FAS fines will help mobile operators improve pricing policy - Shchegolev
BRUSSELS. Feb 24 (Interfax) - Russia's "big three" mobile operators will change their pricing policies now that they have been fined by the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) for setting their roaming charges too high.
"We reckon that their behavior will change after this situation," Communications and Mass Media Minister Igor Shchegolev told journalists in Brussels on Thursday.
Shchegolev said his ministry was ready to help "regulate their relations with partners in third countries, including with the EU."
In an October 22 ruling, the FAS said Mobile TeleSystems , Vimpelcom and MegaFon - whose combined share in the Russian mobile communications market tops 85% - had set monopolistic prices on roaming services in Russia and the CIS.
They also delayed deducting the charges for roaming from subscriber accounts, to the detriment of subscribers.
Because the mobile operators promptly rectified the situation, the FAS applied the minimum fine of 1% of revenue for roaming services in the CIS in 2009.
MTS must pay a fine of 21.892 million rubles, Vimpelcom - 12.018 million rubles and MegaFon - 4.194 million rubles.
RTS$#&: MEGF, MTSS, VIMP