Experts named the operator with the highest speed of mobile Internet. Speedtest chose the best mobile operator in Russia, but everything is not so clear Mobile Internet speed comparison

For a long time, there were no offers with unlimited Internet without restrictions on traffic and speed on the cellular market. Once upon a time, almost all operators had such offers, but over time they became unavailable for connection and unlimited Internet without any restrictions became something unrealistic. In 2016, finally, subscribers had the opportunity to use mobile Internet without worrying about the amount of traffic spent. At first, the operator Yota provided such an opportunity, and after that Beeline, MTS and MegaFon got unlimited Internet.

Speaking of unlimited, we mean the absence of restrictions on the speed and volume of traffic consumed. Operators also call unlimited and those offers that include a certain package of traffic, after which, after the exhaustion of which, the speed of Internet access drops. It turns out that the subscriber really receives unlimited Internet, but there is little sense from him, since having used up the available traffic package, the speed will drop to an extremely low value.

As part of this review, we will consider tariffs and options that provide for unlimited mobile Internet without speed limits and traffic quotas. Yota, Beeline, MTS and MegaFon have such offers today. We will make a detailed review of all offers and try to determine the best. It is now quite possible to connect unlimited Internet, but you should not hope that it will be the same as before. Unfortunately, there are no restrictions at all.

Unlimited Internet on Beeline

For a long time, unlimited mobile Internet was available only from the Yota operator, but it does not have such a large customer base as Beeline, MegaFon and MTS, and therefore there was not much noise around this proposal, although it also deserves attention and we will return to it later . As for the big three, Beeline was the first to offer unlimited Internet. Postpaid tariffs of the Vse line include mobile Internet without speed limits and traffic quotas. Postpaid tariffs differ from prepaid ones in that they provide the opportunity to first use communication services and then pay. Most often, you can switch to such tariffs at the Beeline office. Unlimited Internet Beeline on postpaid tariffs "Everything" is available as part of the promotion, which has been repeatedly extended and is valid to this day.

Beeline decided not to stop at postpaid tariffs with unlimited mobile Internet and opened the “#possibleALL” tariff plan for connection, which provides for an advance payment method. There is also a tariff plan with unlimited internet for tablets. So far, Beeline has three active offers with unlimited internet.

Tariffs "Everything" postpaid;
Tariff "Everything is possible";
Tariff "Unlimited for tablet".

Tariffs have a number of differences and features, so you should consider them separately.

Postpaid tariffs "Everything" with unlimited internet

Postpaid tariffs of the “Vse” line differ in the size of the subscription fee and the volume of service packages, but they all provide for unlimited Internet without speed limits and traffic quotas. The most popular is . We have already done a detailed review of this tariff plan and recommend that you familiarize yourself with it. Here is a summary of the rates.

The tariff "All for 500" postpaid includes:

Monthly subscription fee - 500 rubles;
Unlimited calls to Beeline numbers throughout Russia;
600 minutes for calls to numbers of other operators;
300 SMS messages;
Unlimited internet with unlimited traffic quota.

As you can see, in addition to unlimited Internet, the tariff plan provides for unlimited calls to Beeline numbers at home and while traveling in Russia, as well as impressive packages of minutes and SMS. All this is wonderful, but it was not without pitfalls. The subscriber really gets the opportunity to use the Internet without speed limits and traffic quotas, but subject to certain conditions.

The “All” postpaid tariffs are characterized by the following features:

If a phone with a SIM card is used as a modem or Wi-Fi hotspot, Internet access is limited. Restrictions are comparable to a complete shutdown of the Internet.
The tariff plan cannot be used on modems, routers and even tablets. Unlimited mobile internet is only available for phones.
The tariff provides for a speed limit on downloading from file-sharing networks. That is, you will not be able to download files through torrent clients.
In the document with a detailed description of the tariff plan, you can find a clause stating that the operator does not guarantee Internet speed in case of network load. In fact, at any time you can cut the speed of access to the network and refer to this item.
On the tariffs of the “Everything” line with a postpaid settlement system, the “Internet for everything” service is not available. Recall that this service is designed to distribute the Internet to other subscribers (not via Wi-Fi).

Undoubtedly, the shortcomings are very significant and greatly spoil the impression of the tariff. However, Beeline has other offers with unlimited Internet, although they are also far from ideal.

Tariff "#you can EVERYTHING"

The tariff plan appeared quite recently. Many argue that this is the answer of the MTS company, which opened the “Smart Unlimited” tariff plan for connection, which surpasses the “Vse” postpaid tariffs in many respects. It is difficult to say whether this tariff is the best, and the opinions of subscribers in this regard differ greatly. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the description of the tariff, and then decide what is best for you.

The daily fee is 10 rubles for the first month. From the second month, the subscription fee rises to 13 rubles. per day for most regions of Russia and 20 rubles. for Moscow and Moscow region. The cost of switching to the tariff is 100 rubles. The tariff is not the cheapest and for this fee you should expect a lot from it.

The tariff can be all Beeline includes:

Unlimited mobile Internet throughout Russia without speed and traffic restrictions;
Unlimited calls to phones of Beeline Russia subscribers;
100 minutes (in most regions) or 250 minutes (Moscow and Moscow region) to all networks in the home region and Beeline Russia phones;
100 SMS (in most regions) or 250 SMS (Moscow and Moscow region) to numbers in your home region.

If we compare the “#possible” tariff with the “Everything for 500” postpaid tariff, then the second one looks more attractive, as it includes more impressive service packages. With regards to the Internet, here the “everything is possible” tariff has almost similar conditions. The tariff plan appeared quite recently and not all of its features are known yet. Below are a number of shortcomings of the tariff, which have official confirmation. Unofficial information (subscriber reviews) suggests many other shortcomings.

The tariff "#possible" is characterized by the following disadvantages:

Such conditions are typical for the “#possible-ALL” tariff. As you can see, there are enough pitfalls here and it is difficult to call this tariff plan ideal. However, ideal rates do not exist at all. If you are a fan of Beeline, then this one has another offer with unlimited internet.

Tariff "Unlimited for tablet"

The tariffs described above are for the phone. If you need unlimited Internet for a tablet, then Beeline has an offer specifically for these devices. provides mobile Internet without restrictions on traffic quota and speed. A distinctive feature of the tariff plan is that it is not characterized by protocol restrictions. That is, when downloading files from file-sharing networks (torrents), the Internet speed will not change. So far, this is the only tariff with unlimited internet that does not have a limit on downloading file-sharing networks. However, this is where its benefits end.

The subscription fee for the tariff is 890 rubles. per month (Moscow and Moscow region). Packages of minutes and SMS are completely absent. In fact, you only pay for unlimited internet. Moreover, by default The tariff does not provide for the ability to call or send messages at all. Connection of voice communication and SMS-messages services is possible only upon conclusion of a written contract for the provision of mobile radiotelephone communication services. The conclusion of the contract is possible at any Beeline sales office.

As for the disadvantages, everything here is similar to the tariffs described earlier, with the exception of the absence of restrictions on torrents. It is worth adding that on the “Unlimited for Tablet” tariff plan, the “Highway” options, as well as promotions and other bonus programs that give discounts on Internet traffic, are not available for connection. The disadvantage is that despite the high subscription fee, the tariff does not include communication service packages.

Unlimited Internet on MTS

MTS provides subscribers with only one tariff plan with unlimited Internet without speed limits and traffic quotas. This does not mean that MTS is lagging behind Beeline in terms of unlimited Internet. MTS does not have a separate tariff for a tablet or a tariff plan with a postpaid payment system. available not only on phones but also on tablets. As for the use of the tariff in the modem, there is also a limitation in this regard. But "Smart Unlimited" does not provide for restrictions on the distribution of the Internet via Wi-Fi and the use of the phone as a modem. By removing this restriction, MTS stood out favorably from other operators. However, here, too, it was not without pitfalls.

The "Smart Unlimited" tariff includes:

Unlimited Internet without speed limits and traffic quotas;
Unlimited calls to MTS numbers throughout Russia;
200 minutes to numbers of all networks in your region;
200 SMS messages to numbers of all networks in your region.

Packages of minutes and SMS are small. Few people worry about SMS, but minutes may not be enough and then you will have to pay extra. Calls to MTS Russia numbers are also included in the 200 minute package. Only after the package is exhausted, calls to MTS outside the home region become free, but you will have to pay for calls to mobile operators of other home regions. As you can see, everything here is very confusing and tricky. Regarding the Internet, there are also a lot of tricks. The subscription fee in most regions is 12.90 rubles. per day. Subscribers in Moscow and the Moscow region pay 12.90 rubles for the first month. per day, and from the second month 19 rubles per day.

Of course, the “Smart Unlimited” tariff has drawbacks and there are quite a lot of them. The most annoying thing is that the list of shortcomings is constantly growing. This is not because we did not identify them in a timely manner. The fact is that since the time of MTS it has been changing the conditions for the tariff and a similar phenomenon is typical for all operators. Below is a list of shortcomings that are relevant today.

Disadvantages of the "Smart Unlimited" tariff:

A SIM card with an activated "Smart Unlimited" tariff cannot be used in a modem or router. Is it possible to bypass this limitation? Yes, it's possible, but it's not easy to do. We have already written about.
The “Smart Unlimited” tariff is characterized by a limitation on downloading from file-sharing networks (torrents). If you try, these restrictions can be bypassed.
The document with a detailed description of the tariff indicates that it is possible to limit the speed of Internet access in case of a heavy load on the network. All operators providing tariffs with unlimited Internet insure themselves with such a review.

We have devoted a whole series of articles to this tariff plan. If you believe the reviews of visitors, then the tariff has a lot of shortcomings. However, we believe that this is true for all operators. It is hardly worth counting on the fact that someday the mobile Internet will appear again without any restrictions.

Unlimited Internet on MegaFon

MegaFon does not have a separate tariff plan with unlimited Internet without speed limits and traffic quotas, but there is a special option "MegaUnlimited". Access option for connecting to the tariffs of the All Inclusive line. As in the case of other tariffs, the MegaUnlimited option provides for a number of restrictions. The subscription fee depends on the region and tariff plan.

As an example, we present data that is relevant for Moscow and the region. So, on the tariffs "MegaFon - All Inclusive L, XL" within the framework of the "MegaUnlimited" option, it will cost 5 rubles per day. If you use the tariffs "MegaFon - All Inclusive M" or "Warm welcome M", then the daily fee will be 7 rubles. For the tariff plans of the line "MegaFon - All Inclusive S" and "Warm Welcome S" the price is set at 9 rubles. If you have activated the "MegaFon - All Inclusive VIP" tariff, then the "MegaUnlimited" option will be provided to you free of charge.

Features of the "MegaUnlimited" option:

The option is only available on phones, smartphones and tablets. You will not be able to use the option in a modem or router.
The use of torrent resources and wi-fi tethering is limited. That is, when you try to download a file through a torrent client, the speed will drop to an extremely low value. Distributing the Internet via Wi-Fi also does not work.
The option is valid only within the home region.
The option is available for connection to subscribers of all regions, except for the Taimyr District, Norilsk, Magadan Region, Kamchatka Territory, Chukotka Autonomous District.

Many will think that MegaFon lags behind competitors in terms of unlimited Internet, but in fact this is not the case. Unlimited Internet without speed and traffic restrictions has long been provided by MegaFon's subsidiary Yota. If you want to connect the "MegaUnlimited" option, dial the command * 105 * 1153 # on your phone or send an empty SMS to 05001153.

Unlimited Internet from Yota

Yota offers quite attractive conditions for tariffs with unlimited mobile Internet. Many believe that this operator has too little coverage and is available only in large regions of the country. Actually Yota services are available wherever MegaFon has a connection, and this is a very impressive coverage area.

Provides very flexible settings. That is, you have the opportunity to independently choose the maximum Internet speed and cost. Yota does not have tariffs similar to those offered by MTS or Beeline. This operator offers to select the Internet for a specific device (phone, tablet, modem). First you need to decide on the device on which you will use the Internet, and then you yourself determine the optimal conditions for yourself.

Yota tariff for smartphones

The tariff for smartphones includes unlimited calls within the network and unlimited internet. You set the package of minutes for calls to numbers of other operators yourself. The minimum cost of the tariff is 230 rubles per month. For this money you get:

Unlimited Internet (there are a number of restrictions, see below);
Unlimited calls to Yota numbers throughout Russia;
Unlimited SMS (for an additional fee of 50 rubles);
100 minutes to numbers of other operators in Russia.
If 100 minutes is not enough for you, you can increase the package to 300, 600, 900 or 1200 minutes. The larger the package of minutes, the more expensive the tariff.

Unlimited Internet Yota is designed for smartphones. If you need Internet for a tablet or modem, connect tariffs specially designed for these devices. You cannot use your smartphone as a modem or WI-FI hotspot. No one will block you for these actions, the Internet speed will simply be limited to 128 Kbps. You can also forget about using file-sharing networks, since the speed will be limited to 32 Kbps.

Yota tariff for tablet

If you need unlimited Internet for your tablet, then Yota has a special offer for such cases. The tariff for the tablet provides for mobile Internet without speed limits and traffic quotas. You have the opportunity to independently determine the period of access to the Internet. Internet for a day will cost you 50 rubles, for a month you will have to pay 590 rubles, and a year of Internet at high speed will cost 4500 rubles. Rates are relevant for Moscow and the Moscow region, in other regions the monthly fee will be lower.

The tariff plan is valid throughout Russia. Packages of minutes and SMS are not provided within this tariff. The cost of outgoing calls within Russia to all numbers is 3.9 rubles. in a minute. A similar cost is set for outgoing SMS.

Of course, there are no limits here. The Yota tariff provides for a number of restrictions that make it less attractive.

The tariff is subject to the following restrictions:

Unlimited Internet is provided only for use on tablets;
When using a SIM card in modems or routers, the speed is limited to 64 Kbps;
For downloading / distributing files in torrents, there is a speed limit of up to 32 kbps;
When distributing the Internet via WI-FI or using a tablet in modem mode, the speed is limited to 128 Kbps;
When you are in the Crimea and Sevastopol, special tariff conditions apply. For example, the cost of the Internet is 9 rubles. for every 100 kb.

Yota tariff for modem

To date, only the Yota operator has unlimited Internet for a modem without speed limits and traffic quotas. The tariff for the modem also has flexible settings. You can choose between price and speed. If you need unlimited mobile Internet at maximum speed, then the subscription fee will be 1400 rubles per month (Moscow and Moscow region). If this is too expensive for you, you can reduce the monthly fee by reducing the Internet speed. For example, Internet at a speed of 1 Mbps will cost 600 rubles per month. You can also connect unlimited Internet for a day for 150 rubles or even for 2 hours for 50 rubles.

As for restrictions, there are none. You can use the tariff in a modem or router, distributing the Internet via Wi-Fi. We did not find information about restrictions on downloading from file-sharing networks. So far, this is the only tariff with unlimited mobile Internet that can be used in a modem or router. MTS and Beeline have long closed such tariffs and options for connection. In general, we can say that Yota is a good operator for the Internet, and if you find yourself in the coverage area of this operator, then you definitely need to study its offers in detail.

Best deal

It is unlikely that someone will be able to answer you which operator provides the best tariff with unlimited Internet. It all depends on the preferences of a particular person, and therefore opinions will differ. If you have read the entire review in full, then you already have an understanding that all proposals have drawbacks. Unfortunately, the truly profitable offers have long been unavailable for connection.

Previously, unlimited Internet without restrictions was provided by Beeline, MTS and MegaFon, but over time, the load on the network increased and operators considered such offers unprofitable for themselves. No matter what we are told, but every operator always thinks first of all about profit, but not about the benefit of subscribers. All current tariffs with unlimited internet are far from ideal, but we have no choice but to choose from what we have.

We tested all the tariffs listed in the article, but we will not impose anything specific on you, since there really is no better guess. You yourself must choose the best option for yourself, depending on your own preferences.

. . Date: October 14, 2016. Reading time 4 min.

Advertising of mobile Internet services is not always worth believing: unlimited tariffs usually cost more than those with a traffic limit, and Tele-2 has no unlimited at all. Beeline and Megafon have the most favorable conditions, but MTS is more expensive than the rest.

You will not surprise anyone with the Internet in a cell phone: modern models support the high-speed 4G standard. Pages load quickly even if they contain unoptimized content for viewing on smaller displays. However, as before, you have to pay for the services. If you often use your device as a window to the world, you will certainly be interested in information about the best mobile internet. Which company - MTS, Megafon, Beeline or Tele-2 offers the best rates?

MTS

MTS is able to connect up to 5 devices to the mobile Internet. The cost of such a service is 100 rubles. The bottom line is simple: the network is configured on a smartphone and from it you can distribute traffic to other phones or tablets. Moreover, it is not necessary that these devices are next to each other: it is enough that they are connected to a telecom operator in the same home region. MTS has only 3 tariffs: Mini, Maxi and VIP. The difference between them lies in the amount of traffic and cost. But if the limit is used up, you can always buy another day or more.

When traveling in Russia, mobile Internet will cost +50 rubles. per day.

The most profitable mobile Internet for a smartphone, if you plan to use it to the maximum, is at the VIP tariff. Actually, only on it is unlimited as such possible, and then only at night.

Conclusion: MTS services will cost 1,200 per month - not cheap.

Beeline

In the “Everything” family of tariffs from Beeline, there is the possibility of connecting unlimited mobile Internet, on a postpaid basis - payment for calls and SMS after the fact. The cost of the service is 500-1800 rubles per month. However, when connecting, you need to pay 500 rubles. - this is a guaranteed amount that is returned to the client if he pays for cellular services in good faith during the quarter. There are no restrictions on the use of the network, regardless of the tariff.

Conclusion: Beeline allows you to use unlimited for 500 rubles. Already available!

Megaphone

Megafon also offers an All-Inclusive tariff line without traffic restrictions. To use all the possibilities, you need to activate the MegaBezimit service for the first time for free, repeated connections - 100 rubles. How much you have to pay depends on the tariff.

The Internet without limiting traffic and speed is connected only to the existing tariff, and as a result, it will cost the cheapest on the All Inclusive S tariff plan - 570 rubles.

Conclusion: Megafon is a little more expensive, but according to the usual payment scheme without unnecessary freezing of the reserve amount.

Tele 2

When wondering which operator has the most profitable mobile Internet, you should not bypass Tele-2 either, because. The company offers low prices for services. However, it cannot provide unlimited traffic - all tariffs have a limit on the amount of downloaded information. True, you can always buy more traffic, but this is not the same.

What is the most profitable?

Based on the amount, the proposal from Beeline turned out to be the most budgetary. The company offers unlimited Internet for 500 rubles. per month on the tariff "All for 500" with a postpaid payment system. But if you want to use the usual prepaid method, you can pay 70 rubles. for "All inclusive S" from Megafon.

It is safe to say that the long-awaited third-generation communication has finally come to Ukraine in full. But which operator is the most attractive today in terms of price / quality / coverage in terms of high-speed mobile Internet?

To answer this question, I decided to evaluate the speed, cost and quality of coverage of the following operators: life:), Intertelecom, Kyivstar, MTS Ukraine and Trimob. We tested 3G internet speed in different parts of Kyiv at different times of the day: morning, afternoon, evening and night .

We evaluated the tariff plan in terms of the cost of 3G Internet, although together with 3G, operators can offer free package minutes and SMS, as well as a certain amount of mobile traffic using EDGE technology. The editors are aware that this testing cannot claim complete objectivity due to the technical reasons described below, but still allows us to draw some useful conclusions when choosing an operator and a tariff plan.

As you know, until recently, a subscriber who wanted to use high-speed mobile Internet services in Ukraine had practically no choice: either the Trimob operator with very limited coverage, or Intertelecom, which operates in a somewhat exotic CDMA 2000 standard for our country. Of course, there were a few other niche players, such as People. net, Freshtel, MTS 3 G Connect and others, however, they required the purchase of specific equipment, in addition, their coverage area and Internet speed were clearly insufficient.

And on February 23 this year, the National Commission, which carries out state regulation in the field of communications and informatization, to obtain licenses for 3G communications based on the widespread UMTS technology. As a result of the competition, licenses were obtained by three major players in the Ukrainian mobile market: Kyivstar, MTS Ukraine and life:). All Big Three operators have announced the deployment of 3G communications based on the latest dual-carrier HSPA+ radio technology. Recall that HSPA + is an evolution of HSPA (Evolved High-Speed Packet Access) and theoretically allows you to achieve download speeds of up to 43.2 Mbps and uploads of up to 5.76 Mbps. HSPA+ technology is the pinnacle of the 3G standard today- due to its high performance, it is even called 3.75G.

Already at the beginning of March, the Kyivstar operator offered the media the speed of its 3G Internet in laboratory conditions, at the beginning of April Life:) 3G for everyone in their customer service centers. Since the beginning of June, both operators have announced the launch of 3G networks in Kyiv, Lvov, Odessa, as well as dozens of other cities in Ukraine. Until the end of the year, operators promise to cover all regional centers of our country.

Technical features

Although theoretically HSPA+ technology can achieve download speeds of up to 43.2 Mbps and uploads of up to 5.76 Mbps, in real conditions such bandwidth cannot be obtained. Firstly, the speed of mobile Internet is affected by distance of the subscriber from the base station. The further it is, the more data packets are lost during transmission, respectively, they have to be retransmitted, which reduces the speed.

Secondly, the speed of the Internet channel is affected by number of subscribers currently connected to the base station. The total bandwidth of the "cell" is divided into all users connected to it, and unevenly: the closer the subscriber is to the base station, the higher the speed he will receive. Accordingly, if the peak throughput of one sector of the base station is 42 Mbps, then when two subscribers connect to it, each will receive 21 Mbps, but provided that they are equidistant from it. Otherwise, the speed of the Internet for each of them will be different. At the same time, HSPA+ technology allows the subscriber's smartphone connect to two base stations at the same time, which provides a higher quality connection. So, let's move on to the test results.

life:)

The Astelit operator, which provides mobile communication services under the life:) brand, paid UAH 650 million more for a 3G license than the rest of the tender participants - UAH 3.355 billion. True, the operator got, according to some experts, the "cleanest" frequency bands. Astelit was the first to launch 3G communication in Kyiv and Lvov - on June 4 and May 19, respectively. As a result, at the end of June, the total consumption of 3G+ mobile Internet reached 147 TB in Kyiv and 17 TB in Lviv, which means an increase of 60% and 47%, respectively. According to the operator, approximately 40% of 3G traffic is accounted for by such services as Youtube, Play Market, Cloud and others. On average, life:) subscribers watch about 7.5 thousand hours of Youtube video per day.

Estimation of 3G-Internet bandwidth from life:) showed the most interesting results in our test. At certain points, the download speed, measured using the Speedtest application from Ookla, reached 17-23 Mbps, and the upload speed - 4.36 Mbps. We note right away that none of the other operators could demonstrate such peak performance. The average download speed was 5-7 Mbps.

life:) showed the best 3G internet speed among all operators in our testing

It is noteworthy that our assessment of Astelit as the fastest operator correlates with the data of the Global Net Index report from Ookla, which is based on speed tests on iOS and Android. 3G network from life:) demonstrated in Kyiv the highest download speed (downlink) with a result of 7.54 Mbps.

According to the Global Net Index from Ookla, 3G network from life:) in Kyiv showed the highest download speed

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The 3G network from life:) in Kyiv works stably, the coverage is quite good. Currently, the operator is testing the 3G network in Odessa, there is every reason to believe that the network will continue to be built at an accelerated pace. The current coverage of the 3G network can be tracked on the website.

Prices

The operator offers several 3G tariff plans for new and existing subscribers. As you can see from the information below, the most profitable package is "3G+ GADGET" with a prepaid traffic volume of 8 GB. In this case, the cost of 1 GB of traffic will be UAH 28.12.
"3G+ Smartphone"/ "VIP 3G+ Smartphone"

Name	Traffic volume, GB	Cost, UAH
1GB Internet 3G	1	50/month

"Intertelecom"

In September 2011, the Intertelecom operator carried out a commercial launch of CDMA 2000 EV-DO Rev.B technology in all regions of Ukraine, which ensured data exchange at speeds up to 14.7 Mbps. Recall that the history of this technology began in 1999, when the American company Qualcomm developed the first version of the standard, providing for a downstream speed of at least 2 MB per second. In February 2002, the commercial operation of EVDO Release 0 technology was launched, the standard provided for a peak speed of 2.4 Mbps in the downlink and 153 Kbps in the uplink.

For a long time, CDMA 2000 EV-DO Rev.A and Rev.B were successful only in the corporate segment, as they required purchase of expensive specific equipment. Ordinary UMTS devices (the most common in our country) will not work in such a network. However, many versions of the Apple iPhone 5/5S/6, as well as some devices manufactured by Samsung, Motorola and other manufacturers support this communication standard. To find out which communication standard your smartphone supports, you need to go to the OS settings: for a CDMA smartphone, the MEID identifier will be indicated there, for a GSM device, the IMEI identifier. To install a custom settings profile required to support EV-DO Rev. B, you will have to drive to one of the operator's service centers, the subscriber will not be able to install them on his own.

The maximum speed that was recorded in the Intertelecom network was 8.35 Mbps

Internet access through the operator's network was carried out using a Huawei EC 5321 (Rev.B) mobile Wi-Fi router. The maximum speed that could be obtained - 8.35 Mbps download and 2.57 Mbps upload. The average speed was from 2 to 3 Mbps. It should be noted that the number of Intertelecom's 3G subscribers is already a relatively stable value, in contrast to the Big Three operators, whose number of 3G subscribers will grow exponentially in the near future. Therefore, the speed indicated above can be considered as an established value.

Internet access via the operator's 3G network was carried out using a mobile Wi-Fi router Huawei EC 5321 (Rev.B)

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Prices

Intertelecom offers 7 tariff plans: three of them pay only for the day you use the operator's services, four more provide for monthly payment. The maximum tariff plan Vіlniy den+ offers 45 GB of traffic per month for 210 UAH. Thus, 1 GB of traffic will cost less than 5 UAH, and this is the lowest price on the market for tariff plans with per MB payment. Another advantage of 3G Internet from this operator is a network with nationwide coverage. Among the minuses is the need to purchase additional expensive equipment, for example, a mobile Wi-Fi router.

When the article was being typeset, Intertelecom announced the launch of a new completely unlimited offer "Super 3G Unlimited" for 299 UAH per month, as well as updating other tariff plans.

Kyivstar

The operator launched the 3G network in Kyiv and its suburbs on June 16. According to Kyivstar, more than 300,000 subscribers daily use services in the 3G network, each of them spends 27.9 Mb on average. This is 76.1% more than it was before the launch of 3G.

In the new tariff plans "Smartphone+", "Smartphone Extra" for prepaid and "All for ..." for the contract traffic in social networks is not charged. Subscribers can use Facebook, Twitter, VKontakte and Odnoklassniki without spending package megabytes. The volume of such non-tariffed traffic amounted to 17% of the total 3G traffic of subscribers of tariff plans, on average subscribers spend 13.4 Mb per day on social media surfing.

3.86 Mbps for data transfer - one of the highest rates obtained during testing

The highest speed that was recorded during testing was 7.86 Mbps download and 3.86 Mbps upload. The average speed was in the range of 3-5 Mbps.

Consolidated test results of 3G-Internet in Kyivstar network

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To date, Kyivstar has opened a 3G network for commercial use already in 87 settlements of Ukraine, including Kyiv, Lvov, Kamenetz-Podolsky, resorts in Western Ukraine and the Black Sea. Technical testing is being carried out in more than 90 cities, including such regional centers as Vinnitsa, Ivano-Frankivsk, Poltava, Rivne, Ternopil and Khmelnitsky. You can get up-to-date information about 3G coverage on the website.

Prices

The operator offers 6 tariff plans, which include the amount of traffic from 100 MB per day to 7 GB per month; There are also tariffs for existing subscribers. It should be noted that 3G traffic in the Kyivstar network costs expensive, the minimum price is 50 UAH for 1 GB(tariff of 3000 MB of data for 150 UAH per month).

Tariff name	Kyivstar Tablet	For smartphone	Smartphone+	For smartphone extra	All for 500 (contract)	All for 800 (contract)
Traffic volume	100 MB	500 MB	1500 MB*	2500 MB*	5000 MB*	7000 MB*
Price	6 UAH/day**	55 UAH/month	95 UAH/month	150 UAH/month	500 UAH/month	800 UAH/month

** - payment is charged only on the day of use

Internet packages for existing subscribers

MTS

Operator "MTS Ukraine", the only one of the "Big Three" started deploying only internal networks 3G(the so-called indoor networks, that is, inside buildings). Within a month, more than 50 internal 3G networks were launched in Kyiv and the region, including exhibition centers, sports clubs, shopping and entertainment centers, business centers and offices. Also, recently, internal 3G networks have been built at the largest airports in the country: Lviv International Airport named after. D. Galitsky, Odessa International Airport and Kyiv International Airport (Zhulyany).

The operator motivates this by the fact that the penetrating power of UMTS 2100 MHz is half that of GSM 900/1800 (2G), so high-density antennas are required to provide quality indoor services. For example, in the Ocean Plaza shopping center (Kyiv), the coating is created over 100 antennas, which provides higher speeds than a Wi-Fi network with a minimum base station power.

But the real reason for this behavior of the operator, obviously, lies elsewhere. Some time ago, the media reported that MTS Ukraine was negotiating with major international telecommunications operators about buying the rights to use their brands in Ukraine. Among the most likely candidates, with whom MTS Ukraine signed a non-equity agreement on cooperation in the field of marketing and testing of new technologies back in 2008. Apparently, it was after such a rebranding, when MTS may becomeVodafone, and active construction of a 3G network throughout Ukraine will begin.

In the process of testing indoor 3G, we managed to fix the maximum speed 7.58 Mbps and 4 Mbps for data transfer from the base station and back. The 3G signal is also well caught outside the premises, but only within a radius of 50-100 m. But it’s hard to say what the speed of the mobile Internet will be after the operator begins to roll out 3G networks on a full scale.

Internet speed at a distance of 100 m from the cell indoor 3G MTS

Coating

A detailed list of premises where indoor 3G networks are deployed is available at the link. Outdoor high speed internet service provided on the basis of national roaming with the TriMob operator.

Prices

3G indoor traffic with MTC 3G coverage provided without additional payment, within the existingEDGE- tariffs of subscribers. For example, for UAH 3 per day, a subscriber can receive unlimited high-speed Internet traffic, but only indoors withindoor-coated. Prices for 3G-connection based on national roaming with TriMob are given below. We see no point in analyzing them, since these are temporary tariffs. Let's just say that they differ in a big way from the tariffs of Trimob itself.

"TriMob"

Until recently, TriMob, owned by PJSC Ukrtelecom, was the onlythoperator in UkraineohmprovidingmUMTS/WCDMA mobile communication servicesat 2100 MHz. The company launched its UMTS network November 1, 2007. TriMob uses HSDPA technology, in which the maximum mobile Internet speed for receiving data reaches 7.2 Mbps. Despite the fact that the operator held a monopoly position in the market for many years, it practically did not develop its network. As a result, the number of its subscribers does not exceed 0.5 million, which is an order of magnitude lower than its competitors. Today it is difficult to say what the future holds for TriMob with its outdated technology and very limited coverage, most likely, it will soon be bought out by one of the larger players.

The average data download speed during testing was 1-2 Mbps, maximum - 5 Mbps.

Sometimes it was possible to get “amazing” 5 Mbps on data download

Coating

Today, the TriMob cellular network is deployed in Kyiv and some districts of the Kiev region, in regional centers and some large regional and tourist centers. For data transfer in national roaming GPRS or EDGE networks of other operators are used. A detailed coverage map can be found at the link.

Prices

Since TriMob cannot boast of high speed 3G Internet and national coverage, the operator offered enough democratic prices for their services. 4.5 GB of traffic per month will cost UAH 65, which is much less than the Big Three operators. In addition, until recently, TriMob was the only player on the market offering unlimited traffic for 296 UAH per month.

Tariff name	Internet M	Internet L	Internet XL	Internet UNLIM
Subscription fee, UAH	65	125	200	296
Mobile Internet in TriMob network and national roaming	4.5 GB/month	13.5 GB/month	25 GB/month	unlimited
Cost of traffic outside the package, UAH/MB
In the TriMob network or in the network of a national roaming partner, UAH/MB				–

Results. How to determine the "golden" mean?

Based on the test results, we decided not to publish the rating of the most optimal operators in terms of price / quality ratio, but only to get by with a few tips. The fact is that the situation on the market is changing very quickly - the “big three” are actively building new networks and, quite possibly, will soon begin to aggressively dump prices.

Currently the cheapest rates for 3G-internet and a fairly stable speed are offered by Intertelecom, while the operator already operates a network with nationwide coverage. In second place in terms of prices follows " TriMob. By the way, only these two operators offer unlimited data plans.. At the same time, both providers do not use the fastest communication technology today, and TriMob also has very poor coverage.

Obviously, the future belongs to the market players using the latest HSPA+ technology. In terms of speed, Life is still holding the leadership position here :), Kyivstar is a little behind. It is not entirely correct to assess the bandwidth of MTS Ukraine radio channels, which has deployed only internal 3G networks, because most of the subscribers are interested in outdoor coverage (Wi-Fi is usually available inside the mall and other premises). Operators of the "big three" so far offer very high rates for 3G-the Internet, they are much more expensive than the prices from Intertelecom and TriMob. But there is reason to believe that as networks are built and new subscribers are connected 3G tariffs will drop rapidly.

Finding the best mobile data plan is like looking for a needle in a haystack. First you need to decide on the requirements for the "best rate" and only then start searching. In this review, we will discuss the most profitable tariff plans from Russian mobile operators and try to find the best solution. At the same time, we will clarify some issues regarding the coverage area.

None of even the best tariff plan for mobile Internet can guarantee high speed access. This often happens - a subscriber buys a SIM card or modem, comes home and finds that the quality of communication is below the limit. This is due to uneven network coverage. Remember that it is impossible to create perfect coverage - there will definitely be places where the coverage will be very weak.

Before looking for the most favorable tariff, you should decide which operators are caught in your home. It is unprofitable to purchase SIM-cards of all operators at once. But you probably know whose signal is best received in your home. In general, the most important task is to test the quality of communication and the speed of access to the mobile Internet. After that, you can start choosing a tariff plan.

Criteria for the "best rate"

Let's see what it is - the most favorable tariff for mobile Internet. The criteria are:

Minimum subscription fee.
The maximum amount of included traffic.
No major restrictions.

Let's say right away - there will be restrictions in any case, as well as floating speed. If you want stability, look for wired providers.

Operator tariff plans

Let's go through the tariff plans of all major Russian telecom operators - these are Tinkoff Mobile, MTS, Beeline, MegaFon, Tele2 and Iota. Here we will try to find the best rates for the Internet.

Mobile Internet Tinkoff Mobile

Tinkoff Mobile has one favorable tariff-constructor. Consider the advantages of mobile Internet from Tinkoff Mobile:

A large 4G coverage area throughout Russia, which provides high-speed access to network resources. The Tele2 operator, with which Tinkoff cooperates, is actively building fourth-generation networks, increasing the number of base stations for greater coverage;
Independent choice of traffic packages - from 2 GB to unlimited. Choose your preferred volume in your account or mobile application. We have used up all the traffic - connect an additional gigabyte for 99 rubles or choose a more capacious package;
The possibility of distributing an unlimited package for 399 rubles (in modem mode). Connect the service through the application or personal account. Limited Internet packages are distributed free of charge;
Unlimited packages for popular social networks, instant messengers, music services and video hosting - no traffic limits when using official applications;
The ability to connect unlimited without the main internet package. Connect only social networks and instant messengers if you do not need other services, surfing and mail. An excellent opportunity to save on communication services;
Mobile Internet Tinkoff Mobile works throughout Russia without surcharges (with the exception of Crimea and Sevastopol);
Low rates in international roaming - traffic from 149 rubles per 100 MB, messengers from 49 rubles per day.

Connect to Tinkoff Mobile and get high-speed Internet access. As a gift the first month of service in the form of a maximum traffic package and all unlimited services as a gift.

MTS tariffs

The most favorable tariff for mobile Internet from MTS is the tariff plan "For a laptop". It provides subscribers with real unlimited speeds up to 4 Mbps. The subscription fee is 800 rubles / month. Tariff benefits:

The absence of paid subscriptions - that's happiness, gentlemen;
No extra services - no packages of minutes and SMS;
Optimal speed for any need - including watching video at resolutions up to 720p.

If at some point you want to “turn up the gas”, we recommend using the turbo buttons “Unlimited for 3 hours” for 95 rubles or “Unlimited for 6 hours” for 150 rubles. Torrents on the tariff work, but with a speed limit of up to 512 kbps (you can try to bypass it through a VPN or traffic encryption).

We have found the best tariff for unlimited mobile Internet via modem, now we will consider the best offer for a mobile phone. This is the Hype tariff, which appeared in 2017. It includes 7 GB of Internet for any resources, as well as unlimited for YouTube, Apple Music, Google Music, Yandex.Music, Skype, popular social networks and instant messengers, for game resources and the Twitch video streaming service. In other words, this is the best tariff for those who actively use social and gaming services. Subscription fee - only 500 rubles / month.

If you need regular traffic, connect the MTS Connect-4 tariff and add the Internet VIP option with 30 GB of traffic for 1200 rubles / month. For a tablet PC, the “For tablet” tariff with 10 GB of Internet for 550 rubles / month is suitable. Here you can also choose unlimited YouTube, traffic for TV, social networks and video calls.

Beeline tariffs

The best tariff for mobile Internet from Beeline is “Internet for Computer”. It provides 25 GB of traffic for 1200 rubles / month. From the fourth month, the amount of traffic grows to 30 GB. When the package is exhausted, the speed is limited to 64 kbps, it is also possible to connect the "Auto-renewal speed" option. The available modifier option is “#everything is possible”, which opens unlimited for social networks and music services. There is a similar tariff for tablet PCs "Internet for tablet" - 10 GB for 550 rubles / month (15 GB from the fourth month).

For the phone, you can offer tariff plans "All 3" - 10 GB for 900 rubles / month, "All 4" - 15 GB for 1500 rubles / month and "All 5" - 15 GB for 2500 rubles / month. This also includes impressive volumes of minutes and SMS.

MegaFon Tariffs

This operator has literally every tariff. We recommend that you carefully read the tariff plans of the "Turn on!" for smartphones - here are traffic packages from 2 to 20 GB, as well as included unlimited options for social networks and instant messengers. Subscription fee - from 400 to 3000 rubles / month. The most powerful offer is the “Turn on! Premium. It includes 20 GB of total traffic, unlimited traffic for social networks, instant messengers, video hosting and music services, as well as over a hundred TV channels and 4 movies. The same line is suitable for tablet PCs.

"Internet M" - 16 GB for 590 rubles / month.
"Internet L" - 36 GB for 590 rubles / month.
"Internet XL" - 30 GB and unlimited at night for 1290 rubles / month.

On the first two options, traffic is divided into equal parts into daytime and nighttime. Daytime is available from 7:00 to 00:59, night - from 01:00 to 06:59. This was probably done so that subscribers could not consume all the traffic.

Tele2 tariff plans

Let's highlight the three most advanced tariffs:

For a smartphone, the My Online + tariff is suitable for 30 GB for 799 rubles / month. The 1500 minutes included in it can be exchanged for traffic and get another 15 GB (total 45 GB - in our review, the leader of pseudo-unlimits was drawn).
For a tablet - "Internet to tablet", which includes 15 GB of traffic, night unlimited, free traffic for social networks, movies, navigation and TV for 499 rubles / month.
For a modem - "50 GB" with a nightly unlimited for 999 rubles / month.

Please note that the last two items are not tariffs, but options available on the Internet for Devices tariff plan.

Iota tariffs

For a smartphone - any of the line for smartphones, with traffic from 2 GB for 370 rubles to 30 GB for 650 rubles. Social networks (25 rubles / pc) and instant messengers (15 rubles / pc) are connected separately.
For a tablet - the only tariff plan with full unlimited. A day - 50 rubles, a month - 590 rubles, a year - 4500 rubles.
For a modem - adjustable unlimited, from 0 rubles for 64 kbps to 1400 rubles for the maximum possible speed.

Please note that distribution of torrents is “cut” on all Yota tariff plans.

-=Produced jointly with and for Tele2=-

You know I'm an old paranoid. In our difficult time for the country, no one can be trusted. First of all, open Wi-Fi networks. Do you want to lose your passwords, bank card data and catch a virus? Welcome to public Wi-Fi! When I am in Moscow, I spend most of my time running around the city. Somewhere I took something off, somewhere I sat down, processed it and posted it. Previously, it was necessary to look for a cafe with the Internet. But for several years now, I have never connected to public Wi-Fi networks at all. What for? Mobile Internet works fine in Moscow. Few countries in the world will see such speed. At one time, I didn’t even have the Internet at home, since it was easier to distribute from the phone than to look for a provider and set up a router.

It is also important that the Internet is not only mobile, but also fast. After all, it’s not enough to write in a messenger, you need to record an online broadcast and watch a heavy video on YouTube.

A year ago, a fourth operator, Tele2, appeared in Moscow. And there is even more good internet. Today Tele2 claims that it has the fastest mobile Internet in the city - it was recognized as the best in Moscow three times.

Don't believe?

Here are the latest tests in different places.

The Bolshoi Theater has a download speed of just over 17 Mbps, and an upload speed of 19.7 Mbps.

At the Historical Museum, the speed is even better - the reception is 19.9 Mbps, and the transmission is 20.4 Mbps.

The State Duma has 18.9 Mbps for reception and 20 Mbps for transmission.

In my office on Tverskaya, the speed is worse - 17.3 Mbps for reception and 3 Mbps for transmission. In a building, the speed is always slightly worse than in the open air.

But they say this is not the limit and there are places where the Internet is even faster. Therefore, I ask you to help me find a place with the highest internet speed. Whoever does this will receive 5,000 rubles from us and Tele2 to the account.

What do we have to do?

1. Connect to Tele2 (if you haven't already) and check your mobile internet speed. This can be done in the SpeedTest application (here is the version for iPhone, Android and Windows).
2. Find the location with the fastest speed, and take a screenshot from the SpeedTest app.
3. Send a screenshot in the comments to this post and write where exactly you took it. Do not try to cheat - Tele2 will definitely check whether such a speed is really possible at the specified point.

Screenshots in the comments can be sent until Friday. Then, together with Tele2, we will select two people who recorded the highest speed in Moscow and the Moscow region, and transfer 5,000 rubles to their account. What can I spend 5,000 rubles with a Tele2 SIM card for?

Within 8 months, an unlimited number of times to call numbers in Moscow and the Moscow region.
- During the year, spend 10 GB of Internet traffic from your phone every month.
- Break the world record for 55 and a half hours of uninterrupted phone conversation (the current record is 54 hours and 5 minutes).

Well, everyone else can go to the Tele2 gift site, where every day you can receive bonuses from the company's partners. Or take part in a creative contest: create the Tele2 logo in different creative ways, take pictures and share photos on social networks with the hashtags #Tele2yeartogether and #MoscowSpeaks. For the most original options, you can get a year of free communication on the Blackest tariff, an annual subscription to a fitness center, an annual cinema subscription and other pleasant surprises.

The competition and gifts are dedicated to the anniversary of Tele2 in Moscow and the Moscow region. The company has something to celebrate: this year it managed to achieve many successes. It offered tariffs that were 25-40% cheaper than other operators, including the first and only tariff in the region with unlimited calls to phones of all operators. So the Big Three also had to cut prices. It turns out that regardless of whether you use a Tele2 SIM card or not, you still have something to thank the new operator for.

In terms of network coverage and quality, Tele2 caught up with the Big Three. I have already told you about the speed of mobile Internet - you can now check it yourself.

I wish Tele2 further success, and good luck to you in the contest;)