Which telecom operator to choose. Which is better MTS, Beeline or MegaFon? Which connection is better: MTS, MegaFon or Beeline

The article describes the advantages and disadvantages of the operators Megafon, MTS, Beeline.

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Each country has its own operators cellular communication, and in Russia the most popular in in this case are the companies: " MTS», « Megaphone" And " Beeline" According to statistics, these operators are the most in demand among Russians, and this can be seen literally in real life.

But subsequently the question arises, which of these companies can be considered the best, most in demand and preferred?

It is very difficult to answer this question, since each subscriber adheres to his own criteria when choosing mobile operator. If you use " MTS», « Megaphone" And " Beeline” to compare with each other, then each can find its pros and cons.

In this article we will talk in detail about each popular mobile operator in Russia, describe its advantages and disadvantages, and you will have to draw your own conclusions.

Which mobile operator is the best in Russia?

Before moving on to the description " Megafon», « Beeline" And " MTS", it should be noted that in this review does not contain any advertising of a particular mobile operator. Well-known facts are collected here, as well as the opinions and criticism of the majority of clients of these companies.

As already noted, choosing the best cellular communication is extremely difficult, since there is no operator who could be considered the best in all respects.

Competition plays a huge role here, when each company tries to achieve some advantages over its rivals, but periodically receives a worthy response. And if one company surpassed another in everything, it would force the latter out of the market, or would leave it far behind.

So, let's start describing the characteristics of the most popular Russian mobile operators.

"Megaphone"

« Megaphone» is one of the most famous cellular communication providers in Russia. The company was founded in 1993. Throughout its existence, “ Megaphone"managed to gather a fairly large number of clients throughout Russia - 73 million people, according to company statistics. What advantages and disadvantages does the company have?

Advantages:

• The largest network coverage area in the Russian Federation. « Megaphone» provides cellular communications even to places where the total number of its potential clients is so small that it cannot recoup all the costs of installing such communications
• Application latest technologies . « Megaphone» uses the latest technologies that can be developed at one time or another. For example, the very first operator to use mobile video communication was “ Megaphone»
• Fast Internet. The use of advanced equipment has made it possible to connect fast internet to " Megafon»

Flaws:

• Poor help service. This point can also be applied to other operators. To reach a “live” operator “ Megaphone", it is necessary quite for a long time wait until the system connects us with him - we have to, for example, listen to background music for a long time. Many callers do not wait and hang up. By the way, help desk workers may be incompetent in the questions asked of them
• Confusion of tariff plans. This problem also occurs with other cellular operators, but in to a greater extent y " Megafon" Each time the tariffs of this operator become more and more complex and confusing

"MTS"

If we compare which mobile operator in Russia is better, then in this list of “contenders” we cannot ignore “ MTS" The company was created in the same way as " Megaphone" - in 1993

Today at " MTS» has the largest number of users among Russian mobile operators – 107 million people

Advantages:

• Very high quality connection. « MTS» uses the most modern and very expensive equipment, thanks to which the mobile communications of this operator have high quality and can work everywhere (indoors, outdoors, etc.)
• Attractive GPRS tariff plans. « MTS"offers very great deals regarding Internet access and has large network roaming Clients « MTS» can comfortably use mobile Internet all over the world

Flaws:

• Smaller network coverage area compared to Beeline or Megafon
• Expensive services. Certain tariff plans " MTS» are more expensive than the same tariffs from other Russian operators
• Poor help service. It was already noted above that the work help services mobile operators in Russia leave much to be desired. " MTS", unfortunately, is on this list for almost the same reasons

"Beeline"

« Beeline" - one of most popular operators from Russian " big three" Date of creation – 1993. Today “ Beeline» ranks third among Russian operators in terms of the number of subscribers – 60 million.

Advantages:

• Many services and tariff plans. « Beeline» can satisfy many requests of its subscribers, thanks to a large number the opportunities available to him
• Large number of shares. Nai larger number ongoing promotions (for example, low-price tariffs for certain time) belongs precisely to " Beeline»
• Good operators. Support workers " Beeline“They do their work quite efficiently and professionally. But it’s difficult to get through to them, as well as to the operators “ Megafon" or " MTS»

Flaws:

• Expensive roaming. Calls in roaming at " Beeline» are quite expensive
• Problems with operation. Judging by customer reviews, " Beeline» There are often problems with the network. Sometimes it’s even impossible to check your account balance on your phone.
• Poor connection outside the countryside. If " Megaphone"is ready to lay communications where it is not financially profitable, then " Beeline“In this case, it acts more economically. In many areas, for example, in the countryside, mobile communications " Beeline» may not work correctly

In total, there are four real cellular operators in Russia - MTS, MegaFon, Beeline and Tele2, all of which offer their own colors for communication services, mobile Internet and SMS messages. Each of these operators has its own infrastructure, consisting of data centers, base stations, highways and others important elements, allowing millions of citizens of the country to have access to all modern services. Often, when choosing an operator, Russians look specifically at the cost - the lower it is, the more attractive the tariff plan, and, as a result, the operator.

Today the most profitable tariff plans from all four Russian mobile operators were announced. It is worth immediately noting that Yota is not included in this comparison due to the fact that it is a virtual operator, and it does not have full-fledged tariff plans - the subscriber creates it for himself through a special calculator. That is why only the four largest operators were taken into account - MTS, MegaFon, Beeline and Tele2, whose services are used by almost all Russians.

To keep everything fair, the material discusses the most favorable conditions from all four mobile operators. Tariff plans are relevant for the capital of Russia - Moscow. In order to be included in the list of the most attractive tariffs for connection, you need to offer the subscriber a maximum of services for minimal money.

"MTS"

The most profitable tariff plan from this operator for making calls is “ Super MTS", allowing calls to landline numbers and operator numbers for free (20 minutes per day), while from the 21st minute calls to operator numbers cost 1.5 rubles per minute, and to numbers of other operators - 2.5 rubles. The cost of one message is 2 rubles. The tariff has no subscription fee.

The most attractive for Internet needs is the “Hype” tariff, for which you need to pay 500 rubles per month. For this amount of money, the subscriber receives 7 GB of Internet traffic, 100 minutes of calls to any numbers within the home region, unlimited calls to operator numbers, as well as 200 SMS messages. Most importantly, within this tariff plan users can count on free Internet traffic for YouTube, Twitch, social networks, instant messengers, games and many other titles. Read more about this tariff.

The universal tariff plan of the MTS operator is “Smart”. For 500 rubles per month, subscribers will receive 5 GB of Internet traffic, 550 minutes of calls to Russian numbers, as well as 550 messages. If you need more traffic, you can connect to the “ Smart Unlimited", which includes 10 GB of traffic, 350 messages and 350 minutes to Russian numbers. It costs a little more - 550 rubles per month. In addition, as the name says, it provides complete unlimited access to social networks and instant messengers.

"Megaphone"

The most profitable tariff plan of the MegaFon operator for voice calls is “Everything is simple”, which has no subscription fee. It allows you to call any numbers in your home region for only 1.8 rubles (one minute), while a message costs 2 rubles. If you choose the “Go to Zero” tariff plan, then the first minute of calls to the operator’s numbers costs 1.3 rubles, and all subsequent minutes are completely free.

If you need Internet, then any of the “Internet **” tariff plans will do. All of them include a certain set of Internet traffic without speed limits, so the choice here is limited only by budget and needs.

The most universal tariff plan from the MegaFon operator is definitely the one that appeared in 2017, “Turn on! Communicate." It includes unlimited traffic for social networks and the most popular instant messengers, 12 GB of Internet traffic for any needs and 500 minutes of calls to numbers of all operators. It costs 600 rubles per month.

"Beeline"

This operator provides some of the most meager tariff plans, so choosing something worthwhile is quite difficult. The most favorable tariff for making regular calls is definitely “Zero Doubt”, which has no subscription fee. For each call to numbers in your home region you need to pay 2 rubles per minute, while each message will cost 1.5 rubles.

Not a single worthy offer that allows you to purchase a tariff plan solely focusing on mobile internet, the Beeline operator does not, but there is a universal option called “All 3”. It costs 900 rubles per month, but at the same time provides 10 GB of Internet traffic, 500 messages and 1200 minutes of calls to any numbers throughout Russia.

Tele2

The Tele2 operator attracts new customers with low prices, so its tariff plans can be considered the most profitable, that is, for a minimum amount of money the subscriber gets the maximum of everything. If you just need to call and not pay money every day, then the “Classic” tariff is suitable. Within its framework, each minute of calls will cost 1.95 rubles in Russia, while the fee for one message is 1.95 rubles.

The best choice for mobile Internet is a tariff plan called “For devices” with the “50 GB” option connected to it, which costs 999 rubles per month. In addition, all subscribers of this tariff plan with this service can count on unlimited night internet, thanks to which you can download movies, music, games or any other files without restrictions on speed and traffic.

The most universal tariff plan from the Tele2 operator is definitely “My Online”. Within its framework, for only 399 rubles per month, the subscriber receives 12 GB of Internet traffic for any needs, 500 minutes of calls to numbers throughout Russia, 50 messages and completely unlimited traffic in instant messengers and social networks.

Conclusion

As you can easily see, the lowest prices for communication services with and without a subscription fee are from the cellular operator Tele2. Otherwise, the operators Beeline, MTS and MegaFon have approximately the same prices for all services. When choosing a tariff plan and mobile operator, first of all you need to look at the coverage area. It is advisable to catch at home and at work LTE network or necessarily 3G, because otherwise most of the time you will have to “enjoy” the mobile Internet at 2G speeds, with which even communication in instant messengers turns into complete horror.

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Mobile networks surround us everywhere. Without cellular communication it is impossible to make calls, use mobile Internet and other services. This connection is not personally owned by any one person or one provider. In each country, there are several major players who set the pace. Which mobile operator is better is determined by the users themselves. Next, let's talk about leaders domestic market.

How to spot a good operator

In the Russian Federation, only a few operators can be considered leaders. According to various sources, these are from 4 to 6 companies. Short list will look like this:

• Beeline;
• Megaphone;
• Tele2;
• Yota.

It is their services that the majority of the population considers the most acceptable in terms of price and quality. However, it’s unlikely that anyone will be able to immediately determine which operator is better. Because different users will have their own individual requirements for the supplier mobile services, and operators, in turn, will have their own ideas about the needs target audience. There is simply no single universal criterion.

What to look for when choosing an operator

And since there is no universal criterion, you can simply carefully familiarize yourself with the advantages of each of these six leaders. This will greatly simplify the user’s task of choosing the optimal cellular provider. We will determine the advantages of operators based on several key parameters:

1. Coverage area. A stable expression implies nothing more than the territory or area in which communication services are provided. However, this is not the only determining factor in this factor. The number of cell towers, which is calculated per unit of a given area, will also be important. Since the quality of signal reception will directly depend on this indicator. Moreover, their interaction with each other may be no less important, which the operator certainly indicates on its coverage maps.
2. Communication quality. This criterion logically follows the previous one. As a rule, GSM operators The quality of communication is at the same level. And for everyone, it steadily worsens on holidays, when there is serious network congestion.
3. Tariffs. Perhaps the main parameter that you should focus on when choosing. Since the tariffs different operators may vary greatly. Many users choose the tariff plan that can provide them with the most economical communication with loved ones. That is, by default it is assumed that the subscriber’s friends also use the services of this cellular operator. At the same time, you should not take for granted the praise of friends regarding a particular tariff plan, since everyone’s needs and the number of calls they make are different. Some people need unlimited, while others can easily get by with bonuses alone. We all choose individually.
4. Availability of a service center. It makes sense to use the services of a company with an office in your city. Because in this case, you can always come in and ask about any question of interest. Some regions are deprived of representation of certain operators.
5. Services provided. For active users mobile phone this parameter may be of key importance. Without roaming, mobile Internet, GSM banking and other services, many users simply cannot imagine the existence of a telephone.
6. For example, roaming. This option allows you to use your phone even outside the coverage area of ​​your own operator. This is possible thanks to a special agreement that different providers sign among themselves.
7. Possibility of transferring funds. It is assumed that the participants in the transaction are owners of the same tariff plan. Since only in this case is it possible to implement remittance from one account to another.
8. Cell Broadcast. Provides an opportunity to find out the name of the locality where the tower is located. Particularly relevant this service for motorists.
9. Service. It is a collective term to denote the quality of work of an operator’s call centers, since each of us sometimes needs to seek advice.

After comparing these indicators for each operator, you will be able to make your choice with greater confidence. Obviously, any one of the service providers presented cannot be considered the best for everyone. But it is also obvious that in the struggle for new clients, operators are striving to expand the range of services provided and become more valuable in the market. This is why new tariffs, options, and commercials arise. Let's try to quickly get acquainted with the opinions of users about the already announced market leaders.

Operator characteristics

Beeline

Beeline is one of the old-timers of the market, holding its position for more than 20 years. During this time, its network has grown many times and, according to some estimates, is close to 60 million subscribers. The advantages of the company include the following:

• a wide range of tariffs and various services. Thanks to the diversification of the target audience, the provider can satisfy any client;
• The policy of regular promotions, popular among the population, is the strong point of this particular operator;
• Client consultations by telephone are carried out by competent specialists, but the problem remains the same: it is extremely difficult to reach them by phone. You can wait indefinitely for an answer.

The disadvantages include:

• periodic problems. Quite a lot of customer complaints are observed online about various failures. Technical errors sometimes associated with banal functions, up to the inability to check the balance;
• roaming This function Beeline's is extremely unprofitable for users, calls will be too expensive;
• coating with an urban accent. There are very few areas far from cities where you can find Beeline towers. The company openly ignores the outback, establishing its bases exclusively in densely populated areas.

Megaphone

Megafon can also boast of a long time on the market. According to some data, the company’s clients now include about 73 million people, which is even more than Beeline’s. This is due to the advantages of the operator, which include the following:

• The coverage area is the largest in the Russian Federation. This is one of the fundamental principles of the operator - installing towers where monetization will obviously be unprofitable, in order to attract as many more clients. Thus, the provider wants to proudly carry the banner of the “people's” operator;
• technological innovation. The company does not stand still and, whenever possible, tries to surprise its subscribers with new features. mobile service. The same video communication function was first introduced in Megafon;
• Internet. Compared to its competitors, the operator provides its subscribers with fairly fast Internet.

Disadvantages of service include:

• disgusting support service. And the point is not only that it is difficult to get through to her (since everyone is guilty of this, no matter what operator you choose), but also that the company’s specialists sometimes make ridiculous mistakes. It is difficult to wait for help from them;
• pitfalls in tariff plans. To understand the tariffs, sometimes you have to spend quite a lot of time, they are so confusing.

MTS

The birth of the company was registered in the same year as the previous two players in the market, but the fruits of their activities differ significantly. Over the same period of time, the MTS operator was able to gain a much larger number of loyal customers: the company has about 107 million users in its database. This may be due to the following advantages of the provider:

• quality of communication. Regardless of the subscriber's location, quality mobile communications remains high;
• Internet. For subscribers who actively use mobile Internet, the operator has provided many interesting tariffs;
• roaming The company's employees have worked fruitfully in the international market to provide their customers with good communications anywhere in the world.

But the company, of course, also has disadvantages:

• coverage area. Here MTS is inferior to its predecessors, providing much smaller coverage of territories;
• cost of services. Not all operator tariffs are beneficial for a particular client. Similar offers from other players may be better;
• technical support problem. There is nothing new here - the picture is the same as that of other operators. The presence helps the situation a little personal account MTS, where the user can try to find the answer to his question on his own.

Tele2

A company of foreign origin was acquired by the domestic VTB group. So far, the operator’s customer base lags significantly behind the top three and numbers 23 million people. The advantages of its services include low pricing, which is due to the desire to lure users of other operators. However, the quality of services still leaves much to be desired, which is not least due to the insufficient coverage area. As a result, some kind of malfunction occurs regularly, which prevents users from confidently choosing this service provider as their main one.

The company actively advertises its services, trying to become one of the the best operators countries. Positions itself as a multifunctional provider that provides users with all types of communications (landline communications, mobile, television). The operator has reasonable prices for services, as well as good connection in urban areas. Failures do occur, but not as often as with everyone else. Urban telephone connection- and one of the best.

Yota

A relatively new cellular operator on the market, which has already declared its sky-high ambitions. Allegedly, everything the user needs can be found from this operator. However, despite the extensive range of services, the company is not yet able to boast of their quality. Mobile communications function more or less acceptable, but the Internet is frankly weak. There is a regular connection breakdown, and the speed of information processing is no good for the Internet. Eloquent evidence of the groundlessness of Yota's claims to leadership positions is that some regions still do not have the opportunity to use the World Wide Web, its reception is so poor.

Conclusion

Which mobile operator connections are better, it is almost impossible to determine. Choosing the right operator is entirely an individual matter, since the variety of services provided, as well as their quality, will differ depending on the user’s location. In addition, the subscriber has the opportunity to use the services of several operators at once, which many enjoy using.

Today, paying for mobile communications has become as natural, unconditional and regular an expense as utility bills. There are four leading telecommunications operators in the Russian cellular communications market: MegaFon, MTS, Beeline and Tele2. Their billboards scream about the most profitable and almost free communication. By the way, iKS-Consalting recognized the cost of mobile communications in Russia as one of the lowest compared to the other 20 European countries covered in the study. The average cost of a tariff package is stated to be around 300 rubles, and the main pricing factor is the volume of Internet traffic.

Tariffs of telecom operators are very dynamic. They reflect company strategy, consumer preferences and industry trends. They operate in parallel with the current ones archived tariffs until the subscriber switches to a new price offer. It’s not difficult to get lost in such diversity. A comparison of the Big Four's flagship service packages is presented below (1).

Which mobile tariff should I choose?

Due to the constant expansion of the capabilities of our gadgets, it is rational to offer subscribers tariff packages that combine several services (for example, voice communication, SMS messages and mobile Internet). It is more convenient and cheaper for subscribers to purchase a range of services, and operators can earn money on services not included in subscription fee. Tariff packages are differentiated by the number of included services, by their limit (GB, free minutes, number of SMS) and the needs of the subscriber (mobile Internet, calls on the home network, roaming, etc.). All this determines the cost of the packages.

It should be noted that there is no universal or ideal tariff. Everything is determined by the subscriber’s goals: the subscriber uses mobile Internet more often or voice calls, more often calls the numbers of his operator or other telecom players, uses long-distance or international roaming etc. Therefore, choosing the optimal mobile tariff, you need to understand what benefits you expect from it.

Comparison of tariffs of Russian mobile operators

Mobile tariffs of VimpelCom PJSC (Beeline brand)

Beeline in the “Everything” line offers subscribers five sets of tariffs starting from 300 rubles. up to 1,800 rub. The packages are convenient because they are valid not only in the home network, but also in the regions of Russia under the same conditions without additional payment within the limit. Calls within your network are included in the subscription fee and are not limited. The call limit to other operators is determined by the tariff conditions. Tariffs for international communications are set separately as part of the roaming policy.

Table 1 – Package tariffs of the Beeline operator

Mobile communication tariffs of MegaFon PJSC

The MegaFon operator also offers its subscribers five combinations tariff packages costing from 250 rubles. up to 2,000 rub. per month. Tariff fees relevant both in the home region and throughout Russia. The volume of calls within your network in your home region is unlimited, which cannot be said about long-distance calls to MegaFon. In two budget packages (All Inclusive XS and All Inclusive S tariffs), the limit on minutes included in the subscription fee also applies to calls to MegaFon outside your home region. Despite the name of the tariff plans, all services are included only in the L and VIP packages. In the rest, according to the terms of the tariff, long distance calls and SMS to other operators are paid in addition to the monthly subscription fee. Tariffs for international communications are set separately as part of the roaming policy.

Table 2 – Package tariffs of the MegaFon operator

Mobile communication tariffs of MTS PJSC

The MTS tariff family is called SMART and is differentiated into five packages costing from 250 rubles. up to 1,000 rub. per month. Calls to MTS numbers in Russia are included in the subscription fee and are unlimited on all tariffs, except SMART mini. Within SMART mini, unlimited applies only to home network operator, and for long-distance roaming when calling to MTS, the cost per minute is 2 rubles. The terms of the tariff plans remain the same throughout Russia. It is noteworthy that minutes, SMS and Internet traffic unused during the month within the limit are saved and transferred to the next month. Tariffs for international communications are set separately as part of the roaming policy.

Table 3 – Package tariffs of the MTS operator

Mobile tariffsTele2

The price range of tariff packages of the Tele2 operator varies from 240 rubles. up to 600 rub. per month. One of the tariffs, namely “My Tele2”, provides for a daily subscription fee, which does not include packages of minutes and SMS messages. The uniqueness of the operator’s offers lies in the fact that minutes, SMS and GB unused within the package limit are not burned, as in the MTS policy, and also in the fact that visiting social networks (VKontakte, Facebook, Odnoklassniki), WhatsApp and Viber does not consume the limited Internet traffic. Tariffs for international communications are set separately as part of the roaming policy.

Table 4 – Package tariffs of the operator “Tele2”

Comparative characteristics of mobile communication tariffs of cellular operators

As already mentioned, the profitability of a tariff for a specific subscriber is determined by the purpose of its connection. Therefore, to determine the best one, it is necessary to take main criterion comparing a specific service.

If we compare the most budget tariff plans of operators, then their monthly subscription fee is approximately equal. Tele2's lowest price differs from the highest cost of the budget package by only 60 rubles. From the point of view of minutes and Internet traffic limits, the Beeline offer looks most attractive. But it’s worth considering that the minutes included in the subscription fee only apply to calls to all operators within your home region. In addition, MTS and Tele2 carry over the unspent limit to the next month, which may increase the indicators presented in Table 5.

Table 5 – Comparison of the Big Four budget tariff plans

Let's consider the terms of tariff packages. Which operators position as a “best seller”. Tele2 does not report the most popular tariff. The “My Tele2” tariff is now positioned as a flagship offer.

Table 6 - Comparison of popular tariff plans of the Big Four

In addition to package offers, cellular operators provide tariffs without a subscription fee. They are beneficial for those who rarely use or do not use any service at all (for example, mobile Internet). MTS and Beeline offer per-second billing. MegaFon and Tele2 – per minute. A comparison of tariffs without a subscription fee is shown in Table 7.

Table 7 - Comparative characteristics of per-minute tariffs of the Big Four

Mobile Internet: which tariff to choose? Comparative characteristics of tariff plans for mobile Internet from cellular operators

It is possible to increase your Internet traffic as part of a package offer or connect to mobile Internet as part of a tariff without a subscription fee using mobile Internet as a separate service. The Big Four's offerings are reflected in the tables below.

Table 8 - Mobile Internet tariffs from MTS

Table 9 – Mobile Internet tariffs from MegaFon

Table 10 – Mobile Internet tariffs from Tele2

Table 11 – Mobile Internet tariffs from Beeline

All telecom operators, with the exception of MegaFon, have a maximum traffic offer of 30 GB/month. They, like any other limit, can be increased for a fee. MTS and Beeline have premium tariff plans with unlimited night time. The MTS operator also offers the “Unified Internet” service, which unites up to 5 devices for additional fee 100 rub./month. For users of several gadgets, this is more profitable than purchasing traffic for each device separately. Most tariffs from all operators can be used within long-distance roaming. MTS charges an additional subscription fee for this. The policy of Tele2 and Beeline allows you to use mobile Internet throughout Russia under the same conditions as in your home region. MegaFon charges intercity roaming in accordance with the terms of the subscriber's current tariff plan.

Mobile communications on the way to 6G".

1 - Information on tariffs was taken from the official websites of cellular operators and is relevant as of April 2017 for subscribers of St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region. Depending on the region, tariff conditions may differ from those presented.