Tele2 has recently become a federal telecom operator, thanks to a joint effort with Rostelecom and other noteworthy deals involving major brands. Now she is trying to actively expand her work in the segment of providing mobile Internet access. The brand came to Moscow, has long been present in St. Petersburg and other major cities of Russia, offering subscribers very attractive prices for online services. But how high is the quality of Internet access provided by Tele2? What is the technological level of the current communication channels used by this operator?
Basic information about the activities of the operator in Russia
Before studying the Internet tariffs offered by Tele2, it will be useful to consider the basic information that characterizes the activities of this operator. The Tele2 brand has been present in Russia since 2003. Initially, and in many aspects, the operator still positions itself as a service provider in the economy segment, that is, as a discounter aimed at subscribers who want to use cellular communication with profit.
Initially, the brand was wholly owned by the Swedish holding Tele2, however, soon its controlling stake was acquired by Russian companies. So, today 45% of Tele2 shares in Russia belong to Rostelecom, 27.5% to VTB Group, 24.75% of the company’s assets are owned by offshore companies registered in Cyprus, 2.75% of the operator’s shares are owned by insurance SOGAZ Group. For a long time, the brand could not expand its activities in the capital market - at least, the operator could not work in Moscow before the Swedish businessmen sold the company's assets to Russian partners.
But now “Tele2” is in full swing in the Russian capital and at the same time continues to actively develop in the regions of the Russian Federation. Among the priority technological areas of the brand is improving online access channels. So, the operator is actively mastering the latest 4G network access technology. The company is trying to attract new subscribers with affordable tariffs and high quality communications. We’ll try to determine how well this works for the operators by examining the key facts about its respective services, as well as by studying the opinions of subscribers regarding the online services offered by the brand.
In which regions of the Russian Federation is the Internet available from Tele2?
The Tele 2 operator has recently become a federal market player - the starting point in obtaining the appropriate status is considered to be a partnership deal with Rostelecom, concluded by the company in 2014. In particular, it allowed Tele 2 to thoroughly expand its capacities using 3G channels in such cities as St. Petersburg, Chelyabinsk, Tambov.
In Tula, it became possible to enter the Internet through Tele2 through the use of 4G technology. At the same time, the operator began to build his network infrastructure in this city based on the principle of the so-called technological neutrality, which allows you to deploy the appropriate communication channels when using GSM frequencies. The plans of Tele 2 for 2015 included the launch of mobile Internet in more than 50 Russian regions.
Basic internet tariffs
We will study what Tele2 operator offers Internet tariffs. First of all, it is worth noting that this company is quite actively improving its marketing approaches to the "tariffing" of certain services, which is why the conditions for certain packages of communication services often change. But if we consider the current plans, then we can distinguish the following range of basic proposals.
For example, if we consider the tariffs for mobile Internet Tele2 in St. Petersburg, then one of the most popular packages can be called Very Black. As part of it, the client is offered 3 GB of traffic, an unlimited number of calls to Tele2 numbers in the corresponding region, 350 minutes of conversations with subscribers of other local mobile operators (or Tele2 number holders from other constituent entities of the Russian Federation), as well as an SMS package of 150 posts. All this - for a monthly fee of 290 rubles.
Mobile Internet Tele2 is also provided as part of additional options. Among them is the Internet Package. The subscriber who used it can receive 5 GB of traffic for 250 rubles per month. It is worth noting that the noted number of GB corresponds to the amount of downloaded data at the maximum speed for the communication technology used. In 3G networks, this is about 10 Mbps. As soon as the corresponding amount of traffic is exhausted, the subscriber will be able to continue to work on the Internet, but at the minimum speed. Therefore, in fact, unlimited Internet is provided on Tele2, but with a speed limit after the exhaustion of prepaid traffic. Of course, this scheme is not sensational - it is used by all the other largest Russian mobile operators. In this sense, Tele2 is only in trend. But it offers its prices, according to many experts, at very competitive rates.
Internet for a day
The operator’s tariff option is very remarkable, allowing subscribers to access the Internet at maximum speed for a day. “Tele2” in this sense is again in the trend of the market, since such offers characterize the pricing policy of other major players in the segment. We are talking about the service "Day on the net." The considered tariff option of the new federal operator involves receiving 250 MB of traffic at maximum speed for 24 hours for 15 rubles. In this case, as soon as the corresponding resource is exhausted, the subscriber will be able to continue using the Internet at a speed of 64 Kbps. This service can be connected to customers of the operator in any region of Russia who use the majority of tariff plans, but provided that no other Internet packages are activated in them. The first connection of the corresponding service is free, the second and the next costs 15 rubles.
How to connect to the Internet from Tele2?
There are 3 main ways to connect to one or another Internet tariff offered by the operator:
- through the office;
- through the "Personal Account" (provided that the subscriber already has a valid account with the operator);
- through the contact center by phone 679.
All other things being equal, the choice of one or another option depends on the personal preferences of the subscriber, on his location, access to the Internet and phone - as many users note, when choosing any of the mentioned methods, the connection to a particular tariff for access to online is carried out correctly.
Tariffs and conditions on the Internet from "Tele2" in the regions: reviews
How do subscribers evaluate the Tele2 Internet? Reviews of Russians regarding the corresponding communication services can be classified into the following main varieties:
- opinions on the competitiveness of tariffs offered by the operator,
- assess the quality of communication - in terms of speed and stability of the compounds,
- Opinions regarding the convenience of connecting to certain options and managing settings in the “My Account” or through other tools provided by the operator.
We will study them in more detail.
Internet prices from Tele2: reviews
How do people rate Tele2 internet tariffs? Customer reviews suggest, of course, a comparison of the rates offered by the new federal player with packages from leading Big Three operators. According to subscribers, as well as experts in the mobile communications market - against the background of tariffs from MTS, MegaFon and Beeline, offers from Tele2 look more than competitive.
It cannot be said that the new federal operator is unambiguously dumping in terms of specifically Internet tariffs, but for a number of items it makes its services more affordable than those offered by competing suppliers. Tele2 completely free internet, like unlimited calls within the network, of course, does not offer. But the choice in favor of a new major market player, as experts and subscribers believe, residents of those cities where the operator came with their own Internet tariffs can very well be made on the basis of the desire to save.
Internet quality from Tele2: reviews
How do users evaluate, in turn, in terms of the quality of Internet Tele2 communications? Citizens reviews regarding the stability and speed of connections are largely subjective. However, in general, people believe that the quality of communications of the new federal player is at least not inferior to its largest competitors. If the phone is in a confident coverage area, then Internet access will be at a good speed and will be characterized by sufficiently high stability, subscribers believe.
The Internet traffic provided by Tele2 as part of the monthly fee is generated at a speed that is really close to the technological limits that are characteristic of the communication channels used by the operator.
Convenience of using Tele2 options: reviews
Consider another aspect of the reviews - one that reflects the opinions of subscribers regarding the convenience of using certain online operator options. As noted by the company's customers, the Tele2 Internet settings are applied quite easily, and for the most part automatically. In principle, all that a subscriber needs to do, as a rule, is to activate the mode of using one or another communication technology - for example, 3G, in the options of the phone itself. Tele2 Internet on Android or iOS is configured, as a rule, without much user immersion in the technological nuances of online services.
But sometimes it becomes necessary to set a number of additional connection settings. In such cases, the subscriber can order a script for automatically setting options through the toll-free support number 679, or through the "My Account". The involvement of both options, as noted by the operator’s subscribers, is carried out with a sufficiently high level of comfort of interaction with the corresponding interfaces, and does not require a lot of time.
Tariffs "Tele2" in Moscow
In 2015, the operator began to provide its communication services directly (before that - only in roaming mode) in the Russian capital. It will be useful to consider what Tele2 offers Internet tariffs in Moscow. So, you can pay attention to the plan "Orange". This tariff assumes that the subscriber has 2 GB of Internet available. At the same time, there is no monthly fee. The cost of calls to all Russian phones is 1 ruble. The rates are also similar for SMS sent by the metropolitan subscribers of Tele2 to the numbers of Russian operators.
The next brand tariff plan in Moscow is Black. For 99 rubles per month, the subscriber receives a Tele2 Internet package of the same volume as in the previous offer - 2 GB, however, at the same time, he can talk unlimitedly with other customers of his operator from all over Russia. Also at his disposal is a package of 150 SMS.
Another tariff of the operator in the capital is “Very Black”. The subscriber who connects to it receives a Tele2 Internet package with a volume of 4 GB and 400 minutes of calls for a monthly subscription of 299 rubles. Another tariff offered by the brand in the capital is “The Blackest”. The monthly fee for it is 599 rubles. It includes 1000 minutes of calls and 1000 SMS.
It can be noted that for owners of mobile devices, in particular tablets, the operator offers a separate tariff - “Internet Suitcase”. For 899 rubles of a monthly subscription, the client receives almost unlimited Internet at Tele2 at maximum speed, since 30 GB of traffic are available to him. This resource, in principle, confidently covers the daily needs of the average metropolitan subscriber.
Internet from Tele2 in Moscow: reviews
How do metropolitan Internet subscribers "Tele2"? Responses of Muscovites regarding the corresponding communication service, as in the case of the opinions of the operator’s customers in other Russian regions, can be classified into 3 main varieties: tariff estimates, communication quality and the level of comfort of using various options. Regarding the first group of opinions - for Muscovites, the tariffs offered by the new federal operator, in general, are seen as more than competitive against the background of proposals from the Big Three operators.
However, as some subscribers note, the main thing for the capital is not so much the cost of communication, but the level of manufacturability of its provision. In Moscow, in principle, there are many places where there is, in particular, completely free Wi-Fi available via Wi-Fi. Tele2 in this sense, as some subscribers believe, can seriously dump - but the question arises about the quality of communication services.
So, the operators of the "Big Three" already almost throughout Moscow provide their customers with the opportunity to access the Internet through 4G channels. Tele2 is trying to keep up with them, but there are quite significant areas of the capital, where the new federal player offers access to the network so far only through 3G technology. At the same time, with regard to the quality of communication in those places where there is a good 4G coverage area - this is not inferior, according to subscribers, to what characterizes the online services offered by the Big Three operators.
Regarding the convenience of using certain client options, Muscovites' opinions are positive. Tele2 Internet settings, as metropolitan subscribers believe, are activated quite simply. Special interference with the phone to correctly expose all the necessary options, according to Muscovites, is not required. In general, Moscow subscribers evaluate the prospects for further development of the operator in the Russian capital very positively.