Communications and Internet 

Which operators have canceled roaming? Service “International access. What changes await Megafon subscribers

From the Big Four mobile operators reduce roaming prices. According to the FAS, different tariffs for services cellular communications V home region and when traveling within Russia are unreasonable and violate competition law. The agency warned Beeline, MTS, Megafon and Tele2 about the need to change tariffs for communication services when traveling, eliminating unjustified price differences.

The Village looks into what the FAS decision means and when to expect the abolition of roaming in Russia.

Background

At the end of 2016, FAS formed working group, the participants of which were representatives of cellular operators, the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications, the Ministry of Economic Development and Rospotrebnadzor. The group discussed possible scenarios for the abolition of roaming in Russia. At the same time, operators proposed introducing separate tariff plans for subscribers.

However, by March, the antimonopoly service had not detected any active actions on the part of the operators and began an investigation, studying the technology for providing communication services. As a result, the FAS came to the conclusion that the difference in tariffs was economically and technically unjustified, so the agency issued a warning against different prices for the same service.

What does the FAS warning mean?

The warning from the antimonopoly service is aimed at abolishing intranet roaming - a situation when a subscriber, traveling to another region, remains in the communication network of his operator. This only applies to local calls. Thus, according to the FAS, a subscriber with a Moscow SIM card who finds himself in Khabarovsk should be able to call local Khabarovsk numbers at home tariffs.

Separately, it is worth noting that the law directly provides for the right of operators to charge for incoming calls if the subscriber has moved to another numbering zone. Thus, the proposed price reduction will only affect outgoing calls from subscribers within their operator’s network. However, the FAS is already planning to amend the legislation in order to completely abolish intranet roaming.

In addition, by the end of the week the antimonopoly service plans to express a separate position on national roaming - a situation when a subscriber, traveling to another region, ends up in the network of another operator. Thus, some operators do not provide services throughout the country: the Tele2 network, for example, covers about half of the regions.

For this reason, the FAS issued a warning only to federal operators - regional networks, for example, the Yekaterinburg Motiv or the Chechen Vainakh Telecom, will not be affected by the changes. In fact, regional operators you have to serve subscribers in another region as if they were abroad, since in this case they are on a foreign network and are served by a local operator.

However, according to representatives of the FAS, subscribers getting into the network of other operators is rather an exception, since the networks of the three main operators in Russia - Beeline, MTS and Megafon - cover almost the entire country, with the exception of Crimea. For this reason, roaming in Crimea may continue due to the costs of operators for making calls outside their own networks.

When to expect roaming cancellation

Operators must change conditions tariff plans within 14 days from receipt of the warning. After this, they are required to notify subscribers about the changes - 10 days before the tariffs go into effect. Thus, if the operators agree to comply with the decision of the antimonopoly service, intranet roaming will be canceled after 24 days.

If operators refuse to comply with the FAS requirement, the abolition of roaming may be significantly delayed. First, the department will initiate a case for violation of antimonopoly legislation within 10 days. After this, a commission will appear that will consider the case for three to six months. In turn, operators can appeal the commission’s decision in court, which will suspend the execution of the FAS order for the entire duration of the consideration of the case by the courts of first and appellate instances. In this case, you will have to wait even more than a year for the cancellation of roaming.

What operators say

MTS, Tele2 and Beeline were not ready to comment on the prospect of canceling roaming. Representatives of Megafon stated that they do not yet fully understand the position of the FAS, and noted that the majority of network subscribers are not affected by roaming anyway.

"Megaphone"

For Megafon subscribers, roaming-free travel when traveling around Russia has long arrived, since most of them use package offers. This means that the cost of communication services when traveling around Russia does not differ from the home region.

We do not yet fully understand the FAS position on this issue; we will study the text of the warning.

Date: 21 Feb 2018

Attention!. Read the latest information at the link.

The FAS keeps asking and asking mobile operators to remove roaming, but they keep resisting and resisting. Has MTS finally canceled roaming in Russia or not? Let's figure it out.

FAS and Roaming

First you need to understand what roaming is. Intranet roaming is a communication and data service provided by a mobile operator outside the “home region” in the network of this operator. Your home region is considered to be the region of Russia in which you purchased and issued your SIM card. Tariffs for mobile communications and data services outside your home region may differ from tariffs in your home region and, most often, this is the case.

The FAS has been trying for many months to “convince” telecom operators that intranet roaming is a relic of the past and needs to be abolished. But mobile operators are reluctant, because if roaming is completely cancelled, they could lose a lot of money. By the way, MTS has changed the conditions of national roaming (Crimea, etc.). You can read about this.

What did MTS do? At least there are no statements about the cancellation of roaming this time, and this indicates two things: MTS did not lie in the title, roaming has not been cancelled. But let's figure out what changes await us.

Video on the topic

On our YouTube channel you can watch a video version of this news

Changes from February 28 and March 14, 2018

From February 28, 2018, a number of tariff plans (including archived ones) will have a new tariff for minutes, SMS and mobile Internet outside the home region in the MTS network (the same intranet roaming). MTS promises price reductions from two to ten times.

Based on the news, it can be noted that the changes will affect only the tariff plans "", "", "", "", and "". Extremely modest, to be honest. Anyway…

Changes in roaming conditions for “Smart”, “Smart Unlimited”, “My Unlimited”

From February 28, 2018, on Smart, Smart 052013, Smart 102014, Smart Unlimited 032017 and My Unlimited tariffs, the paid option of intranet roaming is cancelled. The one that was 15 rubles a day. Now you can use packages of minutes, SMS and Internet in your home region for free.

On the one hand, the news is certainly good. On the other hand, for such a description of a service with a footnote, MTS should have been fined long ago and forced to change the description. The tariff is valid throughout Russia, but please pay for it. It's good that this was removed altogether...

The package of minutes will be spent on MTS Russia numbers, as well as on numbers in the region of your stay. If the package of minutes runs out, calls to MTS Russia numbers will remain free.

Any incoming calls from the region of your stay are 0 rubles per minute, but other incoming calls are 5.5 rubles per minute. But this is not great at all. Especially considering that All new MTS tariffs included free incoming calls even in roaming! And what is this “like in your home region”? After all, at home you don’t pay for incoming messages from other regions of Russia? It is in such details that the essence of the abolition of roaming should lie! But no, alas. If you receive a call from your home region to the region where you are staying, then please pay 5.5 rubles per minute incoming call. Not cool, MTS!

If the package includes long-distance outgoing calls to numbers of other operators, then they will be spent outside the home region. In this case, if you go on a trip to Russia, your home region ceases to be your home region - now calls to this region are considered long-distance. If long-distance calls to numbers of other operators are not included in the package of minutes, then a minute will cost 5.5 rubles.

SMS to numbers in the region of your stay will be consumed from the package of minutes.

The services “All Russia SMART” and “Everywhere Like Home SMART” will no longer be paid for on these tariff plans, and payment for communications will be made according to new conditions. Is this healthy? Yes, so-so, to be honest. The fact is that with a service, for example, “Everywhere at home,” you could really be at home everywhere, but now it turns out that you will be at home only in the region where you are staying. And even then, it’s not quite “like home” (hello, paid incoming calls). Nothing is said about the “Everywhere at home” service (without SMART), so we will assume that it will still be available on these tariff plans.

Changes in roaming conditions for “Super MTS” or “My Friend”

"My friend" is the same " Super MTS", only a SIM card is given as a gift. You can read about the “My Friend” tariff.

From March 14, 2018, there will be changes to the conditions of intranet roaming on the tariffs of the “Super MTS” and “My Friend” lines.

Incoming calls from numbers in your region of residence are free (instead of 10.9 rubles per minute). Good news! Incoming calls from numbers in your home region and other regions of Russia - 5.5 rubles per minute ("instead of 10.9 rubles per minute" - it is written in the official MTS news, but this only applies to very old tariffs, because new incoming calls were free!)

Outgoing calls to any numbers in the region of residence - according to the conditions of the home region (instead of 14 rubles per minute), outgoing to numbers of operators in the home region and MTS of Russia - 5.5 rubles per minute (instead of 10.9 rubles per minute), outgoing to numbers of operators other operators in other regions of Russia - 5.5 rubles per minute (instead of 14 rubles per minute).

SMS to numbers in the region of your stay - 1.95 rubles (place 3.95 rubles), SMS to other numbers in Russia - 2.95 rubles (instead of 3.95 rubles).

Also, for a whole bunch of options, money will no longer be withdrawn, and the conditions will be new. That is, these options will not work in these tariffs.

The “Bit” and “MiniBit” options will work when traveling around Russia at home without any additional payments or additional connections.

And again for old times...

MTS seems to have lowered prices, removed fees for some dubious services (15 rubles per day on Smart phones), but at the same time, for many subscribers, the need to connect to roaming services will not go away, which allows you to feel “at home” when traveling around Russia, since incoming from your home region will become paid.

And if you need such calls to be free, and calls to the numbers of all mobile operators in Russia cost you 3 rubles per minute, then you need to activate the new additional option “Russia is at home everywhere.” Option Description: .

A service will also be offered for the “Smart”, “Smart Unlimited”, “My Unlimited” - “Home Package Russia” tariffs. This option will allow you to receive all incoming calls for free, and calls and SMS to your home region will be spent from the packages. Option Description: .

And what happens in the end? If you want to be “like at home”, then you need to connect additional paid options? What is this cancellation of roaming? Yes, prices have dropped, but this is only a tiny step towards cancellation. Let's see what the FAS says...

The “International Access” service can be activated by subscribers of the MTS mobile communication network - citizens of Russia, individuals or individual entrepreneurs. Available on all tariff plans and will allow you to make calls outside of Russia and calls to Russia while abroad.

To check if you have the International Access service activated, use or call contact center MTS.

Methods for connecting/disabling the International Access service:

At the time of connection to the service, it is necessary that the subscriber’s number is not blocked and that the personal account balance is positive.

Without contacting the MTS showroom or sales office

Without contacting the MTS showroom or sales office

In an MTS store or sales office:

  • dial on your mobile phone *111*2193#;
  • use ;
  • contact the MTS contact center.

The service is activated if the following conditions are met:

  • the subscriber must be served by MTS for at least 6 months, during this period the amount of his average monthly charges for communication services must be at least 470 rubles. (in view of VAT). Moreover, each month the amount of accruals must be more than 0 rubles;
  • be an MTS subscriber for at least 12 months. Moreover, every month during the specified period the amount of accruals must be more than 0 rubles.

If the specified conditions are not met, the services will not be connected. In this case, we recommend that you contact the MTS showroom or sales office or activate the “Easy roaming and international access” service.

Connecting and disconnecting the service is free.

There are no monthly payments.

  • during a personal visit of an MTS subscriber or his authorized representative to any MTS salon

You must have the following documents with you:

  • For individuals : an identification document of the subscriber (passport, officer’s ID card with a certificate of residence, sailor’s passport), or a notarized power of attorney and passport (military officer’s ID card) of the authorized person;
  • For legal entities : a letter from an organization requesting the provision of services “International and national roaming" and "International access" with a seal, signature of the head of the enterprise and the chief accountant, as well as a power of attorney from the organization indicating the identity card details of the authorized person, the date of issue and the validity period of this power of attorney. The authorized person will need to present an identification document (passport, officer's ID card with a certificate of residence, sailor's passport).

In accordance with Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 618, a decision was made to cancel roaming. If there are no towers in the client’s territory, the company incurs additional costs. They involve the use of equipment from other operators. Inflated tariffs became the reason for initiating a case against the four largest mobile operators in the Russian Federation.

FAS representatives issued a warning to company management about the need to reduce fees for on-network calls. In fact, operators will have to cancel roaming. Organizations received a warning to eliminate the difference in tariff costs if a subscriber travels outside their region.

Roaming cancellation deadlines

FAS ordered companies to change their tariff policy. Beeline, Megafon and MTS agreed with the demand of the antimonopoly service and decided to completely abandon roaming until January 31, 2018. The exception was the position of the management of Tele 2. The organization will continue to charge additional fees for in-network billing until May 31st.

Updated! The State Duma approved in the first reading the law on the abolition of roaming in Russia. Thus, the cost for the caller and the recipient of the call will be the same throughout the country.

What types of roaming do companies offer to subscribers?

There are several types of communication services in Russia:

  1. On-network roaming brings operators the biggest profits.
  2. National roaming provides a person with the opportunity to use a SIM card in places where there is no appropriate infrastructure. To provide the service, the company enters into an agreement with other mobile operators.
  3. Clients use international roaming in cases where they leave Russia. The operator must formalize an agreement with the country in which the user is located.

In Crimea, roaming was introduced due to geopolitical conditions. Western sanctions have led to the closure of the market for mobile operators providing communication services in Russia.

Important! Tele 2 will change the cost of the services provided until May 31, 2018. The remaining players will review their tariffs by January 31.

What punishment awaits violators?

The FAS will monitor the process of roaming cancellation. The Antimonopoly Service may initiate proceedings against any operator under Art. 10 of the Law “On Protection of Competition”. Income obtained illegally from subscribers will be confiscated in favor of the state. When will roaming within Russia be canceled by Beeline? The operator began the process of tariff stabilization in December 2017.

Megafon will begin to cancel intranet roaming in February 2018.

MTS management also decided to reduce tariffs for subscribers when traveling to other regions. The Tele 2 company took active action only under the threat of punitive measures from the FAS.

What happens if roaming is cancelled?

Most customers are concerned that operators may increase existing tariffs. Roaming has been a serious source of income for companies. Analysts estimate a drop in operators' profits by several percent. Companies will have to take action to recoup their losses.

However, the FAS will not allow simply raising tariffs. In such conditions, operators will offer users new options and services. Organizations can increase call costs by taking into account the distance between customers.

Important! The Antimonopoly Service of the Russian Federation will take action against violators who set inflated prices for calls.

The mobile operator reported to the FAS that the company cannot immediately switch to new tariffs. Specialists need certain time to adjust the cost of calls. When will roaming within Russia be canceled for customers who have entered into an agreement with Tele 2?

The operator promises to adjust the terms of payment for services by May 31, 2018. Now the cost of calls will depend on the subscriber’s area of ​​residence. From February 15, the operator will reduce prices for people who decide to relax in Crimea. Tourists will pay 3 rubles per minute for outgoing calls.

For text messages, the operator will withdraw 3 rubles from the client’s balance. The cost of incoming calls will be 1 ruble per minute. The company will provide users with the opportunity to take advantage of preferential tariff plans. Before your trip you need to go to Personal Area and study the terms of presentation mobile services. The client can familiarize himself with the proposed tariffs using the short number *107#.

Moreover, roaming services are connected automatically. You do not need to obtain consent from the client for this. Before traveling to another region, it is better to check your balance. To do this, just enter *105# on your smartphone. For outgoing messages the user will have to pay 3.5 rubles. In case of traveling to another region, the client will be charged 5.5 rubles per minute of conversation.

To send an MMS you need to pay 6 rubles. There are tariff plans that provide free minutes. Users are given the opportunity to communicate while roaming without restrictions.


How will MTS operate in the new conditions?

In February 2018, the company decided to adjust the cost of mobile communication services. The changes affected tariffs operating outside the home region. Thanks to the new conditions, users can significantly reduce their costs. Incoming calls from other operators will cost the client much less than in 2017.

If previously subscribers were charged 10.9 rubles for 1 minute, then in 2018 services will be provided free of charge. Outgoing calls used to cost 14 rubles per minute. Now their cost has dropped to 5.5 rubles.

MTS decided to cancel roaming for customers who subscribed to the Super MTS and My Friend tariffs. Incoming calls for this category of subscribers will be free. Outgoing calls will be charged at home rates.


What changes await Megafon subscribers

The mobile operator decided to change its tariff policy. The user may not pay for incoming calls when traveling within Russia. For outgoing calls, the client will need to pay 2 rubles per minute. The cost of providing Internet services for the user will remain the same as in their region. Moreover, Megafon will change prices in stages. To adjust the cost of services, it is necessary to review about 3,000 tariff plans in force in the company.

Clients who have activated a package of services have long been communicating under preferential terms when traveling to other regions. Subscribers who do not plan to change the terms of their current tariff plan can use the “Be at home” option. In this way you can save money on communication services during your trip.

The first messages about Megafon's intention to cancel roaming appeared on the company's website on December 21, 2017. The operator will no longer charge fees for calls from local subscribers. The cost of outgoing calls will not exceed 2 rubles. Charges 15 rubles per user. day as a subscription fee after connecting to the “Be at home” tariff. The “All Russia” option will be of interest to people who want to save on communication services. Incoming calls for such users will be free.

The cost of outgoing calls is 3 rubles. Moreover, the first connection will be free. The daily fee for using the “All Russia” option will be 7 rubles. Megafon will reduce prices for users located in Crimea from March 12 this year. The condition for reducing the cost of calls is the activation of the “Turn On” and “Switch to Zero” tariffs.

Thrifty customers can activate the “Crimea” option. However, the subscriber will have to pay 15 rubles daily. Customers will be charged 4 rubles per minute of outgoing conversation.
The cost of Internet traffic will be 5 rubles. To send an SMS message, the user must pay 3 rubles.


What are Beeline's plans?

In 2018, Beeline is canceling roaming. Now users will be able to use communication services at home. The company's clients can use roaming to communicate in other regions of the Russian Federation. For example, the “My Country” tariff plan is beneficial for travelers. It allows you to reduce costs for mobile communications. Outgoing calls will cost the subscriber 3 rubles. Moreover, the company requires a fee of 25 rubles to connect the option.

The cost of providing the “My Intercity” service is 3 rubles per minute. Negotiations between Beeline subscribers are not charged. If you travel to another region, mobile Internet will have to be activated separately. The operator has decided not to include this option in most tariff plans.

The reason for this approach is that not all clients use Mobile Internet while traveling in transport. Many people go on business trips that last only a few days. The cost of services depends on the amount of information that the user plans to download monthly.

Clients are provided with 2 mobile Internet options:

  1. After calling short number*115*051# the user gets the opportunity to connect to the Internet with daily payment. For each day of using the service, a person will have to pay 7 rubles. This service is convenient because it can be used during a short trip. There is no need to overpay for large volume traffic.
  2. What should clients who plan to leave for a month do? Users can connect to mobile Internet if they call *115*061#. After connecting, the client gets the opportunity to download up to 4 GB of information per month.

People who like to travel to various Russian regions will be interested in the “My Country” option. The cost of outgoing calls under this tariff is 3 rubles. The client will not have to pay subscription fee. However, when connecting to the service, 25 rubles will be debited from his account.

Conclusion

The antimonopoly service was interested in high tariffs for communication services. FAS issued an order mobile operators about canceling roaming. Companies must review their tariffs by January 31. Management will have to review its rates and make decisions about the billing system. In these conditions, many subscribers are afraid of rising prices for communication services.

On August 13, the deadline expired by which mobile operators MTS, MegaFon, Beeline and Tele2 were supposed to eliminate the markup on communication services in intranet roaming. No company has done this yet

Photo: Alexander Shalgin / TASS

​Until August 10-13, the “big four” mobile operators - MTS, MegaFon, VimpelCom (Beeline trademark) and T2 Mobile (a subsidiary of T2 RTK Holding, operating under the Tele2 brand) - had to report on the implementation of the FAS order to abolish the markup for subscribers on communication services in intranet roaming.

The surcharge applies to the network of the same operator with whom the subscriber has a contract, but outside the “home” region, that is, the one where it was concluded.

According to the requirements of Russian legislation, operators must notify subscribers of all changes in tariffs ten days before their introduction. But at the beginning of August, none of the four members informed subscribers about the change in the principles of tariffing in intranet roaming.

The FAS sent a message to the Quartet operators in mid-July. The service considered that the installation different tariffs for cellular communication services in the home region and trips around Russia violates paragraph 6 of Part 1 of Art. 10 of the Law “On Protection of Competition”, which prohibits companies with a dominant position from limiting competition by setting different prices for the same product without justifying this economically, technologically or otherwise.

“When moving to another region of the country, being in the network of his operator, the subscriber receives completely different price conditions than in his home region, and the more expensive the subscriber’s tariff plan, the less for such a subscriber the difference in tariffs for cellular communication services at home and when traveling” , - said the FAS message. The FAS analysis showed that prices for communication services (calls within the region, outside the region, SMS messages, data transfer) when traveling should not differ from prices in the home region. The service demanded that operators eliminate the unreasonable differences in each tariff plan.


Video: RBC TV channel

As a representative of the FAS press service told RBC on Friday, August 11, the service received information from operators “related to the implementation of the agency’s warnings.” “Including requests to familiarize yourself with the analytical report based on the results of the market analysis. All materials are received with the stamp “for official use”, so they are not subject to disclosure,” he said. The FAS representative refused to say whether any of the “four” reported on the abolition of the markup, as well as other details.

According to two RBC sources close to the Quartet operators, in letters sent to the FAS, MTS, MegaFon, VimpelCom and T2 RTK Holding ask the department to clarify the essence of the order. “It is unclear what tariff operators will have to apply to a subscriber in intranet roaming - the one that is valid in his home region, or the one that is valid in the region where the subscriber is roaming. At what rates, local or long distance communication, subscribers will call to their home region, while others will call within their region of residence,” explains one of RBC’s interlocutors.

According to him, if it is decided that the subscriber will have to communicate in roaming at the tariffs that apply in the region where he arrived, and if these tariffs turn out to be lower than those that apply in his home region, it will be easier for the subscriber to buy a new SIM -map. “The question arises of how to combat fraud (fraud, unauthorized actions in the communication network. — RBC). In the end, all operators will equalize tariffs across the country,” says RBC’s source in one of the four operators. According to him, the operators also turned to the FAS with a request to increase the deadline for complying with the order.

MTS representative Dmitry Solodovnikov said that the company “is in dialogue with the FAS,” but refused to disclose its details. Representatives of MegaFon, VimpelCom and T2 RTK Holding also declined to make official comments. MegaFon representative Yulia Dorokhina earlier said that it is impossible to change about 3 thousand tariff plans throughout the country within the period determined by the department. According to her, the operator’s IT services will take “months, maybe even years” to make changes.

At the same time, the FAS representative stated that the deadlines could be extended. To do this, operators must submit a petition to the department justifying this need.

Head of Communications Regulation Department and information technologies FAS Elena Zaeva previously said that if operators do not eliminate violations by the deadline, the service will initiate a case for violation of antimonopoly legislation. After this, a commission must be created and up to six months are allotted to consider the case. At the same time, the FAS has the right to use such a tool as transferring unjustifiably received income to the federal budget, Zaeva noted.

MTS, MegaFon, VimpelCom and T2 RTK Holding do not disclose how much they earn in intranet roaming. The general director of TMT Consulting, Konstantin Ankilov, estimated the Quartet’s revenue from roaming in Russia in 2016 at approximately 35 billion rubles. This is 4% of the total income of these companies.