Crimean K-Telecom started operating on the territory of the LPR

The structure of the Crimean operator K-Telecom, operating in the annexed territories, begins to sell SIM cards and provide communication services in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), where the operators MKS and Miranda-Media already operate. The company intends to invest more than 5 billion rubles in the development of networks in the LPR. until the end of 2024. This is comparable to the investments of federal Russian operators in large regions, experts admit. They note that in the LPR, restrictions on the operation of mobile Internet are only being lifted, so there is no high demand among the population and only the public sector can be a major customer of the operator.

The Crimean telecom operator K-Telecom (brand “+7Telecom”), already operating in the Zaporozhye, Kherson regions and DPR, will begin selling SIM cards in the LPR on December 15, the company told Kommersant: “Frequencies and licenses have already been received. The development of the mobile network will begin in Lugansk and will gradually expand throughout the territory of the republic.”

To develop the mobile communications network and home (wired) Internet in the LPR, +7Telecom launched an investment program, within which more than 5 billion rubles will be invested. until the end of 2024: “The funds will be used for the construction of new communication facilities in standards from 2G to 4G (LTE), as well as the construction of a core network necessary for the development of fixed Internet using xPON technology (a fiber optic network that provides data transmission at speeds up to 2. 5 Gbit/s— “Kommersant”)”. Editor of the Telekommunalka Telegram channel Alexey Slukin says that the investments are “comparable to the investments of federal operators in large regions.”

For residents of the LPR, a tariff of 300 rubles will be available at the start. per month, which will include 20 GB of Internet, unlimited voice communication within the network, 150 minutes for calls with subscribers of Russian operators, as well as 1 thousand minutes and SMS for calls to any operators of the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, the Republic of Crimea and the Krasnodar Territory.

Kommersant’s interlocutor on the LPR telecommunications market clarifies that mobile Internet is now prohibited on the territory of the republic. According to the portal “Administration of the City of Lugansk” dated December 14, the launch of the service “in test mode” is just beginning, but not throughout the republic due to the proximity of a number of cities to the combat zone. “+7Telecom” clarified that the mobile Internet in the tariff is currently designed for the case if subscribers travel outside the region.

The Crimean operator Miranda-Media (19.9% ​​from Rostelecom) and MKS (until July 1, 2022 – State Unitary Enterprise LPR Lugacom under the Lugacom brand) already operate in the LPR. MKS Kommersant clarified that they provide services in the consumer segment, corporate and public sectors, including “departmental communications.”

The Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the LPR Andrei Ershov told Kommersant that the ministry will become one of the first clients of the new operator: “When Miranda Media was launched, we also became clients.”

Andrey Ershov added that the number of base stations of cellular operators in the LPR has doubled: “At the beginning of the year there were 1053 base stations of the mobile operator MKS, by December 31 there will be 2098 stations taking into account the new two operators, of which 558 stations are Miranda-Media and 80 stations “+7Telecom” The Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation “advocates an open and competitive market in all segments.” Miranda Media did not respond to the request.

At first, the major clients of operators in new territories will be government agencies, since there are no large federal players in this market, and the corporate segment is almost absent, says TelecomDaily CEO Denis Kuskov. The market will expand, he clarifies, but “for now, in light of all the restrictions in the region, the sale of SIM cards to subscribers is secondary.”

Tatiana Isakova