Yota: reviews. Mobile operator. Iota and MegaFon - one company or different Whose Iota

Internet service provider. Created in 2007 to provide mobile WiMax services under the Yota brand. Shareholders are Wimax Holding (33%) and Kristiva Holdings (according to a Scartel representative, controlled by Wimax Holding, 67%). 74.9% of Wimax Holding is owned by the Telconet Capital fund, and another 25.1% is owned by the state corporation Russian Technologies. Does not disclose financial indicators.

A source close to one of the Internet providers told Vedomosti that Sergey Adonyev is one of the owners of Scartel. Adonyev is a former partner of Vladimir Kekhman, owner of Russia's largest fruit importer JFC. Adonyev confirmed to Vedomosti that he owns a minority stake in Telconet Capital, which, in turn, controls 74.9% of Scartel through Wimax Holding.

Adonyev also represents the interests of Telconet on the board of directors of Wimax Holding, a source in the state corporation Russian Technologies, which owns the remaining 25.1% of Scartel, told Vedomosti. This was confirmed by Scartel CEO Denis Sverdlov. According to him, there are a total of five seats on the council: three seats, including the chairman, are occupied by Cypriot lawyers, one by Adonyev and another by Sergei Kulikov, chief of staff of Russian Technologies CEO Sergei Chemezov. Adonyev does not comment on this and does not disclose his partners in Telconet.

Adonyev is a comprehensively gifted person, says Boris Belotserkovsky, president and owner of the largest Russian slot machine manufacturer Unicum, who has known the entrepreneur for about 25 years. In business, he is more likely not an operator, but a strategist-developer, Belotserkovsky continues, he has an instinct for further prospects for business development.

In an interview with Vedomosti in the spring of 2009, Chemezov said that in 2006, Sverdlov and “two other people” came to him with an idea “from the realm of science fiction” about creating a WiMax operator. But “just in case,” Chemezov began to support them - in particular, Russian Technologies helped Scartel obtain frequencies, and at the end of 2008 they acquired a blocking stake in the company.

In 2008, representatives of Scartel reported that Telconet allocated $300 million for the development of the operator’s infrastructure and the purchase of equipment. In 2009, Telconet invested another $170 million for the further development of Scartel in Moscow, St. Petersburg and six other cities. By the end of October, the company's subscriber base exceeded 200,000 people, and the operator reached self-sufficiency.

Scartel invested another $20 million in a mobile television network in the DVB-H standard in Moscow, which its subsidiary Centaur recently launched into test operation. In three years, Scartel plans to become a federal operator, covering 180 cities with its network. According to iKS-Consulting analyst Konstantin Ankilov, depending on the network density, this could cost another $1.5–2 billion. In addition to Russia, Scartel owns WiMax licenses in Belarus, Nicaragua and Peru. In Belarus, the pilot network of the Yota Bel company is planned to be launched in the second half of 2010. The network in Nicaragua will be built by Yota de Nicaragua, 75% owned by Wimax Holding (the remaining 25% is from local investors). The network is planned to be launched into commercial operation in mid-2010.

Another federal operator appears in Russia under the Yota brand, which MegaFon, after purchasing the company, decided to retain and develop as a separate project. In many ways, this operator will be a testing ground for both new services and approaches to selling SIM cards and customer service. Perhaps, if this example turns out to be successful, we will see symmetrical responses from MTS and Beeline, and the number of large operators will unexpectedly double. To understand this topic, let's first study the history of virtual operators on Russian soil.

Virtual operators in Russia - background to the issue

The idea of a virtual operator in Russian realities has gone from a pipe dream to reality. Initially, the Western MVNO experience was seen as something outlandish, something that needed to be launched in Russia in order to limit the brutal appetites of operators and spur competition. The lack of a legislative framework, the opposition of the Big Three, the lack of a clear justification for the need for “virtual operators” - all this has created an unhealthy hype around this phenomenon. If in Western countries MVNO acted as a tool for price competition, and a tool launched onto the market by the regulator, and not by other players, then in Russia all these attempts turned into resounding fiascos. And the reason was not at all the mythical opposition of the Big Three, the reluctance to let in new players - although this was present, the main reason was the banal lack of excess traffic from operators that could be sold. One of the main conditions for the emergence of a virtual operator is excess capacity that can be sold wholesale to a third company. Actually, this is how MVNOs appeared in Europe, they traded excess traffic under their own brand, and regulators got into the game later and imposed their own conditions, which many operators considered enslaving, but were unable to do anything.

The Russian experience in building virtual operators can to some extent be considered unique and different from the world. Even in the absence of a formed legislative framework, MegaFon began to attract new partners, giving them access to its network, which in the early 2000s had excess traffic, since the subscriber base was only growing and losing both MTS and Beeline. The other two operators of the Big Three did not even have the urge to play these games; they grew confidently and did not get carried away by guerrilla games. For MegaFon, the term “virtual operator” meant those very connections of new subscribers that could be counted as their own, something that gave an increase in the subscriber base, for which they fought at any cost. It was then that the Allo Incognito operator appeared, which can be considered one of the oldest virtual operators in Russia. Two years later, MegaFon had already tested the scheme, and virtual operators began to appear like mushrooms after rain - Aviatel, West Call, Globus Telecom, ComStar, Sintera, Matrix Telecom and others. In 2006, a project appeared from Central Telegraph - Megatel.

A typical feature of Russian virtual operators of that time was a focus on their clients, de facto creating communication services within the framework of the activities that the companies were already conducting. Nobody tried to become a federal operator, to go beyond the boundaries of the niche. This was due to uncertainty regarding the legal framework, lack of sufficient investment and reluctance to play in the field of the Big Three. And the absence of excess traffic, which by the beginning of 2010 called into question the very idea of virtual operators in Russia. Under current licenses, virtual operators in Russia can not only resell the traffic of other companies, but also develop their own infrastructure. Almost no one uses this opportunity, since it requires large investments and a different approach. We can note such a newcomer as WhyFly, which appeared on the market in 2013 and operates only in the Moscow region on the Beeline network. This company installed its own billing system and launched a call center, which allowed it to compare favorably with Beeline, whose service the company sells. I am sure that this operator is unknown to most readers. This is typical for any Russian virtual operator; only a few know and remember about them.

In 2009, MegaFon had a rather interesting experience: the “Just for Communication” tariff was launched as a kind of virtual operator, but in fact, it was a regular tariff plan, and MegaFon’s marketing decided to use the hype around this topic and thus attract new subscribers. They succeeded completely.

In Europe, in recent years, they have begun to use an approach that MegaFon inadvertently used - operators create their own clones on their networks, but position them differently, usually cheaper. Due to this, the subscriber base is expanding, and the different positioning of each project allows you to fight with almost any company. This is a winning strategy.

Yota is another federal telecom operator

Yota believes that they are creating a fourth federal operator, although Tele2 has long set its sights on this place after the sale of VTB, in particular, Rostelecom at the end of last year discussed a plan for the development and transfer of all its assets to the new united company. The blocking factor is the need to transfer not only material assets, but also communication licenses; Tele2 did not have them for 3G/4G networks, which made the company lagging behind in all regions of its presence - it was left with only text messages and voice. I am sure that the process of forming the fourth operator on the basis of Tele2 will last for a long time, as a result, Yota has every chance of becoming that same federal operator at number 4. Ultimately, in 2015 we will get at least 5 federal operators (the big three, Yota, Tele2), plus, perhaps, similar projects will be launched in MTS and Beeline. There will be a fashion for virtual operators, that same fresh blood and imaginary competition that the market needs. In the eyes of consumers, these operators will compete with each other, although in reality this will only be an appearance.

Let me remind you that Yota was acquired by MegaFon, although it retained legal independence and operates separately. However, MegaFon consolidates all Yota data in its financial statements. The fourth generation networks that Yota built are used by MegaFon to provide relevant services. After the acquisition of Yota, the company became the largest holder of frequencies for LTE in Russia; none of the competitors will be able to get equal opportunities, although Yota, at the request of the regulator, promised non-discriminatory access to its network. But MTS is in no hurry to take advantage of this opportunity, trying to build its own network and give a symmetrical answer.

The emergence of a subsidiary operator for MegaFon is a kind of experiment that is based on European experience. But if in Europe operators consider their brand to be premium and usually create discounters or low-cost operators that separate them from their brand, then in the case of Yota the opposite situation occurs - this operator focuses on a young, energetic audience. Which does not mean the format of a discounter, but rather additional service capabilities, unusual features attached to an already existing basic service, and, as a consequence, its higher cost. To some extent, I associate the new operator Yota with Oleg Tinkov’s bank, which is trying to compete with market monsters through various convenient services, frills and a pretty good basic service. Yota was clearly inspired by the example of this bank and tried to create something similar, but in the telecom field. However, let's see how it will look.

How the Yota virtual operator works

Both MegaFon and Yota will share the same networks; in fact, voice, SMS, etc. will come from MegaFon, and access to LTE will come from Yota. However, this is not so important, since in the end the same basic service will be comparable. The question remains whether Yota will be able to set priorities for its subscribers on the same network or whether MegaFon will not be allowed to do this. I bet that there will be attempts to demonstrate such initiative, but they will quickly be stopped with a slap on the wrist.

In mid-summer, Yota plans to launch itself as a virtual operator in Moscow and the Moscow region, as well as St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, where connection will become possible. Of course, with these SIM cards you can travel throughout the country, go roaming - the prices will apparently be equal to what MegaFon offers for its subscribers.

At the end of 2014, it is planned to gradually expand the geography of the virtual operator; first, those cities will be connected where Yota had the maximum number of users as a WiMax operator or cellular operator before the purchase by MegaFon.

At the moment, the new federal operator does not have any formed commercial proposals; until mid-summer, focus groups will be held in Moscow and St. Petersburg, which should show the profile of service consumption, for example, the volume of traffic. Depending on this, tariff proposals will be formed by mid-summer, but the approach itself can be called classic from Yota. That is, it is assumed that these will be certain packages, including voice, SMS, traffic.

For the period of initial launch and testing, the price for Moscow is set at 750 rubles (St. Petersburg - 590 rubles), this money includes 300 minutes of voice, unlimited SMS, as well as unlimited Internet without any speed restrictions. Prices will be revised in the future.

This approach has a certain heritage from Yota, which already tried to do real, unlimited, unlimited, but quickly faced the need to cut off torrents, limit those who downloaded too much, and eventually began to control traffic in the same way as other operators. If this virtual operator becomes popular, its users will face exactly the same approach; their traffic will be cut off. The only question is when this will happen and under what circumstances.

For Yota, there is a very fine line between its own sales and profits, as well as cannibalization of MegaFon's sales. A change in MegaFon's tariff line is under the influence of competitors, and the built system must respond instantly. This is much more difficult than simply creating a separate operator that competes only with other market players and does not depend on the profits of the parent company. This is the biggest pitfall in this story.

An interesting question is how Yota will try to sell its services - this is a complete rejection of traditional retail, since the latter is quite expensive and the new federal operator does not have a sufficient budget to pay for the sales of each card. As a result, it was decided to sell services cheaply and cheerfully, in an innovative way - a program from the operator will appear in application stores, in which you can not only control your SIM card, but you can, without being a subscriber yet, select a phone number and order it delivery and pay for services.

This is a forced step, since MegaFon’s own retail is unable to sell both its own SIM cards and “competing” ones. Yes, this is stupid, it will lead to the very cannibalization that they want to avoid at all costs. Euroset and Svyaznoy have a pragmatic approach; operators must pay for each subscriber and connection, the cost is $10 and above. For Yota this is too high a cost. As a result, all that remains is independent sales on the Yota.ru website plus this application.

To attract subscribers, a large federal campaign will be launched in the summer - you will see Yota advertising on television, on large billboards along the roads. This will ensure primary interest in the “new” operator, and then we will have to see how many people want to try it and are ready to connect. From the experience of the first coming of Yota, I note that the most interesting thing will be to look at the outflow of subscribers and the reasons why they will stop using the operator.

First impressions

There are many unknowns in this story that are incomprehensible, first of all, to those who started this game of being the fourth operator. What should the prices for services be in order not to compete with MegaFon? What will be the demand for a virtual operator and what will be the marketing costs? No one has tested non-traditional sales channels in terms of SIM cards, how will they perform? At the moment there are many more questions than answers.

This is a very beautiful story for MegaFon, when the operator creates an additional brand and is ready to promote its services at its expense. But there is a problem here - all over the world operators are creating virtual operators with cheaper offers than their own. MegaFon, on the contrary, is creating an operator with an ARPU that clearly exceeds what the company has. This is another weak point of this project.

We need to look at what Yota will end up with - it’s possible that the project will take off and become an example for others. But it is possible that exactly the opposite will happen. None of us can predict this; I repeat, there are too many unknowns and variables.

For our readers, a project with Yota will start in the coming weeks, within the framework of which you will be able to get into a focus group and be the first in Russia to receive Yota SIM cards. Follow the news, we will tell you how to do this. This article will contain a link to a form in which you can submit a request to test a SIM card from Yota (only in Moscow and the region, as well as St. Petersburg).

What do you think about the fourth federal and virtual operator? Will you try his services? How might he be attractive to you? Write your comments, I assure you that all Yota top managers will carefully study them.

The short answer is that Yota is a brand under which communication services are provided (communication operator) and equipment is produced. However, to understand what Iota is, you will need to analyze the structural features, history and prospects of the company, and find out its advantages and disadvantages.

How it all began

(it is called Scartel LLC) occurred in 2007, and a year later the Internet was launched using WiMAX technology. In 2009, sales of a modem released under its own brand began, and work was underway to create an LTE network.
In 2012, the merger of 100% of the assets of Scartell and 50% of PJSC Megafon was completed. Two years later, an advertising campaign for the new mobile operator launched on federal channels in the spring, and by the end of summer the first SIM cards were issued. Then the question began to arise, what is Yota, and why is it called a virtual operator?

Iota: what is it and how does it work?

It is called a virtual operator because it operates on the basis of several networks. LTE communications (that same treasured 4G Internet) are provided by equipment from Scartel LLC, and GSM is provided by Megafon.
The coverage area began with 6 large Russian cities in August 2014, grew rapidly and by the end of 2017 the operator provided coverage to the entire country, except for the Crimean Peninsula and Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.
To the question of what Eta is and how it works, there is another answer - it is a full-fledged cellular operator with large communications and Internet coverage, excellent technical support and competitive tariffs.

What are the advantages of the Yota operator?

Everyone became aware of this telecommunications company thanks to its unlimited 4G plans with an affordable price tag; this made it possible to quickly attract a significant number of subscribers. By the beginning of 2017, unlimited tariffs for smartphones were closed, but since 2019, you can use this option on a tablet or modem, and SIM cards for smartphones have an affordable price tag.

Peculiarities:

A clear division of SIM cards depending on the devices for which they are intended. For example, a SIM card designed for a tablet will work in a smartphone, but the pricing will change greatly.
Small number of own service offices. Ordered SIM cards are delivered by courier in most regions.
Technical support can be obtained not only in the application or personal account on the website; anyone can ask a question on the official website in the chat and get advice.
One price for calls to subscribers in your home region and throughout Russia.
At least 30 days without roaming when traveling around the country. The cost of services during this time remains the same as in the home region.
Tariffs with unlimited Internet are still available on tablets and modems.

Prospects

Iota continues to increase its 4G (LTE) network coverage; the operator plans to provide high-speed Internet to the entire country. The company is interested in data transmission technologies such as 5G and 6G, but there have been no official statements on plans for their implementation.

The Yota brand belongs to Scartel LLC, which in turn is a subsidiary of Megafon OJSC. Yota offers cellular communication services on Megafon's GSM and 3G/4G networks.

Coverage area of the mobile operator Yota

The new federal operator has so far begun to provide its services only in Moscow, the Moscow region, St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, and then only in a limited manner. In the near future, Yota should be launched in every Russian region.

Advantages of Yota

The new operator promises its subscribers unlimited Internet for smartphones, SMS, free calls to other Yota users, 300 free minutes of calls to numbers of other Russian operators, as well as roaming-free space throughout Russia. For now, the new operator offers only one tariff. The cost of monthly service for this tariff is 750 rubles. However, other tariffs will appear later.

Disadvantages of Yota

There was a fly in the ointment in the Yota tariff. So, “Iota” Internet cannot be called completely unlimited. The operator notes that the tariff is intended exclusively for use on smartphones, mobile phones, and tablets. The use of Yota SIM cards on other devices (including routers, modems, desktop computers and laptops) is not allowed.

However, the “surprises” do not end there. The tariff is intended for use with one SIM card on one device. Using a card inserted into the phone to provide additional access to communications from other devices is not allowed (in particular, we are talking about distributing the Internet via a wireless channel).

If these restrictions are violated, the operator will reduce the Internet speed to 32 kilobits per second. In addition, Yota speed will also be limited to 32 kilobits for services that use network resources to access torrents and download large files. It turns out that downloading torrents with this tariff will be quite problematic.

Yota service center and personal account

In order to increase comfort and optimal prices, the operator abandoned traditional sales channels. You can order a Yota SIM card either through the operator’s website or through a special mobile application, and receive it by courier or at the point of issue. Their address is indicated in the mobile application.

The company relied on online service, abandoning the traditional contact center. Subscriber support will be provided via chat on the website or mobile application. Services will also be managed entirely through the app.

A new player has appeared - the Yota company. For a long time, this corporation was known as a provider of wireless Internet access. The range of services of the new operator includes all those services that are in demand today, that is, voice communications, SMS, as well as network access. The latter is characterized by unlimitedness, and in absolutely real terms. If the tariffs of other mobile operators apply traffic restrictions in excess of the prepaid volume, Yota does not use this approach, at least for now. What chances does a mobile operator as young as Yota have to gain a foothold in the Russian market? What kind of reviews prevail? Why is using Yota services especially beneficial for subscribers?

Access to the market

The new mobile operator Yota actually entered the market in August 2014. The issuance of SIM cards under this brand began in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladimir, Tula and the Far Eastern cities: Vladivostok and Khabarovsk. Interestingly, users could submit preliminary applications for SIM cards in advance through a mobile application. At the same time, the Yota company (“mobile communications operator”) announced its new status back in April. Prior to this, for many years, this organization was mainly engaged in providing wireless Internet access services. Activities in this direction are still carried out by the company: it sells branded modems of the appropriate type. Therefore, in order to accurately distinguish between the two main types of services provided by the organization (mobile Internet and cellular communications), in our article we will refer to the company as “Yota-mobile operator”. In turn, if we are talking only about the mobile Internet, we will call the company “Yota provider”.

The company plans to ensure the presence of the brand as a provider of cellular communication services in all regions of Russia. which was determined by the Yota mobile operator company, iPad, iPhone and Android enthusiasts. That is, those people who are accustomed to using We also note that the Yota company can be fairly conventionally considered an independent player in the cellular communications market. The fact is that this organization is a subsidiary of Megafon. At the same time, as some analysts believe, the Yota mobile operator can still “win back” the share of the other largest corporations in the segment (MTS and Beeline).

Basic tariffs

The tariff policy of the new cellular provider is quite young. For example, at the time of entering the market, the company made it possible to use only one tariff, including 300 minutes of calls, unlimited Internet and any number of SMS for 750 rubles per month. The tariffs offered by the Yota mobile operator today mainly differ in the number of calls to phones. That is, there is a “basic” monthly payment of 300 rubles, which guarantees unlimited Internet. In turn, you can pay extra and receive an unlimited number of SMS for use. The minimum surcharge for voice calls is 140 rubles (100 minutes), the maximum is 990 (1200 minutes).

Restrictions

Please note that the SIM card from the new mobile operator is only suitable for smartphones, tablets and cell phones. You cannot connect it to a PC; to access the Internet, you can use a modem from the Yota provider.

Devices in which the SIM card released by the Yota mobile operator, w3bsit3-dns.com, will be fully functional. Also, using mobile devices with a SIM card from Yota, you cannot “distribute” the Internet in Wi-Fi mode. Some experts note that if the supplier detects violations in the use of the SIM card, then the network access speed may be reduced to 32 kbit/sec. However, it is not entirely clear how this will be implemented in practice.

At the same time, the company will introduce a similar restriction if it is discovered that the owner of the mobile device is using, for example, “torrents”, or downloading large files. Unlike determining the fact of Wi-Fi distribution, Yota should not have problems with recording requests for trackers. If there are no violations on the part of the user, then access to the network is guaranteed at a decent speed through the 4G standard and, moreover, unlimited.

Connection

How can I connect to the services offered by the Yota mobile operator? There are two main ways. A SIM card from this communication service provider can be ordered through the company’s website or using the mobile application. The ordered SIM card will be delivered by the courier. You can also pick it up at pick-up points, the address of which will be displayed in the application. If clients have difficulties using the services, the Yota mobile operator will send settings through its support service; they are necessary for the correct operation of SIM cards. In this case, the emphasis is on the interaction of the relevant supplier structure with clients through online channels, for example via chat.

Reviews

Yota mobile operator has very different reviews from experts and users. They can be roughly classified into three categories. The first characterize the quality of communication services. The second is the company's pricing policy. Third are the market prospects of the new operator. Regarding the first type of reviews, we can say that in general they are positive. And this is not surprising, since Yota largely uses Megafon’s infrastructure, which is probably not inferior in technology to that used by other operators. Regarding prices, the opinions of users and experts are different.

Premium product

Yota mobile operator offers tariffs mainly for customers in the premium segment. Because when simply comparing them even with those that Megafon has, their benefits are not so obvious. Moreover, there are noted restrictions in using the Internet. There is another point of view, according to which Yota’s tariffs are quite fair. The fact is that you can get truly unlimited Internet for a monthly fee of 300 rubles per month (if you do not violate the rules of its use, it has no restrictions on traffic, speed, etc.) not with every operator.

Many users, by the way, are impressed by the sales channel organized by the Yota mobile operator. Customer reviews indicate that courier delivery is convenient. You can order a SIM card anywhere in the city, home, or work.

Coating

How effectively is the new operator prepared to serve subscribers in terms of coverage area? Everything depends, first of all, on the communication technology used. Of course, the Yota mobile operator provides coverage according to 2G and 3G standards almost everywhere, if we talk about the cities where the company operates.

It's a different matter when it comes to the latest 4G-based technologies. In this case, what the Yota mobile operator guarantees is that the coverage area is distributed, even if we talk about Moscow, not always evenly. At the same time, to satisfy the basic needs of using the Internet, the resources included in the 3G standard are sufficient. Taking into account the fact that Yota clients do not want to download large files, the practical need for speeds of more than 3-4 Mbit, which 3G provides, may be low.

Marketing

Actually, we can talk separately about the reviews that characterize the market prospects of the new cellular service provider. There is an opinion that Yota, in particular, is not entirely effective in terms of using sales channels. As we have already said, SIM cards are distributed through ordering through the website and delivery by courier or using pick-up points. This is not the most optimal path that the Yota mobile operator has chosen; reviews from employees of some analytical agencies are in this tone. The fact is that in order to gain a significant market share, a company needs to win a target group of customers of 10 million people; for this, larger distribution channels are needed, such as, for example, networks of retail brands.

Innovation in Sales

There are also experts who believe that the resources chosen by Yota for distributing SIM cards are, in fact, revolutionary in their own way. The fact is that when using standard channels, in particular networks of retail brands, the cost of attracting a client is about 500-700 rubles, and this, as a rule, is the minimum. If you use the services of a courier, the figure is reduced by about half. Another thing is that the distribution dynamics in this case are lower. However, it is quite acceptable to assume that Yota will use innovative distribution methods only at the very beginning of the business, if necessary, using standard, albeit more expensive, channels.

Will the Internet be unlimited?

There is an opinion that over time the Yota company, which announces its readiness to provide Internet access services in a completely unlimited format, will move to a model that may include restrictions. Now this cellular operator, due to a fairly small number of users (when compared with the number of subscribers of the same Megafon and other Big Three companies), can provide unlimited online access without any nuances (except for restrictions on downloading “torrents”) . There are experts who believe that there are no objective prerequisites for this. If only for the reason that the average Russian mobile Internet user downloads approximately 3-5 gigabytes of files and data per month.

The user doesn't need much

This volume is generally guaranteed in the “standard” tariff plans of other mobile operators, but within the framework of prepaid traffic and for the same 300 rubles per month. Experts probably believe that, firstly, Yota has no particular reason to expect that in the segment where the company will provide services, the average monthly traffic volume will increase significantly relative to 3-5 gigabytes (especially taking into account the restrictions on “torrents” and files large size), and secondly, technology is still developing. And therefore, the potential load on the servers may not be so critical as to deviate from the policy of providing unlimited Internet access.

Market segments

We said above that Yota will likely focus on Premium-level clients. That is, those who may be willing to overpay for additional communication services provided they use unlimited Internet. At the same time, there is a version that the range of clients of the new operator will also be replenished by those who are accustomed to average-cost tariffs. This can be facilitated, for example, by Yota’s favorable roaming policy.

All calls between subscribers of this operator are now free throughout Russia. In addition, according to some experts, unlimited SMS for 50 rubles is a very competitive price even against the backdrop of “standard” tariffs from other operators. SMS has not yet gone out of fashion, despite the fact that online messengers are becoming increasingly popular. True, experts find it difficult to say, analyzing the prospects of the business model offered by the Yota mobile operator, when exactly the company will master new target customer groups.

Is Yota a competitor to Megafon?

Can Yota be considered a direct competitor of Megafon, despite the fact that it is a subsidiary of one of the leading Russian operators? Experts believe this is not the case. There are completely radical versions on this matter. According to one of them, Megafon, in principle, is not interested in the success of the new business implemented by Yota. The mobile operator (reviews of some analysts, at least, contain such assumptions) did not appear on the market in order to take away some of the clients of the holding company, of which it is an integral part. Most likely, experts believe, this is due to the desire of the management of the innovative company to get comfortable in niches that are fundamentally new for the Russian cellular market.

There is a version that Yota was forced to develop unusual distribution channels for SIM cards to a certain extent because Megafon did not provide the company with the resource in the form of its own dealer network.

Yota and retail networks

There is also an opinion that the mobile operator may use this opportunity in the future. But for now, as evidenced by the reviews and reviews left by experts regarding the activities carried out by the Yota mobile operator on thematic portals, the company is trying to come to an agreement with dealers at the level of Euroset and Svyaznoy. Therefore, even if the holding does not give the go-ahead to use the dealer network, Yota will have a spare resource. Although the resource that the Yota mobile operator has allows you to connect quite quickly, and a potential client does not necessarily need to look for other options, such as, for example, going to the office of a retail brand.