Date: 21Feb 2018
Author: iMobile
Attention! MTS will cancel roaming in August 2021 for real!. Read the latest information at the link.
The FAS keeps asking and asking mobile operators to remove roaming, but they keep resisting and resisting. Has MTS finally canceled roaming in Russia or not? Let's figure it out.
FAS and Roaming
First you need to understand what roaming is. Intranet roaming
is a communication and data service provided by a mobile operator outside the “home region” in the network of this operator.
Your home region is considered to be the region of Russia in which you purchased and issued your SIM card.
Tariffs for mobile communications and data services outside your home region may differ from tariffs in your home region and, most often, this is the case. The FAS has been trying for many months to “convince” telecom operators that intranet roaming is a relic of the past and needs to be abolished. But mobile operators are reluctant, because if roaming is completely cancelled, they could lose a lot of money. By the way, MTS has changed the conditions of national roaming (Crimea, etc.). You can read about this here. What did MTS do?
At least there are no statements about the cancellation of roaming this time, and this indicates two things: MTS did not lie in the title, roaming has not been cancelled. But let's figure out what changes await us.
Why do you need the MTS “Call Waiting” option?
This option is designed primarily for those subscribers who, in no case and under no circumstances, want to miss a single incoming call that comes to their phone number at the moment when they are having a conversation with some other subscriber. Accordingly, when this option is active for a subscriber’s number, and during another conversation he receives an incoming call, he hears an appropriate audio notification about this, and has the opportunity to accept or reject the incoming call. In addition, of course, the call can be ignored.
The service also works in reverse mode - with an active call, the subscriber can pause it, and, without dropping the call, dial another number and have a conversation with another subscriber.
Changes from February 28 and March 14, 2021
From February 28, 2021, a number of tariff plans (including archived ones) will have a new tariff for minutes, SMS and mobile Internet outside the home region in the MTS network (the same intranet roaming). MTS promises price reductions from two to ten times.
Based on the news, it can be noted that the changes will affect only the “Smart”, “My Unlimited”, “Smart Unlimited”, “Super MTS” and “My Friend” tariff plans. Extremely modest, to be honest. Anyway…
How to activate “Call Waiting” on MTS
If you want to use this service, it does not always need to be activated. So, for example, all subscribers who connected to communication services from MTS after March 2009 have the opportunity to use the standby mode on MTS by default. If you became a subscriber of this company earlier, then you need to activate.
Connection from MTS is performed by entering the USSD command *43# . You can disable the option using the same command.
However, if you don’t remember when you connected to communication services, you can always check the status of the service using a slightly modified USSD request: *#43# . If you see that the option is deactivated, you can enable it using the method already noted above.
We also note that the service is offered for use completely free of charge. Only calls are charged, and if several calls are made simultaneously, their tariff is doubled.
Changes in roaming conditions for “Smart”, “Smart Unlimited”, “My Unlimited”
From February 28, 2021, the paid option of intranet roaming is canceled on the Smart, Smart 052013, Smart 102014, Smart Unlimited 032017 and My Unlimited tariffs. The one that was 15 rubles a day. Now you can use packages of minutes, SMS and Internet in your home region for free.
On the one hand, the news is certainly good. On the other hand, for such a description of a service with a footnote, MTS should have been fined long ago and forced to change the description. The tariff is valid throughout Russia, but please pay for it. It's good that this was removed altogether...
The package of minutes will be spent on MTS Russia numbers, as well as on numbers in the region of your stay. If the package of minutes runs out, calls to MTS Russia numbers will remain free.
Any incoming calls from the region of your stay are 0 rubles per minute, but other incoming calls are 5.5 rubles per minute. But this is not great at all. Especially considering that all the latest MTS tariffs, even in roaming, included free inbox!
And what is this “like in your home region”? After all, at home you don’t pay for incoming messages from other regions of Russia? It is in such details that the essence of the abolition of roaming should lie! But no, alas. If you receive a call from your home region to the region where you are staying, then please pay 5.5 rubles per minute of an incoming call. Not cool, MTS!
If the package includes long-distance outgoing calls to numbers of other operators, then they will be spent outside the home region. In this case, if you go on a trip to Russia, your home region ceases to be your home region - now calls to this region are considered long-distance. If long-distance calls to numbers of other operators are not included in the package of minutes, then a minute will cost 5.5 rubles.
SMS to numbers in the region of your stay will be consumed from the package of minutes.
and “Everywhere at home SMART” will no longer be paid for on these tariff plans, and payment for communications will occur under new conditions. Is this healthy? Yes, so-so, to be honest. The fact is that with a service, for example, “Everywhere at home,” you could really be at home everywhere, but now it turns out that you will be at home only in the region where you are staying. And even then, it’s not quite “like home” (hello, paid incoming calls). Nothing is said about (without SMART), so we will assume that it will still be available on these tariff plans.
How to disable?
To disable the service, you can also use several options:
- call 0890 and follow the prompts or contact the operator;
- disabling the service using the settings in the “Personal Account” of the official MTS website;
- dial the combination *808# and call button (you will be taken to the operator’s automatic menu) or *111*808# and call button. In the latter option, the answer will come to you in the form of an SMS message.
Changes in roaming conditions for “Super MTS” or “My Friend”
“My Friend” is the same as “Super MTS”, only you are given a SIM card as a gift. You can read about the “My Friend” tariff here.
From March 14, 2021, there will be changes to the conditions of intranet roaming on the tariffs of the “Super MTS” and “My Friend” lines.
Incoming calls from numbers in your region of residence are free (instead of 10.9 rubles per minute). Good news! Incoming calls from numbers in your home region and other regions of Russia - 5.5 rubles per minute (“instead of 10.9 rubles per minute” - it is written in the official MTS news, but this applies only to very old tariffs, because new incoming calls were free!)
Outgoing calls to any numbers in the region of residence - according to the conditions of the home region (instead of 14 rubles per minute), outgoing to numbers of operators in the home region and MTS of Russia - 5.5 rubles per minute (instead of 10.9 rubles per minute), outgoing to numbers of operators other operators in other regions of Russia - 5.5 rubles per minute (instead of 14 rubles per minute).
SMS to numbers in the region of your stay - 1.95 rubles (place 3.95 rubles), SMS to other numbers in Russia - 2.95 rubles (instead of 3.95 rubles).
Also, for a whole bunch of options, money will no longer be withdrawn, and the conditions will be new. That is, these options will not work in these tariffs.
The “Bit” and “MiniBit” options will work when traveling around Russia at home without any additional payments or additional connections.
Favorable MTS tariffs without roaming in Russia
For trips within Russia, tariffs with all-Russian minute packages are recommended. With them you can travel around the country, calling in any direction and spending minutes from the packages. The Internet works without additional options and payments throughout the Russian territory. List of suitable tariff plans:
- “Tariff” – 500, 800, 1500 or 3000 minutes in Russia, the same amount of SMS to all Russian mobile phones, unlimited Internet without additional payments. Subscription fee – 650, 800, 1050 or 1550 rubles/month, depending on the selected minutes/SMS package;
- “Smart Top” – 3000 minutes within Russia, the same amount of SMS and unlimited Internet for 1950 rubles/month. Also included in the tariff is an intra-network unlimited limit, valid for all MTS mobile phones throughout the country (including when traveling);
- “ULTRA” – 5000 minutes within Russia, 5000 SMS, unlimited Internet and premium service on the MTS hotline for 2900 rubles/month.
This also includes some archived MTS tariff plans, for example, “Smart Zabugorishche”. Use these tariffs and call to any domestic Russian destinations throughout Russia (including Crimea and Sevastopol).
And again for old times...
MTS seems to have lowered prices, removed fees for some dubious services (15 rubles per day on Smart phones), but at the same time, for many subscribers, the need to connect to roaming services will not go away, which allows you to feel “at home” when traveling around Russia, since incoming from your home region will become paid.
And if you need such calls to be free, and calls to the numbers of all mobile operators in Russia cost you 3 rubles per minute, then you need to activate the new additional option “Russia is at home everywhere.” Option Description
: Here.
“Smart Unlimited”, “My Unlimited” - “Home Package Russia” will also be offered. This option will allow you to receive all incoming calls for free, and calls and SMS to your home region will be spent from the packages. Option Description
: Here.
And what happens in the end? If you want to be “like at home”, do you need to connect additional paid options? What is this cancellation of roaming? Yes, prices have dropped, but this is only a tiny step towards cancellation. Let's see what the FAS says...
Which tariff to choose for traveling abroad
Roaming has been cancelled, but only within the country. Outside its borders, the prices for communications of the MTS operator differ significantly from the cost of calls, SMS and the Internet in the Russian Federation. The tariff for traveling abroad can be selected individually in the following ways:
- By calling the operator . The manager will offer several solutions from which you need to choose the most suitable one. Along the way, you can ask him questions and seek advice.
- On the official website of the company . In the roaming section there is a sub-section for international travel where you can fill out a mini form and overseas quotes will be automatically provided.
When choosing the second option, be sure to indicate the current tariff that is currently used without roaming, otherwise the system will not show the results. If a site visitor wants to replace it or is not yet connected to MTS, you can display all the proposed solutions one by one. It is also required to indicate what is more important - the Internet or calls, if there is a priority direction.
MTS, together with VISA, offers clients of this currency system to connect to the “Zabugorische” tariff and use it for only 200 rubles per day. The promotion includes VISA Signature, Platinum and Infinite cards. This is one of the most advantageous offers for roaming outside the country. The service can be activated on the MTS website or in the application.
In Russia, the concept of “home region” has become conditional for MTS clients. The transition to a complete abolition of overpayments for using communications in other cities allows subscribers not to think about how to disable roaming on MTS, and not to experience discomfort due to sudden unexpected costs.
What to do?
An option to get out of this situation is to change the tariff plan. The second option is to switch to another operator. Now both of these functions are available and easy to practice.
Shutdown
It is impossible to disable paid incoming calls on MTS. This tariff plan feature cannot be disabled. Unless you answer calls from an unknown number. For many busy and business people, this method is not acceptable. Users had mixed reactions to such innovations dated April 17, 2021. Most people think that paid inboxes are arrogance.
MTS clients also contact the nearest company office to resolve issues. There you can actually write an application to change the tariff plan.
