Communication in Moscow

Wi-Fi in Moscow

Main article: WiFi networks 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]

2020

The load on broadband networks with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic increased by 53%

In 2020, Muscovites began to spend more time on the Internet and use mobile communications: according to estimates of mobile operators, with the beginning of the pandemic, the volume of voice traffic increased by an average of 15 percent, and mobile Internet - by 20 percent. This was announced on January 12, 2021 by DIT of Moscow. The load on broadband networks rose by 53 percent. In the context of an increase in the load on the network, operators promptly took additional measures and ensured a high quality of services. The Department of Information Technologies of the city of Moscow told about how the communications industry developed in 2020.

With the beginning of the pandemic in the Moscow region, the load on cellular networks and the demand for home Internet increased significantly. In these conditions, the operators did everything so that Muscovites had the opportunity to work and study comfortably at home, communicate with their loved ones and use all the digital capabilities of Moscow. Moreover, the telecom industry has maintained high interest in projects for the development of cellular communications, including piloting 5G networks, "said Eduard Lysenko, Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Information Technology Department.

Cellular operators communications worked to expand coverage areas, increase network capacity and transfer rates. data Moscow area Base stations were built on the territory of Moscow. In addition, the modernization of communication networks in the metro was completed. A stable standard signal appeared at all stations and metro stations. According to LTE DIT estimates, the total investment of operators in infrastructure for the year amounted to about 23 billion - rubles almost a third more than in 2019.

The subscriber base of large mobile operators in 2020 increased by 8 percent - mainly due to those who connected new devices for remote work and IoT devices to the network. In addition, large telecom operators began to issue virtual SIM cards. In total, at the moment in Moscow, residents have about 50 million active SIM-cards.

The cost of typical cellular and home Internet services in 2020 remained almost at the same level, according to DIT. 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. The average Internet speed in Moscow by mid-2020 increased among all mobile operators and ranged from 16 to 48.5 Mbps. In 2019, the average mobile internet speed ranged from 15.8 to 41.9 Mbps.

During the spread of the pandemic, mobile operators offered customers unlimited Internet packages and other benefits. Communication services were provided even with a negative account balance. Moscow subscribers over 65, who were especially important to stay at home and take care of their health, were able to use cellular communications even if they were in debt and call numbers inside the Moscow network for free.

In 2020, projects aimed at developing communication networks were also continued. So, in October, a 5G demo center was opened in the Smart City pavilion at VDNKh. This is the first 5G laboratory in Russia to solve urban problems, where large companies, startups and scientific institutes can test their developments, and the city can decide on the possibility of their implementation, "said Alexander Gorbatko, Deputy Head of the Moscow Information Technology Department.

In addition, in 2020, with the participation of specialists from the Research Institute named after Mizmetov, fundamental scientific research began on the impact of communication networks on human well-being and the urban environment. Also in Moscow, architectural criteria for the placement of mobile communication equipment have been developed. They will be applied to antenna feeder devices, communication base stations, radio relay equipment, repeaters that are located on the roofs and facades of buildings. The concept of "Urban aesthetics of communication" spelled out the recommended dimensions of the equipment and its format, as well as the location from an aesthetic point of view.

Moscow has developed requirements for the appearance of cellular communication equipment

In Moscow, architectural rules for the placement of telecommunications equipment have been developed. The draft concept "Urban aesthetics of communication," which spells out the requirements for the appearance of the communication infrastructure, is presented for expert discussion. This was announced on July 10, 2020 by the Moscow Department of Information Technologies (DIT), which is developing the concept together with a specialized organization. Read more here.

2019: Four 5G experimental sites to be launched in Moscow

On May 31, 2019, it became known about the statement of the Mayor of Moscow Sergei Sobyanin that by the end of 2019, four experimental platforms for the introduction of a mobile connected generation will be launched in the city. Also, the mayor of the capital proposed to give Moscow additional legal opportunities to create breakthrough solutions in the field of information technology and artificial intelligence.

For the deployment of Russian 5G networks, it is planned to allocate a range of 3.4-3.8 GHz. Operators that operate in this range are supposed to compensate for the loss of frequency resource. But neither the mechanism nor the amount of compensation has yet been determined even approximately^[3].

Main article: Development of 5G networks in Russia

2017: Mobile Internet in Moscow is one of the most affordable among major cities in the world

Analysts of the Department of Information Technologies of Moscow (DIT) compared the cost of mobile Internet in Moscow and large foreign cities in 1 - 3 square meters. 2017.

The subject of the study was 3 types of tariffs for mobile data transmission (not including voice, SMS and other communication services): "minimum data package" (up to 4 GB, inclusive), "average" (5-12 GB) and "maximum" (13 GB or more) in Moscow, Barcelona, ​ ​ London, Stockholm, New York, Singapore and Dubai.

According to DIT experts, the cost of 1GB mobile data transmission in Moscow for tariffs with a small included traffic package in the 3rd quarter of 2017 amounted to 84 rubles per 1 GB, while for tariffs with a large package of mobile data transmission - 41 rubles per 1 GB. The purchase of a large tariff package for mobile data transmission turned out to be more profitable. So, the savings for the user range from 1.4 times in New York, to 5 times in Stockholm. In Moscow - 2 times.

The average cost of traffic in Moscow is the lowest. In comparison with New York, mobile Internet will cost 5-8 times cheaper (depending on the volume of the package, the maximum difference is for the largest mobile data packets), with London - 3-4 times.

Experts also noted the stability of the mobile Internet price market over the past year. For comparison, about 2-3 years ago, traffic fell in price every year at times.

See also: Mobile broadband access of internet (world market) and Mobile broadband access of internet (russian market)

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