Russia’s three biggest mobile-phone operators to cut roaming fees in CIS countriesOctober 20, 2010 - 19:35 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Russia’s three biggest mobile-phone operators will cut roaming fees “voluntarily” after Prime Minister Vladimir Putin criticized companies for charging too much. The companies will cut domestic and international roaming and data transmission fees by at least a third from Dec. 1, Putin said during a meeting with Igor Artemyev, head of the federal anti-monopoly service. The three biggest operators are OAO Mobile TeleSystems, VimpelCom Ltd. and OAO MegaFon. “This is a positive news for investors,” Viktor Klimovich, a telecommunications analyst at VTB Capital, said in a phone interview from Moscow. “The companies cooperated with the anti-monopoly agency and came up with a compromise which is not going to affect companies’ bottom line.” The price cut may result in the mobile operators’ revenues declining as much as 0.5 percent, which is “less than the market expected,” Klimovich said. The three operators have been expanding abroad after gaining control of more than 85 percent of the domestic market. Mobile-phone subscribers in Russia increased to 216.4 million in August from 201.8 million a year earlier, according to market researcher Advanced Communications & Media. The Russian mobile operators charge an average of 70 rubles ($2.27) a minute for making phone calls while abroad, according to VTB’s Klimovich. That compares with the 49 euro cents ($0.68) a minute cap set for mobile operators in the European Union in 2007. Charges in the EU have decreased further since then. Putin said in April he had ordered the anti-monopoly agency to investigate why the rates were more expensive in Russia than elsewhere in Europe. “We accused the companies of inflating prices and creating so-called monopolistically high prices,” Artemyev told Putin. “Together with the Communications Ministry, we persuaded the companies to voluntarily cut roaming rates.” MTS and Vimpelcom are cutting roaming prices this year in CIS countries, where they have operations, according to Irina Osadchaya, a spokeswoman at MTS, and Anna Aybasheva, a VimpelCom spokeswoman. The two companies are also in talks with other international operators to reduce roaming rates globally. Megafon will cut roaming prices from Dec. 1 in some CIS countries and Finland, the company said in a statement, bloomberg.com reported. Top stories Yerevan will host the 2024 edition of the World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT). Rustam Badasyan said due to the lack of such regulation, the state budget is deprived of VAT revenues. Krisp’s smart noise suppression tech silences ambient sounds and isolates your voice for calls. Gurgen Khachatryan claimed that the "illegalities have been taking place in 2020." Partner news Most popular in the section | Aliyev: No peace treaty unless Armenia changes constitution Azerbaijan will not sign a peace treaty with Armenia unless the latter changes its constitution, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said. Seven injured in massive gas station explosion in Armenia The Investigative Committee of Armenia has unveiled details about a massive explosion at a gas station on the Yerevan-Sevan highway. Pashinyan’s spokesperson denies intention to visit Baku for COP29 Pashinyan’s agenda doesn’t include a trip to Baku for the COP29 conference, his press secretary Nazeli Baghdasaryan has said. Russia accuses West of preparing invasion of CSTO countries NATO is preparing an invasion of the CSTO countries, the number of provocations in the air is growing, Sergei Shoigu has said. |