Easy4

Easy4 (TD Izi4 LLC) — the mobile operator who works on model of the virtual operator (MVNE/MVNO) using telecommunication technologies from the resident of Skolkovo Foundation of Intersat company.

Easy4 trademark is included into the international group EasyCall which, in addition to Russia, has representations in Germany, Holland, Liechtenstein, Spain, Turkey and China.

The areas of work include operator activity (a brand of cellular communication Easy4 providing services in model of the virtual operator (MVNO) in Russia and abroad), Easy4 trading house and development center of the innovation products and services — Intersat company, being the resident of Skolkovo Foundation. Based on own laboratory located in the Skolkovo center, the center creates and holds testing of the innovative solutions and services which become a part of the main product portfolio of Easy4 group.

History

2020: Arrest of the co-owner on the case of fraud in a large size

On March 27, 2020 it became known of Sergey Malyshkin's arrest. Tverskoy Court of Moscow sent under house arrest of the co-owner of Sonet LLC (a brand of virtual operator Easy4) on case large scale fraud. Read more here.

2019

Start of sales of SIM cards on boards of seven Russian airlines

Easy4 mobile operator announced on October 30, 2019 the beginning of sales of SIM cards on boards of seven Russian airlines, including the largest Russian airlines – PJSC Aeroflot-Russian Airlines, JSC Rossiya Airlines and PJSC UTair Airline.

The partnership agreement is signed between IZI4 trading House LLC entering into Easy4 group and JSC Aeromar — operator of trade aboard.

Under the agreement, JSC Aeromar will perform sale of Easy4 SIM cards on boards of 7 Russian airlines and in SkyShop online store. Entered the list of airlines: Aeroflot, Russia, Utair, Aurora, Yakutia, RusLine and Royal Flight. Will provide services in providing communication within the agreement entering into Easy4 Group of Sonet LLC.

Since October, 2019 on boards of the specified airlines two main tariff plans providing a voice communication and also data transmission at uniform fixed cost in the countries of presence of the mobile operator are available. So, Easy4 SIM cards with already connected "Promo Legko over the Countries" rate will be offered air passengers. The tariff plan will allow to use 3 GB of Internet traffic or 500 minutes of a talk. The amount can be used at discretion until it is not exhausted then this tariff plan will switch to the tariff plan "Legko over the Countries".

Feature of the "Promo Legko over the Countries" rate is an opportunity to use it more than in 150 countries worldwide, including in the most popular countries of Europe: Greece, Bulgaria, Israel, Spain, Turkey, Finland and Czech Republic. This tariff plan works also at all territory of the Russian Federation. Over each country, for example in the popular countries of Europe, the identical quantity of Internet traffic is recommended, minutes or the SMS and the price does not depend on the country and location of the subscriber of Easy4.

One more tariff plan offered air passengers is the "Konnekt999" assuming only a data service, and a packet worth 999 rubles (to the VAT) includes 3 GB of Internet traffic, what allows regardless of the location in the countries of action of a rate (for today – 49 countries of the world, including such destinations, popular with Russians, as Turkey, Thailand, Greece, Spain, etc.) to have near at hand access to worldwide network.

The fact that the unused balance of traffic does not burn down is important and remain within more than a year from the moment of commission of any paid transaction and the remained means on balance can be used during the next trip or the house. In a rate there are no monthly and hidden payments – the subscriber pays only for actually used services, and, besides, is suitable for any portable devices: smartphones, tablets and routers, without restrictions of distribution of the Internet for other devices.

The tariff solutions proposed by Easy4 operator in mobile communication and data transmission are innovation for the tourist market as they, in fact, level a concept of roaming in terms of the cost of payments on trips. Cooperation with the Russian supplier of an onboard power supply and the leader in trade on boards of airplanes – is unconditional, an important stage in brand development of Easy4 as will allow to declare itself to the concentrated core of our target audience and, of course, to provide a stable voice communication and data transmission in all regions of presence of a brand, Dmitry Dimitrov, the CEO of TD IZI4 LLC.

FSB permitted to sell eSim. Tekhnlogiya works in networks of several operators

On October 23, 2019 it became known that FSB issued to virtual operator Easy4 (Sonet LLC)  permission to sale of communication services using eSim and identification of subscribers by the electronic signature through state services.

As the group managing director of Easy4 companies Sergey Malyshkin told Vedomosti, eSim from Easy4 differ from other virtual SIM cards in the fact that can work in networks of several operators at once. The technology itself selects network on the best signal quality or the price depending on the country or the place of stay of the subscriber.

FSB permitted eSIM working in networks of any operators

Users will be able to issue eSIM through mobile application of Easy4. For registration it will be necessary to be identified through Gosuslugi and to sign the agreement using the digital electronic signature. In the absence of the electronic signature the operator will suggest to be registered through the EasyID application which will scan the person and the passport of the subscriber and will ask to undersign on the screen.

By October, 2019 Easy4 works at Tele2 networks. According to newspaper sources, the operator managed to agree with MegaFon and MTS. It means that the company will be able to use networks of operators in limited territories in case of emergencies. 

According to the CEO of Telecom Daily Denis Kuskov, in Russia the possibility of switching between operators will not give to Easy4 big advantage over "Big Four" of operators as in the cities communication works steadily and subscribers usually have no need to be connected to network of other operator.

Malyshkin reported that Easy4 also suggests to use eSIM in Europe and America to save on roaming. According to him, it is possible to use Easy4 communication services outside Russia on the fixed tariff plan designer "Easily over the countries".^[1]

Easy4 and Shtrikh-M will provide spheres of logistics and trade in the eSIM-equipment

Easy4 group and Shtrikh-M company announced in June, 2019 cooperation in release of solutions for motor transport and the cash registers equipped with the module eSIM which profiling will be performed using own platform of remote control by subscriptions. The technology will allow to increase safety of business, to lower costs for formation of big data and to gain independence of a covering of specific provider of communication in this or that point.

Solution Easy4 based on devices from Shtrikh-M will allow logistic operators, transport companies and other companies, owners of motor transport and special equipment, to monitor movement of the loads and the rolling stock across the territory of Russia and beyond its limits in mode 24×7×365 and also to collect full statistics on a set of parameters for the further analysis (big data) "from some hands". The new technology will allow to provide to trade enterprises stability of operation of cash registers and also to unify the procedure of interaction with the operator and to optimize the costs connected with data transmission.

The equipped device eSIM from Shtrikh-M company will provide protection against unauthorized replacement of the SIM card and will consume much less energy. At the same time all of them will be equipped with slots for standard SIM cards that eventually considerably will simplify their use.

Solution Easy4 based on the equipment for motor transport and the cash registers from Shtrikh-M will become for its owners the innovation instrument of development of core business, will provide full control over expenses, will help to receive full-scale statistics for further efficiency analysis of activity and will allow to reduce considerably costs on mobile communication and the Internet in roaming.

Emergence of a product became possible thanks to deployment and start in operation by the Sonet company of a technology platform of remote profiling of eSIM entering into Easy4 Group using OTA technology (Over-the-air — by air) which allows to manage eSIM far off: update, add or delete data and change functionality.

The pilot lot of devices with eSIM from Easy4 is planned to release until the end of June, 2019. Pipeline production can be also started this year.

About the Easy4 and "umnykh" SIM card devices with the built-in module eSIM

According to the operator for April, 2019, the Easy4 SIM card is flexibly connected to several networks of partner operators, providing high quality of communication and width of a covering. It is possible to become the subscriber of Easy4 both in the territory of Russia, and in other countries.

Easy4 also develops "smart" devices with the built-in module eSIM (Embedded SIM) – Wi-Fi- routers voice translators, smartwatch and others.

Under Easy4 brand communication services are rendered by Sonet LLC.

2018: Beginning of work

On May 31, 2018 in Russia and the virtual mobile operator (MVNO/Mobile Virtual Network Operator) Easy4 began to work at foreign markets. In the work the company applies telecom Intersat technologies, the resident Skolkovo. The hardware and software system for communication services provision is located in Technopark of the Innovation center "Skolkovo". The equipment allows to use capacities of other telecom operators. The total amount of investments into the project will be 900 million rubles, reported in Skolkovo Foundation. For promotion of Easy4 it is going to create wide distribution network with participation of travel agencies, hotels, airlines.

According to representatives of operator, the Easy4 SIM card is flexibly connected to several networks, providing optimal communication quality and width of a covering of bonus level. At present Easy4 works at networks of several Russian and foreign operators.

Abroad Easy4 involves infrastructure of EasyCall group which has licenses and a resource of numbering in the countries of presence, and the Multi-IMSI technology (Multi International Mobile Subscriber Identity is an international mobile subscriber identity) allows to create the international network without roaming tariffing.

Oyerator offers a special service package for the tourists and people who are often making business trips abroad. The subscriber, coming abroad, saves the usual number, free of charge receives calls in any country, and makes outgoing calls on "house" rates. Also on "house" rates it is possible to use on trips and Internet access.

In general the cost of outgoing long-distance and trunk calls in Easy4 network will be 2 rubles in a minute. Internet traffic cost on travel — 10 kopeks for MB.

In Russia at connection to Easy4 the service of transfer of number from other operator is offered. It will be possible to purchase SIM cards and be connected to Easy4 at the airports, at stations and in hotels in special terminals.

Business market will become significant activity of Easy4, according to the company. The operator intends to offer the large companies profitable rates and services of communication in Russia and beyond its limits. In particular, Easy4 conducts negotiations on cooperation with airlines, players from the sphere of tourism, transport, logistics, the financial and energy sector.

For corporate clients Easy4 operator already proposes the solutions White Label which allow the companies working in all sectors of economy to create virtual operators under own brand. Easy4 promises to undertake all technical implementation of the project — connection, setup, operational management of the platform on the Managed Service model, up to construction of own platforms for the clients, assisting them in interoperator interaction and traffic transmission. The company can also render consulting services on start of products in the Russian and international market.

At the same time, Easy4 intends to propose special solutions for the segment of the intercomputer communications and Internet of Things (IoT) developing in Russia. In particular, solutions for operation of cash registers are developed for small and medium business.

Local and international sports clubs, communities and organizers of mass actions to which Easy4 is going to offer special rates and SIM cards with the corresponding attributes will become the separate direction of development of activity of the operator.

Besides, the company prepares attractive rates for the foreigners coming to Russia on different mass actions.