to increasingly replace ADSL.

It is worth noting that, initially, local Ethernet networks did not emerge as a ready-made high-speed Internet service, but rather as an infrastructure for data exchange within homes, building entrances, neighbourhoods and districts. Users gained access to local file servers, chat rooms, forums, game servers and FTP archives, and only later to the global network. In other words, for many city dwellers, their first widespread digital experience began not with the global Internet as such, but with local content and communities.

Demand for Ethernet at that time was so high that neighbours would literally grab the technicians by the arm as they arrived to connect the Internet at a single address, begging them to set up access to the network in their homes too. Thus, the Internet gradually became more accessible to users, and with it came new habits. Roman Glushkov, Head of the Telecommunications Network Construction Department at Maxnet, recalls that period as follows:

All of this took place within the network — quickly and free of charge, without needing to access the «outside» Internet. People who might never have crossed paths in a lift would chat online for hours, and then meet in real life. Such communities often became «hubs» of friendship, and sometimes something more: there are many stories of new couples and families forming thanks to connections made on the local network.

It was Ethernet that shaped the service model which became familiar to many and embodied the concept of «modern»: unlimited home Internet, higher speeds, more stable data transmission, a quicker transition to better tariff plans, and less reliance on the old telephone infrastructure.

Overall, the period from 2002 to 2010 was of crucial importance for Kharkiv, as it was then that the foundations were laid for the further development of the Internet services market: thanks to the presence of cable wiring in homes and residents’ established habit of maintaining a constant connection to the network, providers were able to simply scale up to meet the existing demand. Now they were not merely providing Internet access, but were beginning to build a service model: with a choice of tariffs, technical support, in-building infrastructure, modernisation of nodes, and increased backbone capacity.

The era of PON technology

The next major milestone was linked to the development of optical access, primarily GPON — passive optical network technology. It did not require active equipment between the provider and subscribers and enabled data transmission with exceptional stability and significant bandwidth headroom. Unlike previous generations, fibre-optic technology scaled better to meet growing traffic demand and enabled the reliable provision of gigabit services.

Roman Glushkov has vivid memories of the early days of optical technology:

However, despite the technological advantages, demand for GPON Internet connections in high-rise buildings remained subdued for a long time: most subscribers were content with what they already had, so switching from Ethernet seemed rather odd to them. As Maxnet staff recall, the real «boom» occurred with the start of the full-scale invasion after 2022. Due to widespread shelling of energy infrastructure and prolonged power blackouts, the focus on communication stability shifted from comfort to survival.

As a result, Internet users began looking for solutions that would work even with an unstable power supply. And optical technology, with its passive architecture, proved to be far more resilient to power cuts than traditional networks. It was then that GPON became extremely popular, particularly among residents of new-build homes in Kharkiv.

Whereas in the early days the main priority was simply «being online», today users’ expectations are quite different: high speeds, reliability even during power cuts, and high-quality service. The Internet is no longer just a service — it has become an infrastructure enabling users to watch high-quality video, use cloud services, back up data, connect «smart» devices, and constantly work with multiple home devices simultaneously.

We are currently seeing XGS-PON — the next generation of passive optical networks — gradually come to the fore. This is a symmetrical technology that supports 10-gigabit bandwidth. By way of comparison, the previous, asymmetrical version of the XG-PON standard was limited to a downstream data rate of 2.5 Gbps.

But the key difference with XGS-PON lies in the approach to network design. Whereas previously providers aimed for speeds of up to 1 Gbps per subscriber, the infrastructure is now designed from the outset with capacity to handle higher loads. We are talking about multi-gigabit solutions: 1G+, 2.5G, business services and more demanding digital scenarios for both home and office use.

Another significant advantage is that GPON and XGS-PON can operate in parallel within a single optical network. This makes it possible to modernise the infrastructure gradually — without completely replacing the equipment. For cities with an extensive network such as Kharkiv, this is of great importance: the provider can gradually migrate individual subscriber segments to the new standard, whilst leaving the existing access architecture in place for other users. So XGS-PON is a perfectly justified step in the development of technologies towards a multi-gigabit future.

In retrospect, every stage of the Internet’s development in Kharkiv is not just about increasing speeds. It is about a gradual transition from the era of short connections via telephone lines to the construction of a modern optical infrastructure with capacity for years to come.

Unforgettable working days

Alongside the relentless advancement of high technology, there is still room in the telecommunications sector for ordinary human stories. And from time to time, we also encounter situations where a «serious problem» turns out to have a very mundane, even comical, cause.

Volodymyr Emelianenko, Maxnet’s CBDO, who started out in the company as a technical support operator, also remembers the amusing situations that happened to him at work back in the day:

But there are also completely different surprises — when a mistake turns into an unexpected stroke of luck.

Such situations remind us that even in the high-tech sector, the human factor plays a far from insignificant role.

What we’re proud of

What’s more, many members of the Maxnet team have their own stories that have stayed with them — not just as professional case studies, but as personal experiences.

For instance, Roman Glushkov even remembers the exact date when he made a significant contribution to ensuring that the people of Kharkiv had access to communications:

Alla Struchaieva evaluates the important results of her own activities not in a point-by-point manner, but in dynamics:

More challenges — more unity

The realities of recent years have significantly impacted not only the work format but also the very approach to organizing team processes. The transition to remote and hybrid work formats has become not just a matter of convenience but also a response to the new reality.

As Alla Struchaieva notes, these changes are dictated primarily by circumstances:

At the same time, the new work format has not only complicated processes but also highlighted the value of teamwork and face-to-face communication. As Alla Struchaieva emphasizes:

Kharkiv as a modern digital city

Over time, not only technological and organizational processes have transformed. Kharkiv itself has also changed — gradually but noticeably. What seemed like something special just a few years ago has now become part of the city's everyday life.

The city's digital transformation isn't just about connection speed. It's about how the very environment in which people live and work is changing. And those who built this infrastructure and know it from the inside see this especially clearly. According to Alla Struchaieva:

Principles to which the team remains faithful

Each member of the Maxnet team also has their own formula for success, proven over the years.

For example, for Yevhen Lepekha, Head of the Repair and Maintenance Department, the key principle is simple and concise:

Natalia Kharchenko, on the other hand, is a proponent of the philosophy of initiative:

According to Alla Struchaieva, it's not just the result itself that's important in work, but also the path you take to get there:

A Story that continues

In 24 years, almost everything has changed — speed, technology, scale. But the most important things have remained constant: people's trust, responsibility, and integrity.

Perhaps this is why the Internet today is no longer just about technology. It's about the connections between people that help the city live, survive, and move forward.

And the story of Maxnet is part of the history of modern Kharkiv, which real people continue to write day after day. And many new achievements and victories lie ahead. We believe in this with all our Maxnet hearts!