Igor Artemiev and Sergey Mironov: there should be no roaming in Russia

Abolishing intra-network and national roaming in Russia was the focus of a meeting of Head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) Igor Artemiev and Head of the “Fair Russia” faction in the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Sergey Mironov, on 28 August 2017 in Moscow.

Sergey Mironov informed that on 28 June the “Fair Russia” faction submitted a draft law to the State Duma of the Russian Federation on abolishing national roaming in Russia. The “LDPR” faction also introduced a similar draft law. According to Head of the “Fair Russia” faction in the State Duma, the parliament will start considering those draft laws in the autumn session.

Igor Artemiev pointed out that FAS has long undertaken efforts to get rid of roaming. He reminded that while 28 EU states have abolished roaming, Russia still has domestic roaming.

“A technical term – “roaming” may exist but it should not have any economic significance. Today the operator rates have a special roaming mark-up, giving them the grounds to increase the rates for physical persons”, thinks Igor Artemiev.

At the meeting Igor Artemiev stated that in the future roaming should be abolished across the space of the Customs Union.

Igor Artemiev reminded about the warming issued by FAS to cellular providers to abolish intra-network roaming, specifying that FAS has extended the deadline for executing the warning until 15 December 2017г. He emphasized that “the line can be drawn only after adopting the relevant law”.

FAS will pass its comments and proposals to the “Fair Russia” on the law drafted by the faction on abolishing roaming in Russia before the second reading at the State Duma.