Mobile communication is expensive. During the isolation the citizens moved to a total online interaction, and the operators could not take advantage of the opportunity to profit on the universal bind: want to chat then pay. For the first half of 2020, the cost of services grew by 8% and this is not the limit: according to experts, the price of the minimum packet rate to the end of the year will increase on average by 14%. If, as many experts predict, Russia in the near future will cover the second wave of coronavirus, the boundaries between the regions can again close. In this case, people will not be able to contact relatives by telephone, as incomes continue to fall, as mobile communication is expensive.
the Average cost of the minimum rate of mobile communication in the first half of this year increased from 270 to 291 per month. This was reported by the Agency Content Review. According to his study, the greatest contribution to the growth of tariffs has made only one operator of the big four, the minimum tariffs which increased by 13%.
Then consumers will be worse, according to Agency forecasts, to the end of the year the cost of mobile communication will rise in price by 14%. The cost growth was influenced by several factors. In addition to the options of reducing dividends and increasing debt burden, the revision of tariffs for mobile communications — seemed inevitable. Pandemic COVID-19, which led to the loss of revenue in the industry is 30 billion rubles, the situation only worsened, which is confirmed by the calculations, says the head of analytical Department AMarkets Artem Deev.
“Another reason is actual losses incurred by operators due to the coronavirus, the expert continues. — Despite the fact that people have moved on udalenku, the mobile phone company lost about ten billion rubles. Some offices have stopped working, users were temporarily cut off Internet access to save and load on the network had to compensate by installing new equipment. Therefore, operators have only one option — to increase fares, simultaneously providing new services – again, paid.”
the Third reason for rising prices, according to Deeva — the requirement States that operators provide free access to socially important Internet resources during a pandemic, which also led to huge expenditures by companies.
At the same time, according to the head of Department of analytical researches “Higher school of financial management” Michael Kogan, operators can opt out of further tariff increases.
“currently in the government there are discussions to support the telecommunications industry. Among the discussed measures, including suspension of the requirements of the “law of Spring”, according to which telecommunications companies are required to annually Uweto licuati tanks for storage of conversations and correspondence of subscribers by 15%, which costs money, he says. — If it is adopted, the burden on mobile operators may be reduced, which would limit their desire to “take revenge” on the population.”
Recall that in 2019, the same Agency Content Review predicted that the growth rate will be 17-18%. The reason for the adoption of the so-called “Spring package” and the law on sustainable Internet, which required from operators the expansion of programmes of capital investment, in addition to the necessity of the account of expenses on preparation for the transition to the next communication standard 5G.
Experts advise users in the current environment, mobile payment has become the cause of psychological discomfort, and additional financial burdens, most move to the new tariffs and to use the services of several operators to meet different needs.
“it Is necessary to expand the scope of examination of the proposals on virtual platforms of mobile operators, which got some banks and retailers, emphasizes Kogan. — The one to keep for this reason skepticism, can also be well advised to do the detailing of the existing tariff and to cancel a number of paid services and subscriptions (horoscopes, Dating), which can “weight” the final check, if they are.”
