Digital Ministry, FAS to control prices for cellular services, rate growth not to exceed inflation

MOSCOW. March 29 (Interfax) - The Digital Ministry, which has recommended that telecoms operators limit unlimited tariffs, will control prices for mobile communications together with the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS), and their growth will not exceed inflation, the ministry said in a statement.

"The Digital Ministry jointly with the Federal Antimonopoly Service will control the growth of prices. Rates for mobile communications will not grow in excess of inflation in Russia," the statement reads. The ministry recalled that prices for telecoms services in Russia are among the lowest in the world, that Russia is one of the top three countries in terms of availability of mobile Internet for the population and one of the leaders in the penetration of broadband Internet access based on fiber-optic networks.

The Digital Ministry also explained that it recommended that operators limit their offers of unlimited plans in order to avoid distortions in traffic consumption and uneven loads on the network.

"The Digital Ministry drew attention to the fact that in recent years mobile operators have accumulated a critical mass of so-called "archive" plans, including those with unlimited access to the Internet. This creates an unjustifiably high load in places where subscribers have access to wired communication networks. Recommendations are aimed at elimination of this distortion in the use of mobile communication networks," the ministry said.

Furthermore, the exclusion of "archive" plans with outdated low prices for communication services will allow operators to maintain current plans for all subscribers, the statement said.

Development of telecom networks in Russia has been proceeding at a pace that outstrips global indicators, with annual Internet traffic for mobile operators increasing by more than 50%, the ministry said.

"To ensure the quality of services and maintain the volume of data transmission it is necessary to modernize current base stations and build new ones. Given the shortage of equipment amid sanctions, operators may have objective difficulties in maintaining the pace of network development. In this regard, the ministry sees it as necessary to recommend that operators evenly distribute the load on the network," the Digital Ministry said.