Iota telecom operator who is the owner. What is Yota? Tariff plans of MegaFon

Internet provider. Created in 2007 to provide mobile WiMax services under the Yota brand. The shareholders are Wimax Holding (33%) and Kristiva Holdings (according to a Skartel representative, controlled by Wimax Holding, 67%). 74.9% of Wimax Holding is owned by the Telconet Capital fund, and another 25.1% is owned by the Russian Technologies State Corporation. Financial indicators are not disclosed.

The fact that Sergey Adoniev is one of the owners of Skartel was told to Vedomosti by a source close to one of the Internet providers. Adoniev is a former partner of Vladimir Kekhman, owner of JFC, Russia's largest fruit importer. Adonyev confirmed to Vedomosti that he owns a minority stake in Telconet Capital, which, in turn, controls 74.9% of Skartel through Wimax Holding.

Adoniev also represents the interests of Telconet on the board of directors of Wimax Holding, a source in the state corporation Rostekhnologii, which owns the remaining 25.1% of Scartel, told Vedomosti. This was confirmed by Denis Sverdlov, CEO of Skartel. According to him, there are five seats in the board: three seats, including the chairman, are occupied by Cypriot lawyers, one by Adoniev, and one more by Sergei Kulikov, head of the office of the general director of Russian Technologies Chemezov. Adoniev does not comment on this and does not disclose his Telconet partners.

Adoniev is a multi-talented man, says Boris Belotserkovsky, president and owner of Russia's biggest slot machine maker Unicum, who has known the entrepreneur for about 25 years. In business, he is more likely not an operator, but a strategist-developer, Belotserkovsky continues, he has a flair for further business development prospects.

In an interview with Vedomosti in the spring of 2009, Chemezov just said that in 2006 Sverdlov and "two more people" came to him with an idea "from the realm of fantasy" to create a WiMax operator. But "just in case" Chemezov began to support them - in particular, "Russian Technologies" helped "Skartel" with obtaining frequencies, and at the end of 2008 acquired a blocking stake in the company.

In 2008, representatives of Scartel reported that Telconet directed $300 million to develop the operator's infrastructure and purchase equipment. In 2009, Telconet invested another $170 million for the further development of Scartel in Moscow, St. Petersburg and six other cities. By the end of October, the company's subscriber base exceeded 200,000 people, and the operator reached self-sufficiency.

Another $20 million was invested by Scartel in a DVB-H mobile television network in Moscow, which was recently launched into test operation by its subsidiary Centaur. In three years, Scartel is going to become a federal operator, covering 180 cities with its network. According to iKS-Consulting analyst Konstantin Ankilov, depending on the density of the network, this could cost another $1.5-2 billion. In addition to Russia, Skartel owns WiMax licenses in Belarus, Nicaragua and Peru. In Belarus, Yota Bel's pilot network is scheduled to be launched in the second half of 2010. The network in Nicaragua will be built by Yota de Nicaragua, which is 75% owned by Wimax Holding (the remaining 25% is owned by local investors). The network is scheduled to be put into commercial operation in mid-2010.

The iota company has already managed to establish itself as competitive, although it has been on the market not so long ago. However, there is almost no information about the history of the operator on the official website. So how did a company like Yota come about?

Story

In 2006, there was such an organization as Korus Consulting, and it was its co-owner, together with entrepreneur Sergey Adoniyev, who decided that it was time to bring cellular communication something new. At that time, WiMAX network transmission technology was gaining popularity. It was a kind of analogue of 4G, but it was directed in the wrong direction. However, the technology was advanced and promising.

Already in 2007, there were talks about founding a joint company. All important negotiations then were conducted using regular SMS correspondence, during one of which the name Yota was coined.

In 2008, the active introduction of WiMAX and Moscow began. However, this did not last long. Literally a couple of years later, the plans were radically changed and the Iota leadership decided to change course in favor of a more advanced technology -.

By 2009, Iota already had about 100,000 subscribers, and by the end the subscriber base had tripled. Even then, the company was rapidly moving forward.

2010 was significant for the operator with the first launch of the LTE network, which took place in Kazan. It was this event that gave Iota a share of fame in the country, which helped to continue to gain more and more subscribers.

In 2012, the company decided to join MegaFon in order to increase the speed of network expansion.

In the same year, the widespread distribution of the 4G network began and it was successful, since MegaFon was now the main provider.

Additional Information

• For a long time, the directors of Iota were people from MegaFon, but they did not properly cope with the tasks set and it was decided to hire a local specialist. Thus, Vladimir Dobrynin, who at that time was the technical director of the operator, was appointed to the position of chief director of the company in 2016. By the way, Dobrynin worked in Iota from its very foundation. Therefore, to the question: “whose company is Yota?”, You can answer that this is a separate company, but under the auspices of MegaFon.
• In 2017 cell company Iota has stopped extending the unlimited data plan to smartphones. The operator could not cope with such a load and suffered constant losses from this particular tariff plan. Also played a role in many ways speed limit bypass at this rate.
• The operator's logo has its own meaning, which you can't tell at first glance. It represents an inverted person, which is drawn in a minimalist style. They call it Naf, which will be Fang upside down, and in English “Fun”.

Yota continues its development even now. The number of subscribers does not stop growing every year, and the operator continues to expand the coverage area and improve the quality of communication.

Yota company appeared back in 2007. But the mobile operator gained real popularity only 7 years later, when it started selling SIM cards in Russia. It was then that many people had a question, what kind of dark horse is this, Yota belongs to whom?

History of company owners

Initially, the owner of the brand was Scartel LLC. In 2012, the owner of Yota announced that there would be a merger of the company's assets with OJSC MegaFon. Then the holding corporation Garsdale was created.

When selling Yota, the owner lost the rights to a controlling stake. The assets of the new holding were divided among three companies. AF Telecom received 82% of the shares, the remaining shares were owned by Telconet Capital and Russian Technologies State Corporation.

The association had several goals:

• acceleration of the process of development of new communication technologies in the country;


• providing high-quality communication to all residents of Russia;


• integration and obtaining new solutions in the field of telecommunication services;


• cost reduction in the construction of the LTE network;


• occupying a leading position in the global market.

Present day

In September 2015, the sole owner of all Yota assets is MagaFon.

The corporation is successfully developing, in July of this year sales of SIM-cards started in 52 regions of the country. For customers, the company offers unlimited tariff plans with an affordable cost, high connection speed and a large coverage area in Russia.

Yota was not only the first in the world to launch the latest LTE-Advanced mobile connection, but also allowed subscribers to communicate for free, pay for long-distance calls in the same way as if a person is in their home region.

The history of the Yota operator began in 2007, when the company was founded, while the test launch of the first networks took place only in 2008. At first, WiMax technology was used, only then Iota switched to LTE technology. Today MegaFon and Iota act together, according to official information MegaFon is the parent company. Consider the results of this union and compare the current tariff plans.

In fact, Yota is MegaFon. If we dig a little deeper, we will find that in 2014 Iota took place as a virtual cellular operator. Cooperation with MegaFon, expressed in the merger of assets, took place in July 2012. Their coverage areas almost completely coincide, with the exception of some cities in which MegaFon has built LTE Band 20 networks - here Yota does not work (in 4G format).

Iota is a subsidiary of MegaFon, but it is not one company. Yota is a virtual operator using the equipment of its parent company. Therefore, the question of whose towers Yota uses is very easy to answer - Yota uses MegaFon's towers and its own towers that existed before the merger of assets. MegaFon bought Yota by buying shares in Scartel. Information slipped in the media that the Yota brand would be destroyed, but today we see that this is not so - the daughter works as virtual operator and belongs to the organization that bought it. Roughly speaking, now it is almost one company, but the directions of activities of the brands are different.

Iota is MegaFon or not

Many people think that Iota and MegaFon are one and the same. This is not to say that this is not so, but the positioning of brands is still different. MegaFon remains a traditional operator, while Yota is virtual and focuses on unlimited internet. Today, this internet is only available on tablet PCs and modems/routers. Until January 25, 2017, unlimited was also on smartphones, but then it was removed.

MegaFon and Iota are almost identical in terms of coverage, but differ in billing. Therefore, it is very difficult to answer which is better - it all depends on the preferences of the subscriber. For example, if you need unlimited mobile Internet from a computer, you should not hesitate to choose Iota - MegaFon does not have full unlimited. In terms of voice quality, both operators are almost identical.

There is one more difference - MegaFon has a lot of information, entertainment and service services. The catalog contains services for making money transfers, horn connections, geolocation services, mobile subscriptions and much more. Iota does not have all this diversity, therefore given operator Suitable for those who do not like imposed services.

Tariff plans of MegaFon

If you need high-quality voice communication and fast Internet on your smartphone, we advise you to take a closer look at MegaFon's tariff plans. The profitable line “Turn on!” Works here, offering subscribers several tariff plans for any needs.

TP "Turn on! Chat"

Tariff "Turn on! Communicate” is a balanced offer for medium-active subscribers. For only 600 rubles / month. we receive 500 minutes of calls to any phones in the country, both mobile and landlines (including local ones), 12 GB of Internet traffic (for any needs), free traffic to mobile TV with the MegaFon package channel , as well as two films from the video archive.

Also on the tariff there is an interesting addition - this is unlimited traffic for social networks and instant messengers. It applies to the super-popular Odnoklassniki and VK, to foreign Facebook, as well as to Viber, WhatsApp and eMotion instant messengers. A cool advantage of the tariff plan is its wide coverage area - this is the whole of Russia.

TP "Turn on! Look"

Tariff "Turn on! Look" is a suggestion designed for those who love not only communication, but also video content. The subscription fee is 900 rubles / month, it includes 16 GB of total Internet traffic, unlimited YouTube and unlimited access to the above social networks and instant messengers. For chatting with friends, relatives, acquaintances and other people, 1200 minutes are allocated for a month. As a bonus - four films from their archive, as well as a package of MegaFon channels and free traffic on MegaFon TV.

The tariff plan works in domestic roaming without changing the billing.

TP "Turn on! Speak"

Tariff plan "Turn on! Speak" provides for a subscription fee of 500 rubles per month. The range of services here is quite limited - it is 600 minutes of communication in Russia, 3 GB of Internet and unlimited traffic for instant messengers. Free unlimited traffic for mobile TV is also provided, but without a package of channels - it will have to be paid separately. The tariff works throughout Russia and aimed at those who rarely use Internet services.

TP "Turn on! Listen"

We have a tariff plan for true music lovers who need nothing but music. The subscription fee is only 300 rubles per month, it includes 250 local minutes, 6 GB of traffic, special traffic for music services and instant messengers. The list of music services includes the most popular Yandex.Music, Zvooq, BOOM and Vkontakte Music. Free mobile TV is also provided with the MegaFon package. The tariff works throughout Russia, but intercity is paid separately.

TP "Turn on! Write"

Tariff "Turn on! Write" created specially for those who prefer communication in text mode but does not want to spend extra cash. For 350 rubles / month. subscribers receive 350 local minutes, 200 local SMS, as well as traffic for messengers. There is also a small package of regular traffic (only 2 GB) and traffic for mobile TV. A striking drawback is that the tariff does not save home billing in roaming within the Russian Federation.

TP "Turn on! Premium»

Mega-fare for the most talkative people and those who cannot live without mobile internet. It includes 5,000 minutes in Russia, traffic for an extended number of social networks and instant messengers (hello to Telegram and Instagram lovers), access to music services, unlimited for three video hosting sites - Rutube, YouTube and Vimeo, as well as 20 GB of regular traffic. Also mobile TV with the “Basic” package works on the tariff and three channels for adults, access to four films from the archive is provided. The subscription fee is healthy - 3000 rubles / month.

Please note that on all tariff plans, after the main package of minutes is used up, on-net unlimited is activated (on the “Turn on! Write” tariff, it only applies to local MegaFon numbers).

Iota tariff plans

Let's take a look at what Iota offers us (or Eta is an erroneous, but common spelling of the operator's name). Its tariffs are divided into three categories - for smartphones, tablets and modems / routers. A single tariff plan works on smartphones, and it is very flexible. Minimum subscription fee is 370 rubles / month. - it includes 200 minutes within Russia and 2 GB of traffic. A package of 5,000 minutes and 30 GB of traffic will already cost 2,850 rubles per month.

It would be more correct to say that packages on Iota are allocated not for a month, but for 30 days - such a tricky billing.

As an add-on, the following options are connected:

• "Unlimited SMS" - 50 rubles / month;
• Messengers - 15 rubles each. everyone;
• Social networks - 25 rubles each. each;
• YouTube - 100 rubles.

Tariff parameters can be adjusted at any time at your discretion.

For tablet PCs, a full unlimited from Iota works. It can be paid for a day, a month or a year at once - the longer the paid period, the cheaper the connection. A day of access costs 50 rubles, a month - 500 rubles, a year - 4500 rubles. Traffic is not limited in any way, but you cannot use torrents - the speed will be cut to 64 kbps.

For computers, Iota offers full unlimited traffic. There is even a free package that runs at 64 kbps- such a snail's speed is enough for communication in ICQ, Skype, Telegram and other instant messengers in text mode. The next speed indicator is 512 kbps, it costs 400 rubles / month. For 1400 rubles / month. we get unlimited at the maximum available speed. In total, about two dozen speed gradations are provided.

Internet from Iota is also connected under the following conditions:

• 5 Mbps - 5400 rubles / year;
• 10 Mbps - 6900 rubles / year;
• Maximum speed - 9000 rubles / year;
• 2 hours of access - 50 rubles one time;
• Day of access - 150 rubles one-time.

Thus, Iota is beneficial for those who need unlimited Internet- from a PC it can be distributed to other devices.

Another federal operator appears in Russia under the Yota brand, which MegaFon, after buying the company, decided to keep and develop as a separate project. In many ways, this operator will be a testing ground for both new services and approaches to the sale of SIM-cards, customer service. Perhaps, if this example turns out to be successful, then we will see symmetrical responses from MTS and Beeline, and the number of large operators will unexpectedly double. To understand this topic, let's first study the history of virtual operators on Russian soil.

Virtual operators in Russia - the background of the issue

The idea of ​​a virtual operator in Russian realities has gone from a pipe dream to reality. Initially, the Western experience of MVNO was seen as something outlandish, something that needs to be launched in Russia in order to limit the brutal appetites of operators and spur competition. Absence legislative framework, the opposition of the Big Three, the lack of a clear justification for the need for "virtual operators" - all this created an unhealthy hype around this phenomenon. If in Western countries MVNO acted as a tool for price competition, moreover, a tool launched on the market by the regulator, and not by other players, then in Russia all these attempts turned into a resounding fiasco. And the reason is not at all in the mythical opposition of the big three, the unwillingness to let in new players - although this was present, the main reason was the banal lack of excess traffic from operators that could be sold. One of the main conditions for the emergence of a virtual operator is an excess of capacity that can be wholesaled to a third company. Actually, this is how MVNOs appeared in Europe, they traded excess traffic under their own brand, and the regulators got involved in the game later and imposed their own conditions, which many operators considered enslaving, but could not do anything.

The Russian experience of building virtual operators can be considered to some extent unique and different from the world. Even in the absence of a formed legislative framework, MegaFon began to attract new partners, giving them access to its network, which in the early 2000s had surplus traffic, since both MTS and Beeline only increased and yielded to the subscriber base. The other two operators of the big three didn't even have the urge to play these games, they grew up steadily and weren't into guerrilla games. For MegaFon, the term “virtual operator” meant those very connections of new subscribers that could be considered as their own, that gave an increase in the subscriber base, for which they fought at any cost. It was then that the Allo Incognito operator appeared, which can be considered one of the oldest virtual operators in Russia. Two years later, MegaFon already tested the scheme, and virtual operators began to appear like mushrooms after the rain - Aviatel, West Call, Globus Telecom, ComStar, Sinter, Matrix Telecom and others. In 2006, a project from the Central Telegraph appeared - Megatel.

A typical feature of Russian virtual operators of that time was the focus on their customers, the de facto creation of communication services within the framework of the activities that companies were already engaged in. No one tried to become a federal operator, to go beyond the boundaries of the niche. There was an ambiguity about the legal framework, a lack of sufficient investment, and an unwillingness to play in the Big Three field. And the absence of excess traffic, which by the beginning of 2010 put the very idea of ​​virtual operators in Russia into question. Under current licenses, virtual operators in Russia can not only resell the traffic of other companies, but also develop their own infrastructure. Almost no one takes advantage of this opportunity, as it requires large investments and a different approach. We can note such a newcomer as WhyFly, which appeared on the market in 2013 and works only in the Moscow region on the Beeline network. This company installed its own billing system and launched a call center, which made it possible to compare favorably with Beeline, the service of which the company sells. I am sure that for most readers this operator is unknown. This is typical for any Russian virtual operator, only a few know and remember about them.

In 2009, MegaFon had a rather curious experience, the “Just for Communication” tariff was launched as a kind of virtual operator, but in fact, it was a regular tariff plan, and MegaFon's marketing decided to use the hype around this topic and thus attract new subscribers. They succeeded to the fullest.

In Europe, in recent years, they have begun to use an approach that MegaFon accidentally used - operators create their own clones on their networks, but position them differently, as a rule, cheaper. Due to this, the subscriber base is expanding, and the different positioning of each of the projects allows you to fight with almost any company. This is a winning strategy.

Yota is another federal telecom operator

Yota believes that they are creating a fourth federal operator, although Tele2 has long aimed at this place after the sale of VTB, in particular, Rostelecom at the end of last year discussed a plan for the development and transfer of all its assets to the new merged company. The blocking factor is the need to transfer not only material values, but also communication licenses, Tele2 did not have them for 3G / 4G networks, which made the company lagging behind in all regions of its presence - it only had text messages and voice. I am sure that the process of forming the fourth operator based on Tele2 will take a long time, as a result, Yota has every chance of becoming the federal operator number 4. Ultimately, in 2015 we will get at least 5 federal operators (the big three, Yota, Tele2), plus, perhaps, similar projects will be launched in MTS and Beeline. There will be a sort of fashion for virtual operators, the same fresh blood and imaginary competition that the market needs. In the eyes of consumers, these operators will compete with each other, although in reality it will only be an appearance.

Let me remind you that Yota was acquired by MegaFon, although it retained its legal independence, it operates separately. However, MegaFon consolidates all Yota data in its financial statements. The 4G networks built by Yota are used by MegaFon to provide related services. After the acquisition of Yota, the company became the largest holder of frequencies for LTE in Russia, none of the competitors will be able to get equal opportunities, although Yota, at the suggestion of the regulator, promised non-discriminatory access to its network. But the same MTS is in no hurry to take advantage of this opportunity, trying to build own network and give a symmetrical answer.

The appearance of a subsidiary operator for MegaFon is a kind of experiment based on European experience. But if in Europe operators consider their brand to be premium and usually create discounters or low-cost operators that separate from their brand, then in the case of Yota, the situation is reversed - this operator focuses on a young, energetic audience. Which does not mean the discounter format at all, but rather additional service opportunities, unusual chips, bolted to an existing basic service, and as a result, its high cost. To some extent I have new operator Yota is associated with Oleg Tinkov's bank, which is trying to compete with the monsters of the market through various convenient services, little things and a pretty good basic service. Yota was clearly inspired by the example of this bank and tried to create something similar, but in the field of telecom. However, let's see how it will look.

How Yota virtual operator works

Both MegaFon and Yota will share the same networks, in fact, voice, SMS, etc. will come from MegaFon, and access to LTE will come from Yota. However, this is not so important, since in the end the same basic service will be comparable. The question remains whether Yota will be able to set priorities for its subscribers on the same network or whether MegaFon will not allow it. I bet that there will be attempts to show such initiative, but they will be quickly stopped by slapping on the hands.

In the middle of summer, Yota plans to launch itself as a virtual operator in Moscow and the Moscow region, as well as St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, where connection will become possible. Of course, with these SIM-cards it will be possible to travel all over the country, go on roaming - the rates, apparently, will be equal to those offered by MegaFon for its subscribers.

At the end of 2014, it is planned to gradually expand the geography of the virtual operator, first those cities will be connected where Yota had the maximum number of users as a WiMax operator or mobile operator before the purchase by MegaFon.

AT this moment formed commercial offers the new federal operator does not, until mid-summer, focus groups will be held in Moscow and St. Petersburg, which should show the profile of service consumption, for example, traffic volume. Depending on this, tariff offers will be formed by mid-summer, but the approach itself can be called a classic from Yota. That is, it is assumed that these will be certain packages, including voice, SMS, traffic.

For the period of initial launch and testing for Moscow, the price is set at 750 rubles (St. Petersburg - 590 rubles), this money includes 300 minutes of voice, unlimited SMS, as well as unlimited Internet without any speed limits. Prices will be revised in the future.

This approach has a certain legacy of Yota, which already tried to make real, unlimited, unlimited, but quickly faced the need to cut off torrents, limit those who download too much, and eventually began to control traffic in the same way as other operators. If this virtual operator becomes popular, its users will face exactly the same approach, they will be cut off traffic. The only question is when it will happen and under what circumstances.

For Yota, there is a very thin line between own sales and profits, as well as cannibalizing MegaFon's sales. A change in MegaFon's tariff line is under the influence of competitors, and the built-in system should immediately respond. This is much more difficult than just creating a separate operator that competes only with other market players and does not depend on the profits of the parent company. This is the biggest pitfall in this story.

An interesting question is how Yota will try to sell its services - this is a complete rejection of traditional retail, since the latter is quite expensive and the new federal operator does not have enough budget to pay for the sale of each card. As a result, it was decided to sell services cheaply and cheerfully, in an innovative way - a program from the operator will appear in the application stores, in which you can not only control your SIM card, but you can, without being a subscriber, pick up a phone number, order it delivery and pay for services.

This is a forced step, since MegaFon's own retail is unable to sell both its own SIM cards and "competing" ones. Yes, this is stupid, it will lead to the very cannibalization that they want to avoid at all costs. In Euroset and Svyaznoy, the approach is pragmatic, operators must pay for each subscriber and connection, the cost is from $ 10 and more. For Yota, this is too high a cost. As a result, only independent sales on the Yota.ru website remain, plus such an application.

To attract subscribers, a large federal campaign will start in the summer - you will see Yota ads on television, on large billboards along the roads. This will provide initial interest in the “new” operator, and then it will be necessary to see how many people want to try it and are ready to connect. From the experience of the first coming of Yota, I note that the most interesting thing will be to look at the outflow of subscribers and the reasons why they will stop using the operator.

First Impressions

In this story, there are many unknowns that are incomprehensible, first of all, to those who started this game of the fourth operator. What should be the prices for services in order not to compete with MegaFon? What will be the demand for a virtual operator and what are the marketing costs? Non-traditional sales channels have not been tested at all in terms of SIM cards, how will they manifest themselves? There are far more questions than answers at the moment.

This is a very beautiful story for MegaFon when an operator creates an additional brand and is ready to promote its services at its expense. But there is a problem - operators all over the world create virtual operators with cheaper offers than their own. MegaFon, on the contrary, is creating an operator with an ARPU that clearly exceeds the one the company has. This is another weak point of this project.

We need to look at what Yota will end up with - it is possible that the project will shoot and become an example for others. But it is possible that exactly the opposite will happen. None of us can predict this, I repeat, there are too many unknowns and variables.

For our readers, in the coming weeks, a project with Yota will start, within which you will be able to get into a focus group and be the first in Russia to receive Yota SIM cards. Stay tuned, we will tell you how to do it. This article will contain a link to a form in which you can submit an application for testing a SIM card from Yota (only in Moscow and the region, as well as St. Petersburg).

What do you think about the fourth federal and virtual operator? Will you try his services? What makes him attractive to you? Write your comments, I assure you that all Yota top managers will carefully study them.