MTS obliges subscribers to pay for Internet distribution – Kommersant

The mobile operator MTS introduced a new option for subscribers and obliged them to pay for the distribution of the Internet. As told Vedomosti the subscribers themselves, each time this function is enabled, they activate a special Internet package for 49 rubles. Previously, a user could create an access point and distribute traffic for free. An MTS representative confirmed to the publication the introduction of a new option for subscribers. According to him, the new distribution conditions will affect “a number of archival tariffs with unlimited Internet.”

“From May 4, you will be able to distribute the Internet without wasting your traffic. If you want to share the Internet, then you can connect a 50 GB package for 49 rubles. and distribute it to other devices,” says the message, which MTS subscribers began receiving on April 27. The explanations to it indicated that the option is valid for those subscribers who have packages with unlimited Internet connected, and it concerns the transmission of traffic via WiFi, USB and Bluetooth.

After receiving a notification about the introduction of a new option, one of the MTS subscribers turned to the operator’s technical support for clarification. According to the interlocutor of Vedomosti, the total amount of traffic that he spends during the month is about 20 GB. In technical support, the subscriber was explained that additional packages for 49 rubles. for 50 GB “connect automatically when distributing the Internet and are not limited in number, they are valid until the end of the current day.” The publication calculated that a subscriber will have to pay about 1.5 thousand rubles a month if he distributes the Internet from his device every day.

However, MTS is not the only operator that introduces a fee for Internet distribution. The introduction of such an option since April 20 was also reported to the publication by a representative of VimpelCom (Beeline brand). But this fee is introduced exclusively for new subscribers of the operator, its amount is 99 rubles. per month, or 3 rubles. per day. Traffic is consumed from the main package, and the distribution is limited only by the volume of the Internet package configured in the tariff, the company representative specified.

At the end of 2022, the MTS subscriber base in Russia amounted to 80 million customers, which is 0.5% less than in 2021. Over the past year, the operator was able to increase revenue to 541.7 billion rubles. At the same time, the company’s net profit fell by 48.7% to 32.6 billion rubles. Free cash flow decreased by 31% to RUB 37.2 billion.

More details – in the publication “Kommersant” “MTS has amortized profit”.

Milena Kostereva