Mobile operators to hike prices in January due to VAT increase

MOSCOW, Dec 24 (PRIME) -- Russian big mobile operators MegaFon, VimpelCom, working as Beeline, and T2 RTK Holding, working as Tele2, are notifying subscribers about rising prices from January because of a rise of value-added tax (VAT), PRIME reported late on December 21.

VimpelCom announced on its website changes in some prices from January 1 and from January 10 for some international directions. “Beeline traditionally updates old archive tariffs and services guided by changing demands of clients and offers them to consider transfering to more recent tariffs,” a company spokesperson said.

T2 RTK Holding also warned its clients of changes in some old tariffs from January 1. “The company has been keeping prices for a long time. At that Tele2 cannot help considering changes on the market, in the industry and the economy. This is why the operator is forced to revise prices of services sometimes,” the company said in a statement.

MegaFon has started informing clients with SMS about changes in tariffs from January 9, several users of its services told PRIME.

TMT Consulting General Director Konstantin Ankilov explained the changes by VAT’s rise from January 1.

TelecomDaily General Director Denis Kuskov said tariffs will rise in January because of VAT by 2–5%. “There will be another rise later because of fulfilment of the data retention law and other factors,” he said.

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