FAS COMPLETED AN ANALYSIS OF TARIFFS INCREASED BY COMMUNICATIONS PROVIDERS
Due to numerous petitions from the population and information in the internet that the following operators - “MegaFon” PJSC, “MTS” PJSC, “VympelCom” PJSC and “T2 Mobile” Ltd. - increased their tariffs, FAS has carried out an inspection of the above communications providers. More than 4000 tariff plan were analyzed
Based on the data specified in the answers given by the operators to the FAS request, the Antimonopoly Service analyzed the sum of the costs and profit required to produce and execute the service, as well as changes to the statutory regulation in the field of telecommunications services.
The growing costs of conventional types of operations have not had any significant effect upon tariffs. Additionally, there has been an impact of increased costs of executing the amendments to the Federal Law “On counter-terrorism efforts”* and some legislative acts of the Russian Federation in the part of establishing additional measures for countering terrorism and ensuring public security”, according to which, communications providers are obligated to store the traffic of their subscribers in the territory the Russian Federation.
FAS confirmed that the growth of revenue from the increased tariffs is at a comparable level to the growing costs of the providers.
The tariff changes concern mostly the subscribers who use archived tariff plans, and the changes were aimed at leveling the conditions of archived and current billing plans.
To alleviate the consequences of the increased rates for the subscribers affected by the changes, some operators suggested options and bonuses for constant use that decrease subscribers’ costs for telecommunications services in the form of unlimited calls within a network of a telecommunications provider, additional packages of internet, sms, carry-over to the following month, cash-back and discounts depending on a subscriber’s tariff plan.
Therefore, no elements of violating the antimonopoly law were exposed.
The law sets a five-year period for executing the obligation for full traffic storage.
FAS shall be continuously monitoring changes in the tariffs for mobile communications services.
Reference:
№ 374-FZ Federal Law “On amendments to the Federal Law “On counter-terrorism efforts” of 06.07.2016.