Cancellation of roaming on Megafon. End of update  

Author: iMobile

Update : Notification of subscribers has already begun - Megafon is sending out an SMS “On July 1, your tariff will be updated. Communicating and using fast Internet while traveling around Russia will become more convenient and easier - just like at home!..."

Update #2. Megafon will cancel roaming completely in September (without paid incoming calls)

The mobile operator Megafon has been “cancelling roaming” longer than its counterparts from the Big Three. Previously, the changes affected only tariffs without a monthly fee, but now roaming will also be canceled on tariffs with packages of minutes. Let's see what the changes are.

The home region now becomes the home region, and all services provided in the home region are now available in the host region. For example, if in your package of minutes outgoing calls are spent only on numbers in your home region, then when traveling around Russia you can easily call numbers in the region in which you are located. And this is all great, but, like other Big Three operators, there is a serious drawback - on some tariff plans, incoming calls from other regions when traveling around Russia will become paid. For example, if you are traveling from Moscow to St. Petersburg with the “Turn on! Listen”, then all incoming calls from Moscow will be paid for you - 5 rubles per minute. And this, to be honest, is somewhat frustrating - we have completely lost the habit of paid inboxes, but now it’s like everything else...

Megafon writes that the cost of incoming tickets from other regions when traveling around Russia has been reduced by almost 2 times. And this is true, but not for all tariff plans, mainly those that do not have a subscription fee. But on many tariffs with packages of minutes and a subscription fee, for example, on the same tariff “Turn on! Listen”, at the moment, any incoming calls while traveling around Russia cost 0 rubles per minute.

How can you find out which tariff will be used for paid incoming calls from other regions when traveling around Russia, and which will not?

• On tariffs with long-distance calls included in the package of minutes, incoming calls within Russia will remain free. Example - “Turn on! Communicate."
• On tariffs with a package of minutes, which included calls only to numbers in the home region, incoming calls from other regions when traveling within Russia will be charged - 5 rubles per minute.

Megafon has a special page - “Cancellation of intranet roaming”, on which you can find out the new conditions for your tariff plan.

1. Follow the link https://vsr.megafon.ru

2. At the bottom of the page there will be a heading “Find out what’s new on your tariff”, there you need to enter your phone number in a special field and click “Get code”. Then the received code must be entered on this page.

3. Now you can download the full description of the updated tariff, that is, a list of the conditions that will be in effect from July 1, 2018.

General situation with roaming cancellation

Intranet roaming has been cancelled, as has national roaming. However, in Crimea and Sevastopol, where MegaFon still does not have its own networks, special service conditions apply. In other regions, regular tariff plans are used. We divided them into two parts - the first included tariffs with home packages of minutes, the second - with all-Russian packages.

Home packages work either in the home region or in the region where the subscriber is located. For example, when leaving Moscow for Kazan, we will be able to make free calls within Kazan and Tatarstan using the minutes from the package. But calls to Moscow will be paid - they are charged at intercity rates. This may seem unfair to some, but the FAS did not find any violations in this. They are not here - the local package of minutes remains local, only the subscriber’s location changes.

Tariffs with all-Russian packages of minutes give freedom of communication not only at home, but throughout Russia. They are spent on calls in all directions, including when traveling within the Russian Federation. With them, you don’t have to think about call pricing – feel free to call where you need to go. By the way, the same applies to Internet packages that now work throughout Russia.

Now let's understand the terminology:

• Roaming – the subscriber is in another region and communicates there (previously - at roaming rates);
• Intercity – calls from one region to another.

The trick is that many subscribers are sure that if roaming was canceled, then long-distance service also disappeared. This is a misconception; FAS did not plan to cancel the intercity route. Also, no one planned to introduce uniform prices - this is another misconception.

The abolition of roaming for calls led to free incoming calls and the preservation of tariffs in the regions; the abolition of roaming for the Internet eliminated surcharges for using traffic outside the home network.

In June 2021, another innovation was introduced - from the 1st, all incoming calls throughout Russia became free, which is required by the amendments to the Law “On Communications” that have entered into force.

What's free when traveling around Russia

Just a few years ago, travelers were forced to purchase local SIM cards or communicate at expensive roaming rates. With changes in legislation, all this has become a thing of the past - you can easily move around the country and communicate as if at home.

When traveling around Russia, subscribers receive:

• Mobile Internet that works anywhere in the country - tariffs with Internet packages valid only in the home region have disappeared. The same applies to tariff plans with per-megabyte pricing - the cost of traffic remains the same throughout the Russian Federation;
• Free inboxes – these can come from local numbers, other regions and even from abroad. Receive calls calmly anywhere in Russia and communicate for free;
• All-Russian packages that work in all regions - with the exception of Crimea and Sevastopol.

We will discuss these packages in the next section of our review.

Disconnection methods

The methods for refusing services are similar to the methods for connecting to roaming. Do not forget that options must be disabled in time so as not to be faced with the need to pay for unnecessary offers and packages.

Please note: Each option or service has different commands and phone numbers to connect/disconnect. You can find out more about them in the relevant articles on our website or on the official Megafon website - megafon.ru

Favorable MegaFon tariffs without roaming in Russia

Traveling around the country is most profitable with tariffs that include minutes within Russia. Here is their list:

• “Turn on! Look” - 1500 minutes within Russia, intranet unlimited throughout the country and unlimited Internet for 800 rubles/30 days. 20% of the subscription fee is returned in the form of cashback;
• “Turn on! Choose" - 300, 650, 750 or 900 minutes in Russia, 8, 18, 28 or 38 GB of Internet (or unlimited instead of any packages except the minimum) and on-net unlimited with a subscription fee from 450 to 890 rubles/30 days (plus cashback );
• “Turn on! Premium - 5,000 minutes within Russia, unlimited Internet and unlimited SMS with a subscription fee of 3,000 rubles/30 days (plus cashback);
• “Turn on! Communicate” – 15 GB of Internet (or the free “Unlimited Internet” option), unlimited for instant messengers and social networks, 600 minutes in Russia and intranet unlimited throughout the country for 600 rubles/30 days;
• “Turn on! Speak” – 600 minutes to any Russian numbers, intranet unlimited, unlimited for instant messengers and 5 GB of traffic for 500 rubles/30 days.

Also, additional options and goodies are available on these tariffs - traffic for MegaFon TV, premium service on the hotline and in offices, ESET NOD32 antivirus with the Anti-Theft function and much more.

Many other tariff plans in the archive are also suitable for traveling around Russia - the main thing is that they include an all-Russian package of minutes.

Connection methods

Favorable tariffs for Megafon for roaming can be connected using several available methods. Please note that service commands and numbers are different for each offering.

• Office visit;
• Call the support service at 8-800-550-05-00;
• Quick button on the official website;

• Personal account on the website or mobile application;
• SMS command;
• Short code;
• Call the service number.

Now you know how to roam on Megafon. Also, you can additionally learn how to activate the Megafon “Everywhere at home” option.

Next, we’ll figure out how to refuse profitable services.

Is roaming canceled in Crimea?

In Crimea, there is an alternative tariff within the framework. It provides the following conditions:

• Mobile Internet – 100 MB per day for free, then 2.2 rubles/MB until the end of the day;
• Outgoing within Russia – 60 minutes free, then 3 rubles/min until the end of the day;
• Subscription fee – 99 rubles/day.

The subscription fee is debited only upon the fact of using certain services - just go online or make an outgoing call. To save money on your vacation budget, buy a local SIM card or connect to MTS - this operator remains valid for all packages on the peninsula.

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Author

Vyacheslav

For several years he worked in mobile phone stores of two large operators. I understand tariffs well and see all the pitfalls. I love gadgets, especially Android ones.

The essence of the amendments

The meaning of the innovations for ordinary consumers of cellular communication services is very simple: wherever a citizen goes, throughout the country the cost of services will remain the same. The concept of “Home Region” disappears - the whole of Russia becomes such a region, and all incoming calls will be free. Now you don’t have to buy a new SIM card when you come to visit your parents or on a business trip to the other end of the country.

We can also expect that the extremely confusing tariff policy of mobile companies will become at least a little clearer with the introduction of the new law. It is no secret that it is almost impossible to understand the numerous tariff options, connected services and additional offers. With the abolition of fees for long-distance calls, all this can become at least a little more transparent.

Peculiarities

Russia is large, and conditions in all its parts are different. In each region or large city, Megafon has its own characteristics; communication and Internet tariffs can cost differently everywhere. We must remember that this situation will continue. That is (purely conditionally) if, for example, in Vladivostok the cost of a minute of conversation is 3 rubles, and in Moscow 1 ruble, then a resident of Primorye, arriving in Moscow, will still pay 3 rubles per minute. And all additional services will also remain in the area where the SIM card is registered.

Alternatives to Carrier Options

A natural question for every traveler: is it better to buy a local SIM? It largely depends on the country, but most often it is unprofitable. We highlight the following disadvantages of this method:

• It will take time to study tariff plans; many nuances may not be taken into account;
• Service is provided in the local language;
• If your balance is zero, no one will be able to call you;
• Time and money will be spent notifying loved ones about the number change;
• Calls outside the host country are expensive;
• Those coming from Russia are expensive and are charged as international;
• Not everywhere it is possible to purchase a SIM using a foreign passport or a passport of a Russian citizen;
• The Sim will be locked after 6 months if you don't use it.

There is another option to provide yourself with communications abroad - buy a tourist SIM card. Operator prices are approximately the same, but the range of services may differ. The most popular: Goodline and Sim-Travel. Their advantages are as follows:

• You can save your number. At the same time, the cost of the call for the interlocutor will not change;
• Sim is not blocked;
• Possibility of free calls to Viber without the Internet;
• Packages for calls from Europe;
• Free calls to Goodline from Skype and Viber;
• With a zero balance, incoming calls are free.

The cost of calls and internet depends on the tariff plan and country of residence. For example, on the Planet-Good tariff, 1GB costs $19 (about 1 ruble per megabyte), and 5 GB costs $29 ( 30 kopecks per megabyte ).

Call costs are as follows:

As you can see, it is most profitable to call from Europe. In this case, you can save even more by connecting packages. The cost per minute will be from $0.10.

We must keep in mind that the one coming from Russia will be more expensive than usual. The price will be the same as international to Estonia. It's expensive, so it makes sense to use Skype calls using the 800 code.

New tariffs

In the spring of 2021, Megafon carried out an extensive update of its tariff policy. Apparently, all this was done in anticipation of the introduction of a new law. (Recall that domestic roaming in Russia has been completely canceled since June 1, 2021.) Now the “Turn On” tariff line has become the main one. It can be noted that the main offers in this line - the "Look", "Choose" and "Premium" tariffs - do not really provide for increased fees for calls to any mobile phones when traveling around the country.

However, there are other tariff plans in the line that still have such prices. That is, Megafon purely formally complied with the requirements of the law, but in fact, roaming did not disappear completely. After all, these additional service packages can be very convenient for part of the population, but the three main ones will turn out to be just too expensive.

Minimum and hidden surcharges

Such tariffs can be classified as an intermediate option of using a tariff without additional charges for roaming. The second group includes line tariffs, which allow you to use services on the MegaFon network when traveling around Russia, since the Internet in them does not have a coverage area, but a separate rule is used for conversations.

Such tariffs belong to the budget segment of offers for smartphone users. All tariffs have package minutes for calls to any local Russian numbers. When traveling, their use applies to numbers in the region in which the subscriber is located.

The disadvantage of travel tariffs is that calling home can be done at the cost of long-distance calls. Please note that this is also true for the more expensive tariffs we described above, after using communications outside the included package.

These are exactly the conditions that so many were waiting for, but in the end it turned out not at all what they expected. Such rules apply to most MegaFon tariffs.

You can evaluate the “cancellation” of roaming on all operator tariff packages without a monthly fee. To do this, just look at the conditions of these cheap MegaFon tariffs for calls to evaluate the advantages of the lack of roaming in Russia.

Using the “Per Second” tariff as an example, let’s see how the cost of services differs at home and when traveling, after the promised cancellation of roaming.

In principle, the operator really made the prices for using services at home and while traveling the same. However, it is worth considering that when choosing a tariff for a trip, the subscriber is primarily interested in staying in touch. As a result, when going to another city with a Moscow number, you will have to pay five rubles per minute for calls home in the operator’s network, and 13.00 for other metropolitan numbers.

To obtain more favorable conditions, you will need to use an additional option, the cost of which is from 10 rubles per day.

This option allows you to call at a single rate to all numbers, regardless of the region in which the number is used, if there is an operator’s network. This allows you to make long-distance communication much more profitable even in your home region.

International roaming abroad

When traveling abroad, which is logical, communication prices are not as cheap as when calling within Russia, but, nevertheless, quite profitable. There are more packages, they have more complex usage parameters, and many prices for calls, SMS and mobile Internet depend on which territory of your plan you are in. You have four main options to choose from:

1. Goodbye roaming – for a fixed monthly fee, this package allows you to use mobile communications under the same conditions as at home.
2. The whole world - free incoming calls from the region in which you connected, regardless of where in the world you are.
3. Feel at home in Abkhazia - a specific tariff package that allows you to use all the services of the mobile operator Megafon on the territory of Abkhazia under the same special conditions as in connection networks. But it acts exclusively for Abkhazia.
4. Extended tariff plan - specific packages that are most suitable for those travelers who choose exotic, remote routes for vacation or work.

The profitability of these offers can only be compared with local SIM cards, but their activation cost is quite high, so it is more convenient for Megafon subscribers to remain with their contact information abroad.

Types of roaming from Megafon

The mobile operator implements several options for communication abroad, the communication of which is beneficial outside of local networks. Depending on what type of communication you prefer and where you travel, you can choose an option that is more or less profitable for you. There are currently two main types of proposals being implemented:

1. In Russia - favorable agreements of tariff roaming plans allow, for a small daily subscription fee, to make calls to other cities at the same cost as at home. A number of types of daily subscription fees do not require, but allow a slight increase in the price of using services. For Crimea and Sevastopol, specific operating parameters apply here (as with all other package services of this mobile operator).
2. International – we offer advantageous packages for traveling abroad. The packages are very diverse - for different geographical locations and countries, different special conditions for incoming, outgoing, Internet, etc. some require payment of a daily/weekly/monthly subscription fee, others do not.

By choosing the most suitable package for communication in the alternative tariff zone, you can significantly save on calls, Internet and SMS while traveling, without changing your usual phone.

All Russia

The domestic Russian offer is relevant for those who want to communicate with subscribers of any operators at competitive prices, not only when traveling around the country, but also when making calls from their home region. A distinctive feature of the option is the ability to maintain the usual conditions for accessing the Internet even while traveling.

Let's consider the cost of the Megafon service in roaming in Russia:

• First connection – 0 rubles;
• Repeated transition – 30 rubles;
• Daily subscription fee – 10 rubles;
• Incoming calls are free;
• Outgoing calls – 3 rubles/minute.

Ways to use the option:

• The command to activate Megafon roaming in Russia is *105*1418#;
• Enter the number combination 050014180, call and follow the instructions of the voice service;
• Send an SMS with the word “YES” to the number 05001418;
• Use your personal account on the official website or smartphone application;
• Use the quick connection button on the official page of the service.

This is the most convenient option for not interrupting telephone communication and always staying in touch. You can read more about Megafon’s “All Russia” tariff plan here.

How to connect

After choosing the special conditions that suit you, you need to activate roaming on your plan. This is done on the territory of the Russian Federation, the algorithm is slightly different depending on which package you connect.

Connection when traveling around Russia

It is better to carry out the activation at home. Vacation without worries does not require a separate activation - the option is enabled by default on all packages that allow you to communicate in the territories of the former Ukraine. But it begins to operate (funds are written off) only when actions are performed outside the local coverage area.

The All Russia option is connected according to the following algorithm:

Step.1 Follow the link. Find the Connect button on the page and click on it.

Step 2 A pop-up window will appear in which you will need to enter your phone number, which will receive a code to enter on the site and connect to the service.

Turn on - a specific constructor. Follow the link and configure the optimal settings by moving the sliders, then at the bottom of the selected option, find and click on the Buy or Go button. And a pop-up window will also appear asking you to enter a number to receive a code.

Connecting international roaming

Some options for foreign action can also be connected independently:

Step.1 Roaming goodbye – follow the link and click on the Connect button.

Step.2 The whole world - go to the page and find the Connect button.

Step.3 It’s like home in Abkhazia – similar on the page.

In all these cases, a window will open in which you will need to enter your phone number. You will receive an SMS message with a code that you enter on the website to connect the service remotely. However, to activate the Extended International Roaming option, you will have to contact the Megafon salon with a passport.