Waiting for feedback – Newspaper Kommersant No. 191 (7392) dated 10/14/2022

Russian telecom operators have begun to review the terms of roaming in countries where, after the start of partial mobilization, citizens began to actively travel. VimpelCom offered long-term service packages, Tinkoff Mobile reduced the cost of roaming with Kazakhstan. MegaFon offered discounts for all destinations. So the companies hope to keep the left subscribers, experts consider. Operators are also looking for other ways to increase revenue: MegaFon has introduced a commission for replenishment from Sberbank cards, and Yota has doubled the commission for transfers to accounts of other operators and bank cards.

Kommersant drew attention to the fact that Russian operators began to reduce prices for roaming services in countries popular for relocation after the start of partial mobilization. So, VimpelCom at the end of September, he launched service packages for long-term roaming, they operate in a number of countries – Kazakhstan, Turkey, Armenia, etc. The operator’s application says that for 30 days you can purchase 1 GB of traffic for 1 thousand rubles. or 15 GB for 7 thousand rubles. “Tinkoff Mobile” (virtual operator on the Tele2 network) from October 10 reduced the cost of Internet packages in Kazakhstan: 1000 Mb for a week fell from 1.1 thousand rubles. up to 899 rubles, and 2000 MB per month – from 1.9 thousand rubles. up to 1.2 thousand rubles.

AT “MegaFone” “Kommersant” was told that from September 30, they offer subscribers a discount on communications in roaming in all directions: for 149 rubles. per day you can connect a package with 1 GB of traffic and 60 min. calls. The press service of the operator emphasized that this is about three times more profitable than the default roaming tariff.

At the same time, operators began to raise prices for additional options: MegaFon introduced a commission for replenishment through the Sberbank application, and Skartel (Yota brand) increased the commission for transfers to accounts of other operators and bank cards from 3% to 6%.

MTS and Vimpelcom declined to comment. In “Skartel” did not answer “Kommersant”.

Previously, operators raised roaming prices: since the beginning of hostilities in Ukraine, the cost of their services has increased by 5-40%, the cost of options – by 40-60% (see “Kommersant” of September 9). Basic services are also getting more expensive, in the first half of the year – by an average of 10% (see “Kommersant” dated August 20). On October 12, the Federal Antimonopoly Service found MTS guilty of violating the law due to an unreasonable increase in the cost of services and ordered it to be lowered. In January, according to the service, MTS increased the cost of cellular services for more than 28 million subscribers by an average of 9.5%. The company justified this by increasing its costs. On October 13, the FAS initiated a case against MegaFon for unjustified price increases, saying that in May it increased tariffs for communication services for more than 16.5 million subscribers by an average of 12%.

Operators offer discounts for roaming in countries popular for relocation against the backdrop of partial mobilization that has begun in the Russian Federation, says iKS-Consulting analyst Maxim Savvatin.

According to Forbes estimates made in early October, almost 700,000 people left the country almost two weeks after the mobilization was announced, 200,000 of them went to Kazakhstan.

“When the subscribers will return is unknown. Operators with discounts and options may try to keep them, although most of those who plan to stay in another country have already purchased local SIM cards and leave Russian numbers mainly for incoming calls,” Maxim Savvatin explains. Konstantin Ankilov, General Director of TMT Consulting, believes that profitable roaming in the CIS countries for mobile operators can be a means not only to retain customers, but also to attract new ones: “Roaming partners of Russian operators are more likely to make money on such services.”

Anastasia Gavrilyuk