A new player has appeared - Yota. 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 communication, SMS, as well as access to the network. The latter is characterized by unlimitedness, and in absolutely real terms. If the tariffs of other cellular operators apply a restriction on traffic in excess of the prepaid volume, then Yota does not use this approach, at least 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? How is using Yota services especially beneficial for subscribers?
Access to the market
The new mobile operator Yota actually entered the market in August 2014. Issuance of SIM-cards under this brand began in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladimir, Tula and Far Eastern cities: Vladivostok and Khabarovsk. Interestingly, users could apply for SIM cards in advance through a mobile application. At the same time, Yota ("mobile operator") announced its new status back in April. Prior to this, for many years this organization was mainly engaged in the provision of wireless Internet access services. Activities in this direction are still being 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), we will refer to the company in our article 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 services in all regions of Russia. which was determined by Yota, a mobile operator, by iPad, iPhone and Android enthusiasts. That is, those people who are accustomed to using it We also note that Yota can be conditionally 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 "recapture" the Yota-mobile operator from other largest corporations in the segment ("MTS" and "Beeline").
Basic rates
The tariff policy of the new cellular communication provider is rather 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. Those offered by Yota-mobile operator, the tariffs today mainly differ in the number of just calls to phones. That is, there is a "basic" monthly payment of 300 rubles, it guarantees unlimited Internet. In turn, you can pay 50 rubles and get 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
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; you can use a modem from a Yota provider to access the Internet.
Devices in which the SIM card released by the Yota mobile operator, w3bsit3-dns.com type, will be fully functional. Also, with the help of mobile devices with a SIM card from Yota, you cannot "distribute" the Internet in Wi-Fi mode. Some experts note that if the provider detects violations in the use of the SIM card, then the speed of access to the network can be reduced to 32 kbps. However, it is not entirely clear how this will be done in practice.
However, the company will introduce a similar restriction if it is discovered that the owner of the mobile device uses, for example, "torrents", or large files are downloaded. Unlike determining the fact of distribution of Wi-Fi, Yota should not have problems with fixing 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 to connect to the services offered by 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 use a mobile application. The ordered SIM-card will be delivered by a courier. You can also pick it up at the points of issue, the address of which will be displayed in the application. If customers encounter difficulties in using the services, the Yota-mobile operator will send the settings through its support service, they are necessary for the correct operation of SIM cards. At the same time, the emphasis is on the interaction of the relevant structure of the supplier with customers through online channels, for example, via chat.
Reviews
Yota-mobile operator reviews of experts and users are very different. They can be conditionally classified into three categories. The first characterize the quality of communication services. The second is the pricing policy of the company. Third, the market prospects of the new operator. Regarding the reviews of the first type, 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 terms of manufacturability 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. Since, with a simple comparison of them, even with those that Megafon has, their benefit is not so obvious. Moreover, there are marked restrictions in using the Internet. There is another point of view, according to which the tariffs from Yota are quite fair. The fact is that not every operator can get truly unlimited Internet for a monthly fee of 300 rubles per month (if you do not violate the rules for its use, it has no restrictions on traffic, speed, etc.).
Many users, by the way, are impressed by the sales channel organized by Yota-mobile operator. Customer reviews say that courier delivery is convenient. You can order a SIM card anywhere in the city, at home, at work.
Coating
How effectively is the new operator ready to serve subscribers in terms of coverage area? It all depends, first of all, on the communication technology used. Of course, Yota-mobile operator provides 2G and 3G coverage almost everywhere, if we talk about the cities where the company operates.
Another thing is when it comes to the latest technologies based on 4G. In this case, the one that the Yota-mobile operator guarantees, the coverage area is distributed, even if we talk about Moscow, not always evenly. At the same time, to meet the basic needs of using the Internet, there are enough resources that the 3G standard includes. Given that Yota customers do not want to download large files, the practical need for speeds above 3-4 Mbps, which gives 3G, may not be high.
Marketing
Actually, the reviews that characterize the market prospects of a new provider of cellular services can be discussed separately. There is an opinion that Yota, in particular, is not quite effective in terms of engaging sales channels. As we have already said, distribution of SIM cards is carried out by ordering through the website and delivery by courier or using points of issue. This is not the most optimal path chosen by the Yota-mobile operator, the reviews of the employees of some analytical agencies are sustained in this tone. The fact is that in order to win a significant market share, a company needs to win a target group of customers of 10 million people, this requires larger distribution channels, such as, for example, retail brand networks.
Sales Innovation
There are also experts who believe that the resources chosen by Yota for the distribution of SIM-cards, in fact, are 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 is usually the minimum. If you use the services of a courier, then the figure is reduced by about half. Another thing is that the dynamics of distribution in this case is lower. However, it is reasonable to assume that Yota will use innovative distribution methods only at the very beginning of the business, using standard, albeit more expensive channels, if necessary.
Will the internet be unlimited?
There is an opinion that over time, Yota, 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 mobile operator, due to a rather 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. At least for the reason that the average Russian mobile Internet user downloads about 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. Probably, experts 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 given the restrictions on "torrents" and files large size), and secondly, technology is still developing. And therefore, the potential load on the server may not be so critical as to deviate from the policy of providing unlimited access to the Internet.
Market segments
We said above that Yota is likely to focus on premium customers. 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 with those who are used to average-priced 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 quite a competitive price even against the background of "standard" tariffs from other operators. SMS has not yet gone out of fashion, despite the fact that online messengers are gaining more and more popularity. True, experts find it difficult to say, analyzing the prospects for the business model offered by Yota-mobile operator, when exactly the company will master new target groups of customers.
Yota - a competitor of "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 that this is not the case. There are completely radical versions on this score. According to one of them, MegaFon 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 select a part of the clients of the holding, of which it is an integral part. Most likely, experts believe, this is due to the desire of the management of an innovative company to get used to 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 a resource in the form of its own dealer network.
Yota and retail chains
There is also an opinion that the mobile operator can use this opportunity in the future. But so far, as testified by the reviews and reviews left by experts regarding the activities carried out by the Yota-mobile operator, reviews on thematic portals, the company is trying to negotiate with dealers of the level of Euroset and Svyaznoy. Therefore, even if the holding does not give the go-ahead to launch the dealer network, Yota will have a spare resource. Although the resource possessed by the Yota mobile operator allows you to connect fairly quickly, and it is not at all necessary for a potential client to look for other options, such as going to the office of a retail brand.
Yota company appeared back in 2007. But the mobile operator gained real popularity only 7 years later, when it started selling SIM cards in Russia. It was then that many people had a question, what kind of dark horse is this, Yota belongs to whom?
History of company owners
Initially, the owner of the brand was Scartel LLC. In 2012, the owner of Yota announced that there would be a merger of the company's assets with OJSC MegaFon. Then the holding corporation Garsdale was created.
When selling Yota, the owner lost the rights to a controlling stake. The assets of the new holding were divided among three companies. AF Telecom received 82% of the shares, the remaining shares were owned by Telconet Capital and Russian Technologies State Corporation.
The association had several goals:
- acceleration of the process of development of new communication technologies in the country;
- providing high-quality communication to all residents of Russia;
- integration and obtaining new solutions in the field of telecommunication services;
- cost reduction in the construction of the LTE network;
- occupying a leading position in the global market.
Present day
In September 2015, the sole owner of all Yota assets is MagaFon.
The corporation is successfully developing, in July of this year sales of SIM-cards started in 52 regions of the country. For customers, the company offers unlimited tariff plans with an affordable cost, high connection speed and a large coverage area in Russia.
The history of the Yota operator began in 2007, when the company was founded, while the test launch of the first networks took place only in 2008. At first, WiMax technology was used, only then Iota switched to LTE technology. Today MegaFon and Iota act together, according to official information MegaFon is the parent company. Consider the results of this union and compare the current tariff plans.
A bit of history and subtleties
In fact, Yota is MegaFon. If we dig a little deeper, we will find that in 2014 Iota took place as a virtual cellular operator. Cooperation with MegaFon, expressed in the merger of assets, took place in July 2012. Their coverage areas almost completely coincide, with the exception of some cities in which MegaFon has built LTE Band 20 networks - here Yota does not work (in 4G format).
Iota is a subsidiary of MegaFon, but it is not one company. Yota is a virtual operator using the equipment of its parent company. Therefore, the question of whose towers Yota uses is very easy to answer - Yota uses MegaFon's towers and its own towers that existed before the merger of assets. MegaFon bought Yota by buying shares in Scartel. Information slipped through the media that the Iota brand would be destroyed, but today we see that this is not the case - the daughter works as a virtual operator and belongs to the organization that bought her out. Roughly speaking, now it is almost one company, but the directions of activities of the brands are different.
Iota is MegaFon or not
Many people think that Iota and MegaFon are one and the same. This is not to say that this is not so, but the positioning of brands is still different. MegaFon remains a traditional operator, while Yota is virtual and focuses on unlimited internet. Today, this internet is only available on tablet PCs and modems/routers. Until January 25, 2017, unlimited was also on smartphones, but then it was removed.
MegaFon and Iota are almost identical in terms of coverage, but differ in billing. Therefore, it is very difficult to answer which is better - it all depends on the preferences of the subscriber. For example, if you need unlimited mobile Internet from a computer, you should not hesitate to choose Iota - MegaFon does not have full unlimited. In terms of voice quality, both operators are almost identical.
There is one more difference - MegaFon has a lot of information, entertainment and service services. The catalog contains services for making money transfers, connecting a beep, geolocation services, mobile subscriptions and much more. Iota does not have all this diversity, so this operator is suitable for those who do not like imposed services.
Tariff plans of MegaFon
If you need high-quality voice communication and fast Internet on your smartphone, we advise you to take a closer look at MegaFon's tariff plans. The profitable line “Turn on!” Works here, offering subscribers several tariff plans for any needs.
TP "Turn on! Chat"
Tariff "Turn on! Communicate” is a balanced offer for medium-active subscribers. For only 600 rubles / month. we receive 500 minutes of calls to any phones in the country, both mobile and landlines (including local ones), 12 GB of Internet traffic (for any needs), free traffic to mobile TV with the MegaFon package channel , as well as two films from the video archive.
Also on the tariff there is an interesting addition - this is unlimited traffic for social networks and instant messengers. It applies to the super-popular Odnoklassniki and VK, to foreign Facebook, as well as to Viber, WhatsApp and eMotion instant messengers. A cool advantage of the tariff plan is its wide coverage area - this is the whole of Russia.
TP "Turn on! Look"
Tariff "Turn on! Look" is a suggestion designed for those who love not only communication, but also video content. The subscription fee is 900 rubles / month, it includes 16 GB of total Internet traffic, unlimited YouTube and unlimited access to the above social networks and instant messengers. For chatting with friends, relatives, acquaintances and other people, 1200 minutes are allocated for a month. As a bonus - four films from their archive, as well as a package of MegaFon channels and free traffic on MegaFon TV.
The tariff plan works in domestic roaming without changing the billing.
TP "Turn on! Speak"
Tariff plan "Turn on! Speak" provides for a subscription fee of 500 rubles per month. The range of services here is quite limited - it is 600 minutes of communication in Russia, 3 GB of Internet and unlimited traffic for instant messengers. Free unlimited traffic for mobile TV is also provided, but without a package of channels - it will have to be paid separately. The tariff works throughout Russia and aimed at those who rarely use Internet services.
TP "Turn on! Listen"
We have a tariff plan for true music lovers who need nothing but music. The subscription fee is only 300 rubles per month, it includes 250 local minutes, 6 GB of traffic, special traffic for music services and instant messengers. The list of music services includes the most popular Yandex.Music, Zvooq, BOOM and Vkontakte Music. Free mobile TV is also provided with the MegaFon package. The tariff works throughout Russia, but intercity is paid separately.
TP "Turn on! Write"
Tariff "Turn on! Write" created specially for those who prefer communication in text mode but does not want to spend extra money. For 350 rubles / month. subscribers receive 350 local minutes, 200 local SMS, as well as traffic for messengers. There is also a small package of regular traffic (only 2 GB) and traffic for mobile TV. A striking drawback is that the tariff does not save home billing in roaming within the Russian Federation.
TP "Turn on! Premium»
Mega-tariff for the most talkative people and those who cannot live without mobile internet. It includes 5,000 minutes in Russia, traffic for an extended number of social networks and instant messengers (hello to Telegram and Instagram fans), access to music services, unlimited for three video hosting sites - Rutube, YouTube and Vimeo, as well as 20 GB of regular traffic. Also mobile TV with the “Basic” package works on the tariff and three channels for adults, access to four films from the archive is provided. The subscription fee is healthy - 3000 rubles / month.
Please note that on all tariff plans, after the main package of minutes is used up, on-net unlimited is activated (on the “Turn on! Write” tariff, it only applies to local MegaFon numbers).
Iota tariff plans
Let's take a look at what Iota offers us (or Eta is an erroneous, but common spelling of the operator's name). Its tariffs are divided into three categories - for smartphones, tablets and modems / routers. A single tariff plan works on smartphones, and it is very flexible. The minimum subscription fee is 370 rubles per month. - it includes 200 minutes within Russia and 2 GB of traffic. A package of 5,000 minutes and 30 GB of traffic will already cost 2,850 rubles per month.
It would be more correct to say that packages on Iota are allocated not for a month, but for 30 days - such a tricky billing.
As an add-on, the following options are connected:
- "Unlimited SMS" - 50 rubles / month;
- Messengers - 15 rubles each. every;
- Social networks - 25 rubles each. each;
- YouTube - 100 rubles.
Tariff parameters can be adjusted at any time at your discretion.
For tablet PCs, a full unlimited from Iota works. It can be paid for a day, a month or a year at once - the longer the paid period, the cheaper the connection. A day of access costs 50 rubles, a month - 500 rubles, a year - 4500 rubles. Traffic is not limited in any way, but you cannot use torrents - the speed will be cut to 64 kbps.
For computers, Iota offers full unlimited traffic. There is even a free package that runs at 64 kbps- such a snail's speed is enough for communication in ICQ, Skype, Telegram and other instant messengers in text mode. The next speed indicator is 512 kbps, it costs 400 rubles / month. For 1400 rubles / month. we get unlimited at the maximum available speed. In total, about two dozen speed gradations are provided.
Internet from Iota is also connected under the following conditions:
- 5 Mbps - 5400 rubles / year;
- 10 Mbps - 6900 rubles / year;
- Maximum speed - 9000 rubles / year;
- 2 hours of access - 50 rubles one time;
- Day of access - 150 rubles one-time.
Thus, Iota is beneficial for those who need unlimited Internet - it can be distributed from a PC to other devices.
“Mobile slavery” is abolished, long live freedom of choice!” - with approximately these words, tens of thousands of people ran to the communication salons to switch from one mobile operator to another. Sim cards were shuffled between the “big three” and everything remained in its place. Those dissatisfied with Megafon went to MTS or Beeline, just as those dissatisfied with the latter went over to the side of Megafon. And everyone is happy. However, in this turmoil, many did not notice the emergence of a new telecom operator - Yota, which began distributing its "sim cards" to everyone. One of them was me. How the transition process went and what happened in the end, I’ll tell you now.
background
It all started a couple of years ago, when I decided to take myself a mobile router that I used on trips. The device more than once helped out in places where mobile operators could not provide high-quality communications. Now this router is located in my country house and works around the clock, providing all connected devices with unlimited Internet. Having learned at the beginning of the year that Yota decided to enter the cellular market, I decided to find out more about what the new operator offers and what benefits I will get if I decide to switch to it.
Everything turned out to be very simple (which cannot be said about the main “players” of the market): you buy as many minutes as you need (from 100 per month) and additionally connect an unlimited SMS package for a symbolic 50 rubles. The Internet is already included in the price and also has no traffic restrictions. One tariff without a lot of options and incomprehensible charges - that was exactly what I needed. “Jumping” every few months from a tariff to a tariff in search of a more profitable and convenient offer, and even connecting some options, the description of which is even more confusing than the name, is simply tired. And how I was infuriated by messages like “You are approaching the shutdown threshold, because. spent all the traffic, now we will turn everything off for you. Do you want to extend? Send SMS to the number, wait for confirmation, send a new one…”. Therefore, the two main factors “for” the transition were fulfilled: a simple tariff, unlimited Internet.
Before connection
Naturally, since the laws have all been adopted and I can leave my “precious” number for myself, I began to find out what I would need for the transition. I already mentally imagined that paperwork, data reconciliations and other “services” that are so familiar to the Russian people are waiting for me. Our colleague, Sergey Suyagin, has already written about this on the pages of Lifehacker, and his material worried me a little. I did not want to have conversations for 20 minutes at the point of sale with consultants, who often poorly understand the subject of the conversation. However, in reality, everything turned out much easier.
To connect to Yota, it was necessary to download a special application for iOS, read about the benefits of connecting and ... wait for a notification about when it would be possible to pick up your new SIM card. And this was, perhaps, the most unpleasant moment in the whole story - the “sim card” had to wait about a month. Unfortunately, the exact date was not mentioned anywhere, so I had to be patient. Now, I think that the waiting time has decreased, since I, apparently, was in the first wave on the distribution of cards.
And so, on the cherished day, a notification appeared on the display of my iPhone that I could pick up my SIM card. The reopened app got new features, where I was shown the points of issue of maps and even asked to get directions to the nearest one, where I went.
It is worth saying that a SIM card could also be ordered with courier delivery, but I decided to play it safe and personally go, since there were several points of issue.
Connection/Transition
Having reached the nearest point of issue and informing the consultants of my choice, I was asked to name a certain confirmation code - a unique identifier that is displayed in the application after notification that the card can be collected. After naming him and giving him my passport, I announced my intention to leave my phone number. They printed out the transfer papers and gave me a package with a SIM card, having previously warned that the transfer would take 8 days and during this period the balance on the number should remain positive. Having paid 500 rubles, which will go to the balance (no additional hundred rubles), I said goodbye and went home. The whole procedure took about five minutes.
Expectation
During the entire period, as described in Sergey’s article, my number received notifications about the moment I could start using the new SIM card (and on the same day, my practically former operator turned off my Internet), but for now she lay on the table. And then you probably wondered: what kind of format is the SIM card issued for and will it need to be cut? Nothing supernatural is required of you. There is one card in the package, but depending on the phone model, you pull out the size you need - all parts are fastened together, so if you need a regular nano-sim - pull out the smallest piece, if micro - then medium and if mini - then the whole card fully. The photo below shows that all three parts are fastened together, and you just need to “squeeze out” a piece of the right size.
Usage
It's been eight days. Exactly at midnight on the ninth day, the old SIM card notified me that “No network”. It's time to insert a new SIM card, which I immediately did. Initially, even the only tariff that exists with Yota is not connected on the card, you manage all the communication parameters you need yourself (except for the Internet, it is immediately bundled and you pay a fixed amount for it). In order to start using the SIM card, you need to launch the application and select the package of minutes and SMS that suits you, if necessary. Once this is done, you can start using it.
I really like this approach. You can manage everything you need yourself, and for this you do not need to send various SMS to any number to connect services, everything is done through the application. Routers from Yota are managed in a similar way: you put a certain amount on the balance and connect the required speed, which can be changed during the period. That is, you pay not for traffic, but for connection speed.
Appendix
Now about one of the most important - about the application. There is nothing complicated in it, only the necessary: the start screen meets us with information about the remaining minutes and connected SMS, information about the balance and the connection conditions menu. At any time, you can open it and find out about your expenses, and for this, again, you don’t need to send anything or call anywhere - all the information is in front of your eyes. If you suddenly realize that you do not fit into the limit of minutes, you can buy them directly in the application, as well as replenish the balance - for these operations you do not need to look for a terminal or use inconvenient web versions of operators' personal accounts, everything is done in a couple of taps on the smartphone display. And since the Internet is unlimited, it is quite difficult to remain without a connection. Unfortunately, the application has not yet been optimized for iOS 8 - hence, apparently, the slowing down interface and crashes when trying to specify a package of minutes. But, I think, by the official release of the operating system from Apple, this issue will be resolved.
In the same application, you can also contact the support service via chat, which is also convenient. One click on the button and you will be connected to a specialist who will help with your question.
support
And in this paragraph they usually write about how bad the support service is. Yes, I myself have spoken and written about this more than once, without even taking into account the telecom operators. As a rule, clients are dissatisfied with the level of services provided, as well as the fact that, due to their own inattention or misunderstanding of the subject of the problem, they blame consultants and other service workers for everything. To some extent, both are right, on both sides there are incompetent or unwilling to help / explain people. And one of the most important problems is insufficient attention to the client and the waiting time in solving his question / problem.
I contacted Yota support many times for various reasons, not only when changing the SIM card and operator. A couple of months ago, I started having constant problems connecting the router to the LTE network, which I told the support service about. They took my application for processing, they said that the base station was overloaded, and they promised not only to unload it, but also to deal with the hardware (perhaps it was a replacement of equipment or an upgrade of an existing one). Naturally, it was immediately clear that this would take a long time. However, after about four weeks, I received a letter in the mail notifying me that the problems were fixed, along with a proposal to evaluate the quality of the connection: “Everything became good” and “No, it still works badly.” It is clear that the phrase “Your opinion is very important to us” is mostly a standard excuse, but in this case I chose the first option, since the connection became more stable a week before the notification.
With getting a new SIM card, I also ran into problems that I mentioned just above: the application crashed every time I tried to select the minutes and SMS packages that were suitable for me. Having described the problem in the chat, which is also available on the company's website, they helped me within 10 minutes by connecting the packages that interested me. I didn’t really count on such an approach, but I expected to read something like “This OS is not yet supported by the application, so use the current version or wait for optimization for the new one.” Agree, not every first installs a beta version of a mobile operating system, so I would take this answer quite adequately. But, fortunately for me, the problem was solved without a rollback to stable iOS 7. It should be noted that the operator's waiting time does not exceed the norm - out of all my requests, I had to wait for an answer for more than five minutes only once.
Connection quality
So far, I have been using a new SIM card for only a week, so it is difficult to objectively evaluate the quality in full, but I constantly take speed measurements and their performance pleases me: the download speed was about 8 Mbps several times (of course, it also depends on your location), but has not yet fallen below 3 Mbps. The 3 Mbps was the highest for my previous operator, so the quality improvements are immediately visible. As you understand, we are talking about 3G networks, of course, since I have an iPhone 5 at my disposal, which does not work in our LTE frequencies. But with LTE, I think there will be no problems either, but we will check this only after the release of the iPhone 6.
As for voice calls, everything is quite clear here: Yota uses its towers to provide the Internet, and Megafon stations for voice calls. Nevertheless, the connection for all three main operators seems to be more or less the same, therefore, at this point, there are no revelations. In places where Megafon does not catch, Yota will not work either.
Minuses
Of course, there are cons everywhere, even Yota. There are two of them: when using a smartphone in modem mode, the speed is limited to 64 Kbps, and when downloading torrents - 32. And if the second restriction is quite reasonable, then I don’t really like the first one. In those moments when there is no Wi-Fi connection, the iPhone always came to the rescue, with which you could access the network without any problems. Now it is very inconvenient because of the low speed. I perfectly understand why this is done, but I hope that the company will still review their restrictions and increase the speed at least twice.
What is the result?
And in the end, I got what I wanted: the absence of sophisticated tariff plans, hundreds of options and constant traffic restrictions. I don’t talk much on the phone, so 100 minutes a month should be enough, and if the Internet speed continues to fall below 3 Mbps, you can finally use FaceTime for conversations. After all, the sound quality there is much better than over a cellular network. Yes, and on long trips around Russia - it will help out a lot by the lack of roaming within the country. In any case, Yota for me is primarily the Internet, moreover, unlimited, and so far none of the operators can offer this.
This review is based on the use of a SIM card in St. Petersburg. Prices and call quality may vary depending on the region.
Would you like to change the operator or have you already done so? Share your experience in the comments!
