MegaFon to sue antitrust for natl roaming cancellation, MTS in talks

MOSCOW, Aug 14 (PRIME) -- Russian mobile operator MegaFon will file a lawsuit on Monday against the local Federal Antimonopoly Service against its warning to eliminate national internetwork roaming, while its rival MTS is cooperating with the watchdog, the companies’ spokespeople said.

“It’s impossible to fulfil the antimonopoly service’s warrant. (MegaFon)’s position has not changed. We’ve been offering our subscribers a choice of tariff plans with prices of calls equal to those in home regions and various options to optimize expenses of subscribers since long ago. The company will file a lawsuit to court today,” a MegaFon spokesperson said.

The antitrust authority warned the country’s four main operators – MTS, MegaFon, VimpelCom, and T2 RTK Holding – to make equal tariffs in home regions and across the country, which means the abolition of internetwork roaming. The service’s Deputy Director Anatoly Golomolzin said earlier that the warning should be respected by August 10–13.

MTS’ spokesperson Dmitry Solodovnikov said the company is cooperating with the antimonopoly service on the fulfillment of its warrant.

“We’re in dialogue with the Federal Antimonopoly Service,” Solodovnikov said.

On August 11, a service spokesperson said the authority was receiving information from the four operators regarding the warning.

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