The cellular market in Russia, despite its high competitiveness, saturation and an impressive level of penetration, continues to develop dynamically. This can be observed in a variety of aspects. First of all, this, of course, is the level of technology introduced by operators, especially in the field of mobile Internet. However, there is another area where mobile service providers are actively introducing new solutions - charging. From how competently one or another operator will build a pricing policy, its success in the market will largely depend.
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 some noteworthy offers for Russian subscribers today? Many experts advise paying attention to all-inclusive L rates. Particularly interesting to some analysts are those that offer Megafon and Beeline.
General characteristics of tariffs
What are the characteristics of “All Inclusive L” tariff plans, offered by several Russian telecom operators at once? What unites them except the name?
First of all, this is the complexity of the provided communication services. It is assumed that in the "All Inclusive L" tariff there are options that reflect the main modern mobile services - voice, SMS, MMS, as well as the Internet. At the same time, the integrated use of each of these features will be cheaper than if the subscriber bought the same amount of the resource in the framework of a separate tariff with comparable cash costs.
Thus, the main advantage of tariffs belonging to the same class as All Inclusive L is the simultaneous benefit in respect of each of the mobile services.
Benefits of tariffs with a monthly fee
The tariff plan "All inclusive L" from "Megaphone", as well as its analogue from "Beeline", is intended for subscribers who need calls to different types of phones (including long distance). If we are talking about intra-network calls, then today's tariffs offered by most operators, including the "Big Three", allow them to be made at minimal cost: the call price is minimal, and if there is a monthly fee, it is very small, about 100-150 rubles.
The tariff plan that Megafon, All Inclusive L offers, and the similar one that is in the arsenal of offers from Beeline, differ mainly in the amount of the resource in the form of off-net minutes. If we need relatively few of them, it is more expedient to choose 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 in the public domain is rather difficult to detect. The level of technology involved by each of the Big Three operators is generally the same. Therefore, the practical choice of the optimal provider of cellular communication services 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 the most optimal All-Inclusive L tariff - Beeline or Megafon, then it makes sense to the subscriber, if possible, to pre-test the quality of service delivery by each of the providers, having drawn up how option, cheap rate without a monthly fee. Just to see how stable 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 it will not be Megafon - in those parts of the city where the use of the telephone 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 involved in the transition to a new tariff.
It's time to move from theory to practice. What are the features of two similar tariffs offered by different operators? How much can they be considered interchangeable and is it permissible to do so in principle?
Tariffs from Megafon: Moscow
We proceed to consider 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 being used is Moscow.
The monthly subscription fee at the corresponding tariff in the capital of Russia is 1290 rubles. For this amount, a user of cellular services receives 1800 minutes of calls to any numbers in Moscow, the region, as well as in Russia. Similarly, the subscriber has 1800 SMS or, which is especially interesting, MMS. It doesn't matter what type of message - and this is despite the fact that MMS is thought to be more expensive.
Inbox, of course, is free.
Tariffs for outgoing calls of those types that we have not indicated above:
- to Megafon numbers in Moscow and the region: free of charge;
- to the capital's rooms after 1800 minutes - 2 rubles;
- to the phones of Russian subscribers upon the fact of resource consumption for a monthly fee - 2 rubles. 90 kopecks;
Prices for messages of those types that we have not indicated above:
- to the numbers of Moscow and Russia upon the expenditure of 1800 SMS - 2.90 rubles;
- after 1800 MMS - 6 rubles for each subsequent message to metropolitan subscribers and to other regions.
Mobile Internet Rates: 8 gigabytes for free.
Tariffs from Megafon: Krasnoyarsk
Now consider the “All Inclusive L” tariff for Krasnoyarsk. There is a difference with Moscow.
For 1200 rub. per month at the disposal of Siberian subscribers 2,000 minutes for any local calls, 7 gigabytes of Internet. Access is available throughout Russia. If 4G Internet is supported in the subscriber’s area, then online access is carried out using this modern technology.
In the use of 2000 SMS or MMS, however, with restrictions on geography. You can send them to subscribers of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, to neighboring Khakassia and Tuva.
There are also nuances. If a subscriber travels around the Russian Federation, then free ones are those within 2,000 minutes, outgoing calls are only those 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 charged according to the rules of the home region, that is, due to a resource prepaid as part of the subscription fee.
Outgoing type calls 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 indicated regions: free of charge;
- to numbers registered in other subjects of the federation: 1.20 rubles.
As for the posts:
- to the numbers of Russian subscribers: SMS - 1.70 rubles., MMS - 7 rubles;
- to subscribers of the CIS countries: 1.90 / 7 rubles;
- to numbers registered in other states: 5.20 / 20 rubles.
It should be noted that calls and messages to subscribers living in the Crimea are charged much more expensive than similar options in the rest of the Russian Federation.
To switch to the “All inclusive L” tariff offered by Megafon in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the subscriber will have to pay 100 rubles plus a monthly fee for the first month. In this case, according to the current rules, the transition from this tariff plan to others is possible no earlier than a day after the connection to it.
Consider the other nuances that include the tariff "All Inclusive L" from "Megaphone" in the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
If the subscriber makes an overrun of 7 GB of Internet traffic, access to the network will remain, but at a speed not exceeding 64 kbit / s.
If the user of the tariff from Megafon All Inclusive L, who is connected in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, sets up call forwarding, the corresponding calls to another number will be charged according to the rules for outgoing calls.
Billing in all cases per minute.
The basic regions, thus, in which the full use of all tariff options are possible, are the Krasnoyarsk Territory, as well as Khakassia and Tuva.
Tariffs from Beeline
Now consider the conditions under which we will be offered to use the Beeline all-inclusive L tariff. For clarity of comparison, we will study the conditions established for the same base region - the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
The “All Inclusive L” tariff plan that Beeline offers to Siberian subscribers includes a monthly fee of 300 rubles. This is much less than using the simultaneous tariff from Megafon. What will the subscriber receive in return?
First of all, these are free calls to numbers served by Beeline. Also, the subscription fee includes a package of 200 minutes to the address of subscribers of other operators. SMS-ki, based on public data regarding the tariff in question, are free.
What if the subscriber overruns 200 tariff minutes? If he calls the Beeline numbers in his region, you won’t have to pay anything. At the same time, the number of the called subscriber must be registered in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, in Khakassia and Tuva - as well as in the case with the same tariff from Megafon.
If a person calls the numbers of other operators in his region or those that are registered in the Beeline registers of other subjects of the federation, a minute of conversation will cost 1 ruble. If the subscriber will be in the home network, then a similar cost is set for calls to any Russian numbers.
If a subscriber who has spent 200 minutes calls to Beeline subscribers in other regions, then a minute of conversation will cost 2 rubles.
What about SMS? When sending this type of message to Beeline subscribers, tariffing is not carried out. Similarly, if the interlocutor owns a number registered to another operator, which operates in the home region, or Beeline, in another subject of the federation. If the subscriber is in the home network, then SMS-messages to any Russian numbers will be free.
Note that MMS-messages within the framework of this tariff are paid - they cost 1 rub.
Consider also the options for using mobile Internet. Nominal use of this resource is not charged. But the subscriber has at his disposal a modest 300 megabytes of Internet traffic per month. After spending, their speed will drop to 64 kbit / s. 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. The reviews of many tariff subscribers who had experience using it confirm this.
Connecting is easy
Subscribers should not have problems with how to connect "All inclusive L" from "Beeline" or "Megaphone". There are several options here. Firstly, you can pay a visit to the nearest operator’s office, which is enough in Moscow and in most cities of Siberia. Secondly, there is a convenient option with connecting the corresponding tariff through the voice menu. Thirdly, you can use the "personal account" via the Internet. Fourthly, it’s convenient to connect the necessary tariffs via SMS or USSD-request. If we want to refuse the use of "All inclusive L", you can also disable this tariff plan using any of the above methods.
Dissimilarity of the same
We see that, despite the identical sounding, tariffs like "All inclusive L" from different operators are completely different, based on the main options. Most likely, 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 desire of the operator to offer its user the opportunity to save money in an integrated 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. The Internet in the framework of this tariff plan, as we were able 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 vary, depending on the geography of the provision of services. Although this is probably not news. Not only in the aspect of these specific tariffs, but also on the example of most other offers from these and other operators, you 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, accustomed to this tariff plan, moves to Krasnoyarsk, then, probably, without any difficulties it adapts to the regional specifics of using the corresponding mobile services.
Reviews
Actually, about the opinions of subscribers. What do users say? In principle, many of them are expected to 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 the 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 person through the online services. Of great importance, according to users (at the beginning of the article, we also noted this), is the quality of services provided by operators at a specific geographical point. No matter how profitable the Beeline or Megafon tariffs are offered, Moscow, despite the development of communication 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 something closer to the MKAD may not catch. Probably, the situation is similar in many provincial cities.