Communication in Moscow

2023: Management companies in Moscow terminate contracts for the placement of equipment with telecom operators and offer new ones 7 times more expensive

At the end of October 2023, it became known that Moscow management companies (MC) are increasing prices for the placement of networks in apartment buildings. In some cases, an almost sevenfold increase in value is recorded.

According to the Kommersant newspaper, communication providers in several districts of Moscow from the end of August 2023 began to receive letters from the State Budgetary Institution (GBU) "Zhilishnik" on conducting inspections of the legality of the equipment placed in the houses and project documentation. In addition, it is said about compliance with the requirements for transferring cables laid by air to an underground collector.

Moscow Criminal Code raise prices for the placement of networks in apartment buildings

As of the beginning of autumn 2023, the cost of placing communication infrastructure is approximately 300-500 rubles per house. However, according to the new tariffs, the amount is increased many times. It is reported that GBU "Zhilishchnik" of Moscow terminates contracts with telecom operators unilaterally. At the same time, it is proposed to issue new agreements "offers with prices for the placement of communication infrastructure of 2 thousand rubles per house."

The Moscow Department of Information Technology reports that as part of monitoring the activities of telecom operators in the Russian capital, "facts of initiative actions by management organizations, in particular, individual institutions of the Zhilishnik State Budgetary Institution, to increase the fee for placing networks and communication equipment in houses or forcing operators to conclude contracts for the provision of Criminal Code various services to operators" were revealed. It is noted that the actions of management companies can "destabilize the market for communication services to residents of Moscow by increasing the subscription fee." The presence of the problem was confirmed, in particular, in VimpelCom.

We are offered to conclude new contracts, which include the provision of additional services that we do not need. Due to these services, the cost of access to apartment buildings to accommodate communication equipment increases up to 7 times, the operator says.[1]

2021: Mobile operators invested 23 billion rubles in infrastructure in Moscow

Cellular operators in 2020 invested 23 billion rubles in the development of their infrastructure in Moscow, which is a third more than the volume of investments of the previous year. Such data are provided by the metropolitan Department of Information Technologies (DIT).

In 2020, operators expanded coverage areas, increased network capacity and data transfer rate Moscow area , and new base stations were built in Moscow. After the modernization of communication networks in the metro, a stable signal appeared at all stations and metro stations, the LTEInterfax DIT press service reports.

Cellular operators invested 23 billion rubles in the development of infrastructure in Moscow

According to DIT, in Moscow the cost of typical cellular and home Internet services in 2020 remained almost the same. At the same time, mobile Internet in Moscow is still one of the most affordable among megacities in the world: the price of it is 2-4 times lower than in Barcelona, ​ ​ London and Stockholm, and 5-10 times lower than in New York.

According to statistics cited by Moscow the Department of Information Technology, the subscriber base of large mobile operators in 2020 increased by 8%. The growth was mainly due to those who connected new devices for remote work and devices (IoT Internet of Things) to the network. In addition, large telecom operators began to issue virtual SIM cards. By the end of 2020, there were about 50 million active SIM cards in Moscow.

Despite the increase in network load, the average Internet speed in Moscow by mid-2020 increased among all mobile operators and ranged from 16 to 48.5 Mbps, while in 2019 it ranged from 15.8 to 41.9 Mbps.

In a pandemic, mobile operators offered customers unlimited Internet packages and other benefits. For example, Moscow subscribers over 65, who were especially important to stay at home, were able to use cellular communications in the presence of debt and call numbers inside the Moscow network for free, DIT said.^[2]

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