The cellular communication market in Russia, despite the high level of competition, saturation and impressive level of penetration, continues to develop dynamically. This can be observed in many different aspects. First of all, of course, this is the level of technologies implemented by operators, especially in the field of mobile Internet. However, there is another area where cellular service providers are actively introducing new solutions - billing. How competently this or that operator will build a pricing policy will largely depend on its success in the market.
The level of technology is an important, but not the only aspect of competitiveness in this segment. Much also depends on the quality of the operator's study of tariff plans. What are the notable offers for Russian subscribers today? Many experts advise to pay attention to rates like "All Inclusive L". Particularly interesting to some analysts are those offered by Megafon and Beeline.
General characteristics of tariffs
What are the characteristics of tariff plans like "All inclusive L",offered by several Russian telecom operators at once? What unites them, besides the name?
First of all, this is the complexity of the communication services provided. It is assumed that the "All Inclusive L" tariff has options that reflect the main modern mobile services - voice, SMS, MMS, and the Internet. At the same time, the complex use of each of these opportunities will be cheaper than if the subscriber bought the same amount of resource within a separate tariff at comparable monetary costs.
Thus, the main benefit of fares in the same class as "All Inclusive L" is the simultaneous benefit for each of the mobile services.
Price-based benefits
Tariff plan "All Inclusive L" from "MegaFon", as well as its analogue from "Beeline", is designed for subscribers who need calls to different types of phones (including long-distance). If we are talking about intranet calls, then today's tariffs offered by most operators, including the "big three", allow them to be made at minimal cost: the price of a call is minimal, and if there is a subscription fee, then it is quite small, about 100-150 rubles.
The tariff plan offered by "Megafon", "All Inclusive L" and a similar one that is in the arsenal of offers from "Beeline" differ mainly in the amount of resource in the form of off-network minutes. If we need them relatively little, it is more expedientchoose a tariff from "Beeline". If we talk a lot, then our choice is "Megaphone".
Which operator is better?
Objective data that could unambiguously answer this question is quite difficult to find in the public domain. The level of technology used by each of the "big three" operators is generally the same. Therefore, the practical choice of the optimal mobile service provider will depend on the actual indicators - signal stability, coverage area, as well as communication standards available at a particular point of use of a mobile phone.
Thus, if the question is which operator provides a more optimal All-Inclusive L tariff - Beeline or Megafon, then it makes sense for the subscriber, if possible, to pre-test the quality of services provided by each of suppliers, by issuing, as an option, a cheap tariff without a subscription fee. Just to see how strong the signal is and what communication technologies are supported by operators.
It may be that, for example, the most modern 4G-Internet will be supported by "Beeline", but will not be "MegaFon" - in those parts of the city where the use of the phone is supposed to be the most frequent. And vice versa. You can switch to "All Inclusive L" at any time, and, as a rule, with minimal financial costs: the amount of money that is on the balance sheet, one way or another, will be used when switching to a new tariff.
Time to movefrom theory to practice. What are the features of two tariffs of the same name offered by different operators? To what extent can they be considered interchangeable and is it permissible to do this in principle?
Tariffs from Megafon: Moscow
Let's move on to the consideration of specific tariff offers from the operator. Everything, of course, depends on the geographical aspect of using cellular communications. We will consider the option in which the city where the "All inclusive L" ("Megaphone") tariff is used is Moscow.
Monthly subscription payment at the corresponding tariff in the capital of Russia - 1290 rubles. For this amount, the user of cellular services receives 1800 minutes of calls to any numbers in Moscow, the region, as well as throughout Russia. Similarly, the subscriber has at his disposal 1800 SMS or, what is especially interesting, MMS. It doesn't matter what type of messages - and this despite the fact that MMS is supposed to be more expensive.
Inbox is free of course.
Prices for outgoing calls of types not listed above:
- to Megafon numbers in Moscow and the region: free of charge;
- to metropolitan numbers after 1800 minutes - 2 rubles;
- to the phones of Russian subscribers upon consumption of the resource for a subscription fee - 2 rubles. 90 kopecks;
Pricing for messages of types not listed above:
- to numbers in Moscow and Russia upon spending 1800 SMS - 2.90 rubles;
- after 1800 MMS - 6 rubles for each subsequent message to metropolitan subscribers and other regions.
Mobile data rates: 8 GB free.
Tariffs from Megafon: Krasnoyarsk
Now let's consider the "All inclusive L" tariff for Krasnoyarsk. There is a difference with Moscow.
For 1200 rubles. per month Siberian subscribers have 2000 minutes for any local calls, 7 gigabytes of internet. Access at the same time throughout Russia. If 4G Internet is supported in the subscriber's location area, then online access is carried out using this modern technology.
Using 2000 SMS or MMS, however, with geographic restrictions. You can send them to subscribers in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, in neighboring Khakassia and Tyva.
There are also nuances. If the subscriber travels around the Russian Federation, then free - those that are within 2000 minutes, outgoing calls - only those that are made to subscribers of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Khakassia and Tyva. If you call to other regions of the Russian Federation, then the cost of a minute will be 3 rubles. At the same time, SMS and MMS are billed according to the rules of the home region, that is, at the expense of the resource prepaid as part of the subscription fee.
Outgoing calls of types that we did not specify above:
- to Megafon numbers in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Khakassia and Tuva: free of charge;
- to subscribers of other operators of the specified regions: free of charge;
- to numbers registered in other subjects of the federation: 1.20 rubles.
Regarding messages:
- to numbers of Russian subscribers: SMS - 1.70 rubles, MMS - 7 rubles;
- subscribers of the CIS countries: 1, 90/7 rubles;
- to numbers registered in other countries: 5, 20/20rubles.
It should be noted that calls and messages to subscribers living in Crimea are still charged much more expensive than similar options in other regions of the Russian Federation.
To switch to the "All inclusive L" tariff, which is offered by "MegaFon" in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the subscriber will have to pay 100 rubles plus the monthly fee for the first month. At the same time, according to the current rules, the transition from this tariff plan to others is possible no earlier than one day after the connection to it occurs.
Let's consider other nuances that the All Inclusive L tariff from Megafon in the Krasnoyarsk Territory includes.
If the subscriber overuses 7 GB of Internet traffic, access to the network will remain, but at a speed not exceeding 64 kbps.
If a user of the "Megafon" "All inclusive L" tariff, connected in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, sets up forwarding, then the corresponding calls to another number will be charged according to the rules for outgoing calls.
Billing per minute in all cases.
The Krasnoyarsk Territory, as well as Khakassia and Tyva are the basic regions, in which it is possible to fully use all the features of the tariff.
Tariffs from "Beeline"
Now let's consider the conditions under which we will be offered to use the "All Inclusive L" tariff "Beeline". For clarity of comparison, we will study the conditions established for the same base region - the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
The "All Inclusive L" tariff plan, which Beeline offers to Siberian subscribers, includes a subscription fee of 300 rubles. This is much less than when using the simultaneous tariff from MegaFon. What will the subscriber get in return?
First of all, these are free calls to numbers served by "Beeline". The subscription fee also includes a package of 200 minutes to subscribers of other operators. SMS-ki, based on public data regarding the tariff in question, are free.
What if the subscriber overuses 200 tariff minutes? If he calls Beeline numbers in his region, he will not have to pay anything extra. At the same time, the number of the called subscriber must be registered in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, in Khakassia or Tuva - as well as in the case of a similar tariff from MegaFon.
If a person calls the numbers of other operators in his region or those registered in the Beeline registers of other subjects of the federation, a minute of conversation will cost 1 ruble. If the subscriber is in the home network, then the same cost is set for calls to any Russian numbers.
If a subscriber who has spent 200 minutes calls Beeline subscribers in other regions, then a minute of conversation will cost 2 rubles.
What's wrong with SMS? When sending this type of message to Beeline subscribers, billing is not carried out. Similarly, if the interlocutor owns a number registered to another operator, which leads toactivity in the home region, or Beeline - in another subject of the federation. If the subscriber is in the home network, then SMS to any Russian numbers will be free.
Note that MMS messages within this tariff are paid - they cost 1 rub.
Let's also consider options regarding the use of mobile Internet. Nominally, the use of this resource is not charged. But at the subscriber's disposal is a modest 300 megabytes of Internet traffic per month. After spending, their speed will decrease to 64 kbps. It is clear that 300 MB can be used up in a day. So this tariff is not for Internet users. In this case, the tariff with the same name from the operator "Megafon" ("All inclusive L") looks more advantageous. Feedback from many subscribers of the tariff who had experience using it confirms this.
Easy to connect
Subscribers should not have problems with how to connect "All Inclusive L" from Beeline or Megafon. There are several options here. Firstly, you can pay a visit to the nearest office of the operator, which is enough both in Moscow and in most cities of Siberia. Secondly, there is a convenient option with connecting the appropriate tariff through the voice menu. Thirdly, you can use the "personal account" via the Internet. Fourthly, it is convenient to connect the required tariffs via SMS or USSD request. If we want to stop using "All Inclusive L", you can also disable this tariff planthrough any of the above methods.
Dissimilarity of the same
We see that, despite the identical sound, the rates of the "All inclusive L" type from different operators are completely different, based on the main options. Probably, both tariff plans are aimed at different groups of subscribers. From the general - only the aspect that we noted at the very beginning of the article - in the operator's desire to offer its user the opportunity to save in a complex way. True, in the case of the tariff from Beeline, this is expressed to a greater extent for the traditional options for using mobile communications - calls and SMS. Internet within the framework of this tariff plan, as we managed to find out, is not very profitable.
It is difficult to call both tariffs interchangeable, as well as competing. At the same time, it can be noted that both have excellent chances to find their customers both in Moscow and in other cities.
At the same time, the regional aspect of using tariffs is especially interesting. Consider it.
Regional Aspects
Comparing the two regions in which MegaFon offers tariffs - Moscow and the Krasnoyarsk Territory, we saw that the principles of building the structure of subscriber offers may differ, depending on the geography of the provision of services. Although this is probably not news. Not only in terms of these specific tariffs, but also on the example of most other offers from these and other operators, one can observe the difference in approaches in pricing policy depending on the region.
But in general, the architecture of the All Inclusive L tariff in Moscow and Siberia is quite similar. And if, for example, a metropolitan subscriber who is accustomed to this tariff plan moves to Krasnoyarsk, then he will probably adapt to the regional specifics of using the corresponding mobile services without much difficulty.
Reviews
Actually, about the opinions of subscribers. What are users saying? In principle, many of them predictably characterize both tariffs as adapted to the needs of those subscribers who make calls mainly to numbers of other operators or to cities located outside their home region. Users praise operators for the ability to send a large number of SMS messages, which are very useful in cases where it is difficult to call or contact the interlocutor through online services. Of great importance, according to users (we also noted this at the beginning of the article), is the quality of services provided by operators in a particular geographical point. No matter how beneficial tariffs offered by Beeline or Megafon, Moscow, despite the development of the communications infrastructure, is a very heterogeneous city in terms of the level of mobile technologies used. If the center uses the most modern communication standards, then closer to the Moscow Ring Road, something may not catch. This is probably the case in many provincial towns.
