FAS has started receiving complaints about paid internet distribution
Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 5:43 am
FAS is analyzing information about operators introducing fees for distributing the Internet from smartphones. About one in five uses this option to connect other devices, and there is no free alternative, experts say.
According to Eldar Murtazin, a leading analyst at Mobile Research Group, the FAS does not take into account the fact that operators do not have the funds to develop and maintain current networks: "Over the course of the year, we will see a degradation in the quality of communications and a multiple increase in cyprus whatsapp resource prices not only for the communications themselves, but also for various services - car sharing, kick sharing; there will be difficulties with online voting. Networks will begin to crumble. We are seeing a situation where operators' costs are growing, but prices for mobile communications are not. Over two years, tariffs for all subscribers in Russia have grown by 9% on average, and the equipment that operators purchase has become 2.5 times more expensive in ruble prices. If operators earn money by providing commercial services, and the state limits price increases for subscribers, then it is unclear where the operators will get the money from."
Konstantin Ankilov, CEO of TMT Consulting, noted that the capabilities of existing fourth-generation networks are limited, so operators are trying to curb the growth of the network load: "Distributing the Internet from a mobile phone assumes active consumption in order to watch movies on a big screen on a TV or computer. Charging a fee for distributing the Internet is a logical step for operators in the case of tariffs with unlimited Internet; it will help maintain the quality of communication and traffic speed. However, introducing a limit on tariffs with package traffic is less appropriate: once the operator has sold a certain number of gigabytes to the subscriber, he has the right to use them as he wants."
Konstantin Ankilov believes that in the conditions of inflation, rising equipment prices and growth of other expenses, operators are looking for various ways to increase revenue, so when it becomes impossible to charge for Internet distribution, this option can be included in the tariff package by default, which means it will lead to an increase in tariffs.
According to Eldar Murtazin, a leading analyst at Mobile Research Group, the FAS does not take into account the fact that operators do not have the funds to develop and maintain current networks: "Over the course of the year, we will see a degradation in the quality of communications and a multiple increase in cyprus whatsapp resource prices not only for the communications themselves, but also for various services - car sharing, kick sharing; there will be difficulties with online voting. Networks will begin to crumble. We are seeing a situation where operators' costs are growing, but prices for mobile communications are not. Over two years, tariffs for all subscribers in Russia have grown by 9% on average, and the equipment that operators purchase has become 2.5 times more expensive in ruble prices. If operators earn money by providing commercial services, and the state limits price increases for subscribers, then it is unclear where the operators will get the money from."
Konstantin Ankilov, CEO of TMT Consulting, noted that the capabilities of existing fourth-generation networks are limited, so operators are trying to curb the growth of the network load: "Distributing the Internet from a mobile phone assumes active consumption in order to watch movies on a big screen on a TV or computer. Charging a fee for distributing the Internet is a logical step for operators in the case of tariffs with unlimited Internet; it will help maintain the quality of communication and traffic speed. However, introducing a limit on tariffs with package traffic is less appropriate: once the operator has sold a certain number of gigabytes to the subscriber, he has the right to use them as he wants."
Konstantin Ankilov believes that in the conditions of inflation, rising equipment prices and growth of other expenses, operators are looking for various ways to increase revenue, so when it becomes impossible to charge for Internet distribution, this option can be included in the tariff package by default, which means it will lead to an increase in tariffs.