The largest mobile operator in the world. Named the worst and best mobile operators in Russia in terms of the quality of the Internet and communications

USSR, waiting for the appearance of the first generation cellular communication, Delta Telecom began to build a network with the help of Delta Telecom. The symbolic call of Anatoly Sobchak on September 9, 1991 opened new era development of the telecommunications industry. The Finnish handset Mobira MD59-NB2 (Nokia) weighing 3 kg looked more like a brick.

Rating

1. MTS - 79 million.
2. Megafon - 77.3 million.
3. VimpelCom (Beeline) - 57 million rubles
4. Tele2 - 41 million.

There are other operators whose number of subscribers remains low. The difference reaches an order of magnitude (10 times).

Story

A significant part of the pioneering companies has been erased by time. The alignment of forces changed dramatically many times.

Delta Telecom

Today, the first company in the USSR presents infrastructure to the Sky Link brand (Tele 2 division). After dispersal of the State Emergency Committee, the operator took up the development of the North-Western part of the Russian Federation, introducing the Scandinavian standard NMT-450. We mentioned earlier the fact that there was a sincere response from the Soviet leadership regarding mobile communications top management. The Altai system (born in 1963) then (the collapse of the USSR) managed to occupy a number of cities. The first Delta Telecom radio tower bit off a piece of infrastructure. Altai used UHF frequencies close to the Scandinavian standard of the 1G generation.

The capacities involved in cellular communications are 15 years old. August 1992 presented the country that was starting a hunger strike with a second tower, Vyborg; the first four years of activity brought 10,000 subscribers. Analog standard exploited until 2005 inclusive, capturing the lion's share of the country. Pushing competitors forced to seek salvation by merging (2003) with other providers, primarily the Sonnet trademark, a Personal Communications company (formed on August 17, 1998).

The consolidated brand was named Sky Link, used a digital CDMA technology 2G+ generations. Gradually, there was a tendency to take over the Russian Tele 2:

• 2014 replacement of the management team by Tele 2 personnel.
• January 2015 - decision to reunite.
• October 1, 2016 - the official termination of the provision of CDMA services.

Beeline

The founding of Vympel-Communication lasted for a year. Organized on the basis of THREE named after A.L. Mintz, a group of engineers was gathering forces. June 1992 brought the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Moscow) the first tower of the AMPS standard, serving 200 subscribers. Test call committed July 12, 1992. There was already a digital version of the second generation - D-AMPS.

• On July 16, 1992, Dmitry Zimin took the post of general designer.
• On September 15, VimpelCom was finally registered.
• January 11, 1993 received a license to provide AMPS services to the capital. autumn base stations became 5, the number of subscribers doubled.

Having done initial steps, the team was puzzled by the development of marketing tactics. On August 6, they invented the Beeline brand (bee network), launched advertising. A controlling stake is immediately acquired by AFK Sistema (the founder of MTS). Created in the summer of 1994, the network with a capacity of 10 thousand subscribers began to be modernized by purchasing D-AMPS equipment. The transformation took 1 year, giving happy users of the company's services the first automated round the clock service technical support.

In the spring of 1996, AFK Sistema sold shares, Dmitry Zimin received a controlling stake. Part of the shares reaches the New York Stock Exchange. In parallel, the development of the European progressive standard GSM-1800 is underway. The 900 MHz band is occupied by competitors, the construction of the network costs a pretty penny. Beeline was the first to offer Muscovites (1998) a prepaid card payment system. On October 18, 1999, the kits (phone, $10 coupon) went on sale. The result of the end of the year is the capture of leadership (352 thousand subscribers = 47% of the market).

June 2001 brings the country the Internet (GPRS), Dmitry Zimin leaves the post CEO, receiving a nominal honorary position of the company. Structural adjustment was caused by the sale of part of the shares to foreign investors. The consistent introduction of new technologies continues:

1. MMS (2002).
2. EDGE (2004) is a modification of GPRS.

November 17, 2007 outdated technology D-AMPS. Subscribers automatically received (finally) the second generation of mobile communications (2G). On September 1, 2008, the development of the third generation of digital wireless transmission information. Supporting the modernization, Beeline sells new customers Huawei phones. CDMA lasted longer (January 1, 2011).

The holiday brought by the general modernization was spoiled by Megafon, which lowered prices, grabbing a fair share of the bee network's customers. An observant expert noted that the lack of investment, flavored with increased prices, brings a stable result. In response, VimpelCom instructed Euroset to open at least 1,000 Russian representative offices. The following years, Beeline tried unsuccessfully to recoup. The company's policy provided for close cooperation with the state. The operator was the first to "remove" roaming (2017), similar attempts were made two years earlier (2015).

The transnational corporation VEON (Vimpelcom) is formed by a number of separate subdivisions (Ukraine, Russia, Algeria, Pakistan, Laos, Bangladesh). Enlisting parental support, Beeline tried to conquer neighboring countries. The Vietnamese experience is instructive, forcing the company to write off a $500 million loss of its own share of a subsidiary's infrastructure. The Eastern brothers received a completely finished network of the third generation. The brand is gradually losing value, experts blame the lack of attention paid to advertising during the period 2009-1010.

MTS

While Delta was mastering the NMT-450, Beeline was developing AMPS, the Radio Research Institute, with the support of the Research Institute of the Ministry of Defense, investigated the possibility of using the 900 MHz spectrum. It turned out that mobile communication perfectly coexists with aviation navigation. On July 25, 1992, it was decided to master two bands 450, 900 MHz in parallel. Since it was decided to give the first standard to Delta, the MTS organizers were given the task to organize digital network second generation GSM. The companies created the Mobile Moscow consortium:

1. Moscow city telephone network.
2. M-Bell.
3. ASVT.
4. NPO Astra.
5. FAPSI.
6. Canadian company BCETI.

MTS, being the brainchild of the mentioned organizations, was registered on October 28, 1993. Some participants gave a fight, the final line-up was replenished by Siemens, Deutsche Telecom. Russia received a controlling stake. The first base station decorated Yablochkova Street on a May day in 1994, on July 7 the total number was 8, calls were launched. In 1996 Russian share shares were bought by AFK Sistema, the next year is set aside for the conquest of the capital company of Russia. At the same time, Beeline, the growing MTS, is mastering the second generation of GSM mobile communications, introducing per-second billing.

The middle of the 2000s was the heyday of the company, which had previously been inferior to Beeline. The apogee of the marketing policy was the introduction of the first free tariffs home region. Subscribers were given the opportunity to purchase SIM cards by their families, receiving 30 minutes of free calls to a circle of relatives. At the same time, the "identical" logo adorned the streets of cities, attracting everyone's attention. 2008 was the date of the appearance of third generation networks, MTS became a partner of the British Vodafone.

Imitating Beeline, the company conquers foreign countries (mainly the CIS). The fourth generation of mobile communication relies on the Yota infrastructure. 2006 launched a loyalty program. Years have honed the habits of marketers, some subscribers have stopped receiving bonuses, re-registration is required in personal account operator. Points expire regularly. This feature is vital to know for those wishing to receive a reward. Today, the operator is creating virtual providers together with Russian companies.

Megaphone

Evgeny Kesarev (1992) visited St. Petersburg, thinking of promoting software designed to simplify calculations for telephone communication. The entrepreneur began bypassing the management of companies. Alexander Malyshev (St. Petersburg MMT) accepted the proposal to create the Neva digital network. The partners started looking for an investor. Bou Magnusson (Telia International) agreed. Shareholders (spring 1993) desired to become Finnish Sonera, Swedish Telenor, Telia.

The company was founded on June 17, 1993, with an authorized capital of $17 million, and was originally named CJSC North-West GSM. Alexander Malyshev received the post of general director. Journalists immediately visited Peter, making up an audience. The organizers among themselves called the venture a gamble. Europe a few years earlier introduced the second generation, GSM was new to the Russians. The first stage of network deployment included 12 towers.

$10 million cost for core hardware Nokia networks(switchboard, 12 base stations). There was a shortage of equipment. The first call took place on August 25, 1994. After 17 months, on January 17, 1995, commerce began. The company gave the sales segment to the performing salon network using prepayment (unwillingness to collect debts). The first year, which brought the figure of 8 thousand subscribers, overtook the plan by three times.

Finnish (Telecom Finland), Norwegian (Telenor) companies received 49% of the shares. Residents of the Northern capital got the opportunity to talk from abroad, carrying heavy mobile phones. The company received time pressure: lack of money for the development of the network. Next steps demonstrate the ability of the new leader, Alexander Nyago, to spin:

1. A loan of $3 million (for a period of six months) in the Finnish bank Merita.
2. New money was immediately lowered by purchasing base stations.
3. The next $9 million loan helped pay off Scandinavian debts.
4. Along the way, Megafon covered Peter.
5. The turning point was the taking of a $40 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

1996 bears fruit: the number of subscribers catches up with Delta (24 thousand). A year later, the company's share is 53% of the market. Nyago's successor continued the course. Then follows the historical move that changed Beeline's policy. On December 1, 1998, a marketing gimmick was launched: charging only on the days of using the phone. In the winter of 1999, the number of subscribers quadrupled. Megafon was the first to develop the St. Petersburg metro, bought up the competitor's infrastructure. National roaming (uniform numbers) became an individual achievement of the company, replacing area codes. Russian operators provided the service later. Seeing Moscow competitors (Beeline, MTS), North-West GSM decided to create a memorable brand. The new name is devoid of regional binding.

This is interesting! The company's management meant the megaphone used by the speakers who filled the podium. The younger generation refused to accept the forgotten term of the Soviet era.

Modification of the structure of tariff plans quickly bore fruit. Flexible policy generated 150,000 subscribers (June 2001). For the first time there was a clash of interests: the mutual penetration of the two capitals into foreign territory. Megafon won 10% of the Moscow market. On January 21, 2002, the millionth customer visited the office and received a VAZ-2110 car. The draw continued.

The development of the third generation began on time - in 2008 (38.5 million subscribers), the operator was the first (October 2, 2007) to launch the UMTS network (Peter). In parallel with other providers. The company immediately began selling Huawei E680 gateways that support mobile gadgets providing Internet access. The kit was supplied with a suitable tariff. The market share was 29%. Megafon is dividing power today Yota LTE with Beeline. There has been a trend of consolidation due to the general economic crisis caused by the Crimean events.

Tele 2

The founder of Tele 2 Russia is a transnational telecommunications company. In 1981, a competitor to the cellular operator Televerket (Telia) appeared. The company was named Comvik, later born (1986) provider cable television Cablevision AB. In 1988, Comvik obtained a GSM license, changing its name. The updated Comviq took up work in 1992. Three companies have merged:

1. Comviq.
2. cablevision.
3. Internet provider.

The concern was named Tele 2. Mobile market began the capture of Estonia, Latvia, Russia (2001), France. The American roots of the parent companies led to the use of North American D-AMPS technology. In 2001, the US said arividerchi by selling a share of the business to the Swedes. Then they began to introduce the European GSM. The deployment of the network went, in addition to building its own infrastructure, by absorption. The new tactic became dominant - the Swedes bought ready-made infrastructure. On August 13, 2007, mutual cooperation between VimpelCom and Tele 2 began.

In the spring of 2013, the company was bought by the VTB Group, having resold a 50% stake in the autumn to Russian companies. On February 6, 2014, the integration of the Rostelecom-Tele 2 tandem began. Today, the operator continues to cover Russia with a 4G network.

Rostelecom

The company ranks first in terms of the number of subscribers (over 100 million) of Internet access. The mobile segment is much more modest. Significant support is provided by the implementation of state programs. Legally, the company acts as a successor to the USSR Ministry of Communications. In February 2014, Rostelecom began capturing the mobile communications market by merging the infrastructure with Tele 2. Today, things are going neither shaky nor rolly.

Yota

The new operator (2012) is deprived of the legacy of a difficult past - the scourge of all successful companies. The coverage of the regions with a new type of equipment, 4G technology, immediately started. Now the assets are merged with MegaFon. The history of the opening of the company has 6 long years. Two entrepreneurs, Denis Sverdlov and Sergey Adoniev, agreed (2006) to create a WiMAX (3G+) network in Russia. Since the operators of the Russian Federation have barely completed the development of the second generation of equipment (GSM). In the fall of 2008, a test run was made in the capitals.

Noticing the global trend (2010), the owners decided to master LTE. Now the infrastructure table by region has formed a solid list (48 pieces). At the same time, the new federal operator was selling modern devices communications to citizens: telephones, laptops. In the summer of 2012, the accession to Megafon was completed. On August 13, 2014, they began issuing SIM cards ordered in advance by subscribers.

It is difficult to imagine today a person who does without cellular communication. Every day people call each other, send millions of messages, go online using mobile phones. Responsible for the quality of communication, cost and package of services cellular operators.

List of telecom operators in Russia

There is no single operator responsible for mobile communications. There are more than a hundred active mobile operators in Russia. Some regional providers are subsidiaries of major Russian mobile operators.

According to statistics, the leaders among companies providing mobile communication services are 3 - the "big three" providers - MTS, Megafon, Beeline. These companies have largest number subscribers, the largest coverage area, a wide range of services.

1. MTS. The only "cell phone", which is included in the top 20 world leaders. According to the results of 2017, it has the largest number of subscribers in Russia (more than 78 million people), and taking into account the CIS countries, the number of subscribers is more than 100 million. It has the most extensive network of communication salons in the country (more than 5700 points).
2. Megaphone. There are more than 76 million subscribers in Russia, there is a great demand for Megafon SIM cards in Abkhazia, Tajikistan, and South Ossetia. The company positions itself as the operator with the fastest mobile Internet.
3. Beeline. The VimpelCom brand is included in the top 100 recognizable brands in the world. The number of subscribers in Russia reaches 59 million people, but Beeline is the leader in terms of the number of roaming countries and partners. This allows you to stay connected while traveling and save on roaming services.

The top popular operators include companies that are not included in the 3 "big three", but in terms of popularity they are a significant competitor. The rating of mobile operators includes both smaller companies, new ones, and regional ones. The very concept of the “big three” is becoming obsolete, because Other providers are also gaining market share:

• Tele2. At the end of 2017, it is the only company that has increased the number of subscribers. As a federal Russian operator, it has been operating since 2014 after obtaining a license for communication in 3G format. The operator's audience is at least 40 million people in 65 regions of the country. Most active subscribers are in Moscow and the Moscow region, St. Petersburg, Chelyabinsk and Nizhny Novgorod regions. It occupies the 3rd place in Russia in terms of the number of base stations, it is distinguished by fast mobile Internet due to low network load, as well as affordable package tariffs with the Internet.
• Yota is a virtual cellular operator. The brand has been in existence since 2008. Works on the technical infrastructure of MegaFon. The subscriber base is about 1.5 million people. Until January 2017, the only operator with unlimited access to mobile Internet, today tariff line includes only data-limited products for smartphones, while there are offers for tablets and computers with unlimited internet, the price of which depends on the speed.
• Rostelecom is an Internet provider and a company providing services home wired connection, cable TV. The company offers its subscribers cellular communication in GSM 900/1800 and Mobile Internet.
• "Motive" serves only 4 regions in the Urals Federal District. This trademark exists since 2002. The company provides communication in GPRS / EDGE, IVR, MMS, SMS, USSD formats, it is not represented in Moscow.
• "SMARTS" is a Samara company. Communication in Russia is provided to subscribers from the Volga region and the central regions of the country. The list of services includes data transfer GPRS, CSD, communication in the standards GSM-900, GSM-1800, SMS, MMS.

Before making a choice of a mobile operator, each client must outline their own circle of preferences and identify requirements for mobile communications. Each provider is good in its own way, best operator cellular communication can also be of regional status, if the package of services that it provides meets the needs of the client.

A list for communication in Russia, a phone code and a comparison of operators will help you choose the right provider.

Map of mobile operators

Communications companies are sensitive to increasing customer requirements. Now not only major players in the telecommunications market offer high-quality communication coverage. The appearance of new towers makes it possible to provide communication even to the most remote settlements, enjoy mobile phone now it is possible in the subway and in skyscrapers. Operators provide not only high-quality and uninterrupted telephone coating, but also fast access to the Internet via 3G and 4G networks.

Each company is struggling to retain existing subscribers and expand its consumer base, therefore, in almost every city there are salons where customers can not only purchase starter pack, but also get qualified assistance or answers to your questions.

Each Russian company there is a base of 11-digit numbers by which you can determine the operator and regions of connection of the number. The possibility of switching from one operator to another, which appeared after the abolition of "mobile slavery", was not used by all subscribers, so the code table helps to determine where the unknown incoming "came from".

If the number is registered in Moscow and the Moscow region, then the unknown number incoming call easy to define:

Beeline does not have a clear link to the region, like other major operators. Separate codes the company has installed only for Far East and Primorsky Krai. And at Yota numbers not tied to the region, all start with the code 999.

By Northwest region and St. Petersburg

Southern federal district, including the North Caucasus

The tables show both codes calculated for all regions, and those that apply only in the specified city, district. But large operators have codes for certain areas, that is, cellular services will be cheaper only when using them in the home region.

The place of registration of numbers with codes 950, 951, 952 at Tele2 can be the Irkutsk Region, Khanty-Mansiysk Region, Lipetsk Region, Kursk Region, Perm Territory, Chelyabinsk Region, Kemerovo Region, Republic of Buryatia, Republic of Mordovia, Tyumen Region and Udmurtia.
Large operators have allocated separate codes for the Urals: 922 - Megafon, 982 - MTS.

What numbers do Russian operators use

The phone number of any Russian operator starts with 8, for dialing in international format you need to dial +7. However, within Russia, the call will be equally successful when dialing both from the eight and from +7.

After the international code, the prefix digits follow - this is the DEF code used in mobile networks. Prefixes Russian operators start with 9, i.e. the general form of the code is always this: 9xx. For companies providing mobile communication services, one or more of these codes are allocated. This makes it possible to determine the operator and the region of the caller: 926, 916, 977 are Moscow numbers, and 911, 921 or 981 are St. Petersburg numbers.

For " mobile troika» series of codes are highlighted, in which the second digits also coincide. For example, 91x or 98x are MTS numbers, and 92x or 93x are Megaphone numbers.

The next 7 digits are the subscriber's number, by which it is impossible to determine belonging to the region of residence or provider. The range of Beeline numbers can suggest belonging to the region if the same prefix is ​​​​used. Code 905 is used in St. Petersburg (range from 250-00-00 to 289-99-99), as well as in the Ulyanovsk region. (range from 183-00-00 to 184-99-99).

But sometimes only the initial digits of the subscriber's number help to determine the operator. For example, DEF-code 958 is used by more than 20 operators, among which there are both small companies (with coverage of 1 region and a capacity of 10,000 numbers) and large ones (several tens of regions and hundreds of thousands of numbers).

As an example: the prefix of the numbers of the TransTelecom company is 7958, but since the company serves 30 regions of the country, you need to know the initial digits of the subscriber's number in order to determine the ownership outgoing call(-00x-xx-xx - Bashkiria, and -03x-xx-xx - Kaliningrad region, etc.).

The same prefix is ​​used by Gazprom Telecom, Delovaya Set Irkutsk, Smolny Automatic Telephone Station, Interregional TransitTelecom, Systematics, T2 Mobile, Central Telegraph, etc.

The numbering of DEF codes also changes as needed. Moscow MTS numbers were transferred from 495 to 985, and Megafon numbers from 495 to 925.

The telephone code that only Megafon uses is 920. The number capacity is more than 10 million, and numbers with this code are used in 17 regions of the Russian Federation.

The encoding used by Tele2 is 900. But the same code is used by another 16 Russian operators of various calibers in terms of capacity and coverage of regions - Antares, Arkhangelsk Mobile Networks”, “Ekaterinburg-2000”, “Kemerovo Mobile Communications”, “Sky-1800”, etc.

Tele2 is the largest of the companies using the 900 prefix: T2 Mobile is 17 regions and 3,140,000 numbers (the region is determined by the digits of the subscriber number), Tele2-Omsk is 3 regions (Jewish Autonomous Region, Omsk Region and Chukotka Autonomous Okrug) and 210,000 numbers, Tele2-St. Petersburg - 1 million numbers for 4 regions (Vologda region, Karelia, Pskov region, Leningrad region and St. Petersburg).

Best Rates

The ratings of companies providing cellular services are compiled not only taking into account the number of subscribers and the extent of the coverage area, but also the list of services provided by the company and the tariffs set for each position or the entire package.

The advertising campaigns of the four leading providers (MTS, Megafon, Tele2, Beeline) are aimed at attracting subscribers, therefore TV commercials vied with each other to prove that the tariffs of one or another company are the most favorable. Telecom operators' tariffs dynamically reflect the company's strategy, consumer preferences and industry trends. At the same time, archival tariffs also operate in parallel until the subscriber switches to a new price offer.

Budget tariffs

In such a variety it is not difficult to get lost, but there is no universal tariff plan. It is more convenient and cheaper for subscribers to purchase a range of services - tariff packages that combine, for example, voice communication, SMS and mobile internet. In addition to the services included in the package, you need to study the limits on them (GB, free minutes, number of SMS) and decide on the needs of the subscriber (mobile Internet, calls to home network, roaming, etc.).

According to the results of the 2nd quarter of 2018, the total revenue of the Big Four operators by Russian market amounted to almost a third of a trillion rubles (294.8 billion rubles). At the same time, all four major mobile operators showed positive results in terms of total revenue, and all participants " big three" showed positive results of revenue in a segment of a mobile communication.

In terms of total revenue in the Russian market, the first place was taken by PJSC " Mobile TeleSystems"(MTS) with an indicator of 106.4 billion rubles, which is 7.4 billion rubles (7.4%) more than in the same period in 2017.

Next comes PJSC MegaFon with an indicator of 80.7 billion rubles. MegaFon's revenue growth year-on-year (Q2 2018 to Q2 2017) amounted to RUB 3.8 billion, or 4.9%.

In third place is PJSC VimpelCom (Beeline brand). Its revenue in Russia for the II quarter of 2018 amounted to 72.5 billion rubles, while year-on-year growth in revenue from VimpelCom is higher than that of MegaFon - 4.1 billion rubles, or 6%.

Closes the four Tele2 (LLC "T2 Mobile"). Recently, this operator has again begun to disclose (albeit partially) financial indicators. Tele2's revenue in the II quarter of 2018 amounted to 35.2 billion rubles, while Tele2 showed the highest percentage growth in revenue among the Big Four members compared to the II quarter of 2017 - 18.2%, and the second result in money - 5 .8 billion rubles.

If we compare the revenues of the "big three" operators (Tele2 does not provide these figures) in the Russian Federation by segments, then all three players showed an increase in revenues for mobile services. According to the results of the II quarter of 2018, MTS has the highest revenue in this segment - 78.4 billion rubles. At the same time, MTS' cellular revenue grew by 4.4% year-on-year, or 3.3 billion rubles. In second place is MegaFon with revenue in the mobile segment of 67.1 billion rubles, which is 4.4% (2.9 billion rubles) more than in the II quarter of last year. VimpelCom has lagged behind MegaFon quite a bit. Its indicator in this segment at the end of the quarter amounted to 63.5 billion rubles, while in terms of revenue growth compared to the same quarter last year, VimpelCom showed best result among the operators of the "Big Three": according to the results of the II quarter, Beeline's revenue in this segment increased by 5.1 billion rubles, or by 8.7% year-on-year.

In Russia, in the fixed-line segment, only two of the Big Three operators showed positive results in the second quarter of 2018. At the same time, MTS - which has the largest revenue in this segment, amounting to 15.2 billion rubles - showed a very insignificant year-on-year growth: only 0.2%. MegaFon, with an indicator of 7.8 billion rubles per quarter, on the contrary, showed good growth year-on-year - 21.8%, or 1.4 billion rubles. However, VimpelCom, which experienced a decrease in revenue in the fixed segment in the second quarter (by 9.6%, or minus 1 billion rubles yoy), ended the second quarter with an indicator of 8.9 billion rubles, surpassing MegaFon.

In terms of net profit in the second quarter of 2018, MTS is the leader - 14.7 billion rubles. However, compared to the second quarter of 2017, this operator's net profit decreased by 0.6%, or by 0.1 billion rubles. At the same time, MegaFon grew in net profit by 10.8%, or by 0.7 billion rubles, to 6.7 billion rubles in the second quarter of 2018. According to the results of the reporting period, Tele2 even reached a positive net profit indicator, which amounted to 1 billion rubles, while in the II quarter of 2017 its loss was 1.5 billion rubles. VimpelCom does not disclose its net profit in Russia.

According to the results of the second quarter of 2018, MTS's OIBDA in Russia increased by 21.4% year-on-year to RUB 51.1 billion. MegaFon also experienced an increase in this indicator - by 4.2% (up to 31.9 billion rubles). VimpelCom does not provide OIBDA, but its EBITDA increased by 1.2% and amounted to 27.2 billion rubles. Tele2's EBITDA amounted to RUB 11 billion in the quarter, up 44.7% yoy.

As regards the number of subscribers of cellular communication services among the "big four" operators, there is a tendency towards near-zero growth, or even a decrease in the subscriber base. So, according to the results of the II quarter of 2018, MTS had 78.1 million cellular subscribers, and this indicator did not change compared to the 1st quarter of 2018 and increased slightly (by 0.1%) compared to the results of the 2nd quarter of 2017. MegaFon has a similar situation: 75.8 million mobile subscribers in the second quarter of 2018 and an increase of the same 0.1% compared to the same period last year. According to the results of the II quarter, VimpelCom showed a negative trend in terms of subscriber base growth: 56.4 million subscribers in the II quarter of 2018 and a decrease of 3.3% (minus 1.9 million subscribers) when compared year-on-year.

Tele2 did not report the number of subscribers, noting only that its subscriber base in the II quarter of 2018 increased by 4% compared to the same period last year. Recall that since the III quarter of 2016, this operator stopped disclosing financial results and the number of subscribers, and returned to partial disclosure of indicators only in the first quarter of this year. According to AC&M-Consulting, at the end of 2017, Tele2 showed an increase of 1.6 million SIM cards, increasing the subscriber base to 40.6 million.

The cellular communication market in Russia has been oversaturated for several years now. According to AC&M-Consulting, the penetration rate of mobile communications (more precisely, SIM cards) in the Russian Federation in 2017 was 179%. Considering that the population of Russia is 146 million people, it turns out that the total number of SIM cards is 261.3 million. If we subtract from this number those SIM cards that are used in M2M / IoT devices (according to the previously given AC&M-Consulting agency data, by the end of 2017, the total number of M2M modules operating in mobile networks in Russia barely exceeded 13 million units), as well as not taking into account those SIM cards that fall on MVNOs (according to TMT Consulting, to By the end of 2017, there were about 5.8 million MVNO users in Russia) and a few remaining regional operators("Motive", "Tattelecom" / "Fly" and "Vainakh Telecom") - a total of about 5 million more subscribers, it turns out that the total number of SIM cards, owned by subscribers of Big Four operators is about 237 million. This means that every inhabitant of Russia, including infants and very old people, has an average of 1.6 SIM cards from Big Four operators.

Such trends in subscriber base indicators for the Big Four operators (near-zero growth or decrease in the subscriber base) may indicate that the operators continue the process of getting rid of the so-called dead souls that form after the subscriber, having received a SIM card, for example, at a train station or near the metro, uses it for a while, and then simply throws it away, while remaining registered in the operator's database as an active subscriber for at least another six months. Therefore, in the coming quarters, we can expect a further reduction in "dead souls", and this will not only make the market statistics close to reality, but will also help the operators themselves to increase the reported ARPU.

Recently Apple company announced that she was going to occupy a niche mobile operator. To say that we are not surprised is to say nothing, but we are also meticulous. Therefore, we prepared a list of five companies - giants of the communication services market, to check: can the "apple" corporation compete with these mastodons?

According to Forbes list the top ten largest companies in the world providing mobile services looks quite impressive. Apple will have to work hard to squeeze in at least the first decade, but we are making it harder for the corporation. Here are the top five: is there a chance?

On the fifth line - Nippon Telegraph and Telephone. largest company world has deployed its network in Japan, from there spreading influence throughout Asia and the whole world. A third of the company's capital is controlled by the state, and its position is quite strong. To eliminate the monopoly in the communications market, Nippon was divided into several subsidiaries, which, paradoxically, but strengthened its position in the market.

On the fourth line are Vodafone. The company was founded in Britain, but now it has about 270 million users worldwide. It provides services in 25 countries, in another 42 it works as a partnership. Vodafone is one of the most confident players in the market, constantly rising higher and higher in such ratings, stepping on the heels of its competitors.

Third place awarded AT&T- the largest ISP in the USA. By absorbing several mid-sized companies, AT&T managed to break into second place in America, slightly behind the aggressive Verizon. In addition to increasing the number of subscribers, the corporation has a large market share in the segment of production of automatic telephone exchanges. They are delivered, for example, to Russia, where they are very popular.

In second place is Verizon- the operator with the widest coverage area in the United States. The subscriber base is 115.78 million customers. Most of them the company received by buying out Vodafone's stake in America and thereby leaving itself with virtually no competitors, except for AT & T advancing on the heels.

The first place is China Mobile is a global giant, which is very difficult for any other company to overtake. The number of subscribers exceeds 750 million, capitalization is the largest in the world. The operator's roaming covers 219 countries. The company is slowly spreading its influence around the world by opening wholly owned subsidiaries in other countries. One of the first was the company ZoNG, which already has a license and operates in the GSM standard.