The Ministry of Digital Development is ready to allow mobile operators to raise tariffs above inflation

The Ministry of Digital Development proposed to allow operators to raise communication tariffs above the inflation rate “by the amount set by the regulatory authorities.” Such an initiative is contained in the draft Strategy for the Development of the Communications Industry of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2035, published on August 15 on the ministry’s website. If the draft strategy is approved, tariff growth by the end of the year may exceed inflation by 5-10 percentage points, experts say.

The increase in income from the provision of communication services will allow operators to invest part of the profits in capital expenditures for the modernization and development of networks, the draft strategy says. But the operator will need to justify the indexation of tariffs above inflation. The allowable indexing size will be determined depending on the goals indicated by the operator.