Which operator is better: Tele2, MTS, Beeline, Megafon, Yota

The previously recognized “big three” mobile operators have gradually grown into at least the top five. Newer organizations offer a variety of tariffs to suit any subscriber needs. Established companies are also trying to diversify their offerings. Potential consumers of communication services are faced with the question of which operator to choose.

Each organization's circumstances vary greatly. Some people rely on the Internet, others on inexpensive or unlimited calls. When determining, you should take into account the main characteristics of the proposed tariff plans. For example, the choice of “MTS or Tele2: which is better” depends on the number of friends who use SIM cards from these operators, and on the need for the Internet.

Tele2 Russia

Being a foreign company, Tele2 was bought by VTB Group. It was he who was the first to expand the top three mobile operators. And today it is the fourth operator in the country. The subscriber base is about 23 million people, despite all the advantages and minutes of Tele2.

The advantage is the price. If a client wants to get services inexpensively, it is better to choose Tele2, which is confirmed by the cost of plans on the company’s website. Large but inexpensive internet packages are offered. It was due to this that clients actively switched at first. Now there is no rapid growth, but the established base of regular customers is not shrinking.

Reasons for lower prevalence:

• coverage of not all regions of the country;
• possible intermittent failures;
• there is no product beneficial for traveling abroad, communicating with subscribers of other companies and calling landlines.

Overview of tariff plans

Without comparing tariff plans, it is impossible to determine who has the most profitable services.

To form a general picture, popular offers from operators were studied (see table).

According to the analysis, Tele2 offers are less profitable if subscribers call numbers of other operators outside their home region. Also, the standard package does not include free SMS.

The cost of Beeline services is slightly less, but the tariff includes calls throughout Russia; you won’t have to pay extra for them. For only 345 rubles. the subscriber can use the Internet unlimitedly.

MTS

The first representative to establish a foothold in Russia was MTS. It ensures signal stability throughout the country. Most packages provide large amounts of Internet, but at high prices. If the traffic is charged based on costs, the price tag for 1 MB reaches almost 10 rubles. Therefore, when choosing “MTS or Tele2” based on the criterion of Internet access, the choice due to cost is still in favor of the second.

Among the advantages of the provider, the following clearly stand out:

• high quality of communication;
• stable high-speed Internet (plans to popularize LTE);
• a large number of tariffs;
• offers with a large volume of traffic within the country in roaming.

Among the disadvantages:

• high prices;
• Unprofessional technical support.

Tariffs are designed for active communication within the network and active use of the Internet. For others, the packages are rather large, and not all of their components will be necessary.

Call rates

Megaphone:

• Per second (no monthly fee). For several short calls per day. A second of communication in the region costs 0.05 rubles.
• Warm welcome. For inexpensive communication with the CIS, Ukraine, Georgia, South Ossetia, Abkhazia and China. Subscription fee – 650 ₽/month. The price includes unlimited traffic (traffic, incoming calls, calls with MegaFon) and 100 minutes (to other Russian operators, to China, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan).

Tele2 has only one tariff, which does not have a subscription fee, and package services must be activated separately:

• Classical. A minute of communication within the region is 2 ₽/min. When calling outside the region: to Tele2 – 3 ₽/min., to other numbers – 9 ₽/min.

Beeline

No less popular provider than MTS. The company's activities began in 1993. Over the course of 25 years, the company has gained the trust of Russians and formed a wide base of 60 million subscribers.

The public has mixed opinions about the services provided by Beeline. Among the advantages, subscribers, current or former, note:

• a large selection of tariffs and additional options (the operator helps select suitable offers based on public requests);
• private offers and promotions (of course, all companies have them, but Beeline still has them most often);
• competent support center operators (specialists, as a rule, perform their duties efficiently and quickly solve problems that subscribers call with).

What questions in Beeline cause negative reviews about the organization:

• It’s hard to get through to a specialist on the hotline; the response time is not perfect. It can be difficult to get through quickly; workload forces you to hang on the phone;
• malfunctions (there are complaints on the Internet about regular failures. It is difficult not only to make a call or access the Internet, but also to simply check your balance);
• unfavorable roaming conditions (using Beeline services abroad is extremely unprofitable);
• poor coverage outside the city (unlike Megafon, the provider does not seek to cover areas that are unprofitable in terms of monetization. As a result, there are no base stations in the suburbs, and no one plans to install them);
• money sometimes disappears from the account due to the activation of unnecessary options, bonuses and services.

If we compare which is better: Tele2 or Beeline, the former win due to lower prices and accessible Internet. Uneven coverage is a distinctive feature of both companies. An individual approach and frequent promotions, as well as a variety of basic tariffs, speak in favor of Beeline.

Comparison of options

It is impossible to determine the best operator, because... The cost of tariffs in different regions and the coverage map of companies differ. Information obtained during the study will help evaluate the quality of services.

Internet

Mobile Internet connection is the most popular option of the provider, which is the first thing customers turn to.

Despite the fact that Beeline has a higher speed, Tele2 has better communication in sparsely populated areas. The latter has fewer connection disconnections due to the operator's fault.

Voice and coverage

In 2021, a study was conducted in which popular communication companies participated: Megafon, MTS, Tele2, Beeline. The quality of voice communication was assessed according to several parameters: the number of unsuccessful connections and failures during a telephone conversation, average speech clarity and the number of unintelligible connections.

According to the results of the study, it was revealed that Megafon and MTS are in first and second places, respectively. Third place was taken by Tele2, whose failure rate was 1.2%. For Beeline, this figure exceeds that of its competitors by more than 10 times - 15.1%.

In terms of speech intelligibility, Tele2 became the leader. Subscribers complained about poor hearing of the interlocutor only in 0.1% of cases.

Tele2 network coverage.

The coverage area of ​​the companies is approximately at the same level. Detailed maps are presented on the official websites of operators.

Beeline network coverage.

Megaphone

The third leader among the main operators of the Russian mobile communications market is Megafon. The operator appeared in the country in the summer of 1993, and over such a long period of existence, it added about 73 million subscribers to its customer base.

What benefits do multiple customers receive?

1. Largest coverage area in the country. The company installs base stations simply everywhere. They exist even where the minimum number of subscribers will not cover the costs of installation, operation and expensive maintenance of the tower.
2. Introduction of modern and innovative technologies. Keeping up with the times, Megafon introduces cutting-edge innovations for its subscribers. For example, the company was the first to introduce mobile video communication, and only then did other operators follow their example.
3. High speed internet. Modern equipment guarantees users relatively fast access to the network.

But there are also several serious disadvantages that most people talk about. But they are not related to the provision of basic services.

1. The help desk works quite poorly. And although this problem is common to most organizations, Megafon is clearly in the lead. Getting through can be so problematic that the subscriber does not wait for an answer and begins to independently look for solutions to the problem. Not all of the center’s specialists are competent and really help, but only completely confuse the person who contacts them.
2. The tariffs developed by providers look confusing and cunningly invented. With each update of tariff plans, the situation only gets worse, and this causes dissatisfaction among customers, especially new ones who are not accustomed to complex schemes.

Which is better: Megafon or Tele2 is difficult to answer. The former are distinguished by almost perfect coverage and high Internet speed, the latter by the volume of traffic provided and the low price for it. Otherwise, the basic tariff packages are identical.

Moved to Megafon after 3 years with Tele2. Did I do it right or did I make a mistake?

An honest look at two operators.

Hello everyone , I once wrote that I ran away from the yellow telecom operator in Tele2. In 2021, he was still new to Moscow, so the step was desperate and thoughtless. But you already understood that I became a client of the “black” operator for years. That is, the spontaneous decision did not turn out to be wrong. So everything was fine? Why did you leave? And why exactly to Megafon? I will talk about this and much more below. Go!

A detailed story about my departure is already on Bloch, so I won’t repeat it. But I will say the main thing: at that time, the “striped” was experiencing a decline in quality, which prompted me to break off a 15-year relationship. Do I regret leaving? No . Do I regret that I switched to Tele2? No , I haven’t even thought about changing operators for more than 3 years. Over the years, Beeline could have become much better, so I can’t say anything about the quality of this operator in 2021.

I’ll start with the pros and end with the cons and the reason for leaving Tele2.

actually many advantages

• Really cheap .
• You can safely add other bonuses : free coffee, movie ticket, cashback when purchasing from partners, etc. To have all this, you need to open the “ More ” tab in the proprietary application. At times the promotions are so good that I made a profit in a month on one coffee. I mean that the benefit from the promotions exceeded my subscription fee several times. But it is worth saying that the shares are getting smaller. Apparently, this is due to the fact that many subscribers have already been attracted and the pace can be reduced.
• Carryover of balances to the next month. Transferred: Internet, minutes and SMS. True, I could never use them up completely, but it’s still nice that the reserve for communication is simply huge.
• Always free internet distribution.
• If there is a network, then the Internet just flies. This is directly related to the fact that Tele2 only uses 3G and 4G.
• Due to the use of only modern communication standards, reception is good even outside the city. And even very far from civilization: there is a tower, which means the speed is high. For example : at my dacha I get 4G at incredible speed. At the same time, there is no Megafon at all, and Beeline receives only from the second floor.
• I have never had any random or uncontrolled write-offs. And in case of disputes, the operator will compensate you for everything, even if it is you and not Tele2 who are wrong.

There are also disadvantages

• On some tariffs there may be an increase in the subscription fee. And without notifying the user. This has never happened to me, but there have been cases in my family. I don’t know why my tariff was bypassed, but it doesn’t change the essence.
• Internet connection failures often occur. What I mean: it feels like the towers are located a little far from each other. And at some point the Internet disappears completely. You can see this from the list of missed calls on WhatsApp, but the calls did not go through. And this happens not only when driving around the city, but also in some specific place. I was lucky, and such a sinkhole happened to be in an office building that I often visit.

The reason for my transition from Tele2 was precisely these failures. But I would like to immediately remind you that the quality of the Internet itself is at an excellent level. That is, if it catches, it catches 10 out of 10. It turns out that I switched because they can’t always reach me via the Internet. I have never noticed such problems with a regular connection. By the way, I didn’t have Internet problems before, I noticed them not so long ago. Maybe it's the phone? My iPhone (Rostest) is only a few months old and it’s unlikely that it behaves so strangely with Tele2. Has the situation changed with the transition to Megafon?

I have nothing to surprise you with here: you entered your data in the application/website or you immediately go to the office of the new operator. And you wait a whole week. By the way , I did everything through the application - it’s convenient. How the megafonov workers worked : they contacted me immediately, explained the details over the phone and sent a courier to me. And he checked my passport details, received 300 rubles from me (they will be in the account after the number is transferred) and handed me a SIM card. The SIM card is activated at the right time on its own; you only need to insert it into the phone. Well, I did a great job with this.

What about Tele2? 5 days out of 7 they were silent and only sent me SMS with the promise of a permanent 25% discount on the current tariff. To do this, you just need to change your mind - a life hack, by the way . Moreover, I received these messages immediately after SMS messages from Megafon. They notified me about the deadlines, the success of checking my data, etc., followed by a message from Tele2. A couple of days before the transition, an employee of the old operator still called me. I will definitely remember this conversation for a long time - I haven’t been so infuriated for a long time.

What happened? The girl politely asked about the reason for the transition, etc., everything was within reason. But then she began to persuade me to agree to receive advertising materials from Tele2. I remind you that I left him, and did not plan to become a subscriber. At first I politely refused, but the girl immediately replied that I didn’t even listen to her and continued to talk nonsense. Why didn't I just end the conversation? I don't hang up and ask you not to call me. Because I understand: the person calling me is doing his job and not doing it for pleasure. This does not apply to scammers, of course.

So I became a Megafon subscriber. What can I say:

• prices are higher than Tele2. But to understand this, it was not necessary to switch, of course.
• I didn’t receive any benefits for switching with my number. Nothing at all . The advertisement promises a free month when switching, but the promotion did not apply to my tariff.
• The quality of regular conversations is at the same level. At least in Moscow.
• I have not yet identified any such failures in the Internet connection that caused me to change operators.
• The only useful thing I noticed was MegafonTV . It’s already included in my tariff, at least.
• Unused minutes and internet will also roll over to the next month. To do this you need to connect.
• Affiliate promotions are also present, look in the proprietary application.

I’ll say right away that I didn’t take any speed measurements. I just know how my old operator fished, he chose the same places. So, in advertising, Megafon often praises itself and reports about the fastest Internet in Russia. I'm willing to bet. Internet speed is no higher than Tele2. But in Megafon the signal is more stable and the difference from a change of location leads to a decrease in speed, and not to a loss of Internet (as sometimes happens with an operator with a black logo). In my purely subjective assessment: Tele2’s speed is often higher than Megafonov’s, but the green ones have a more seamless coverage. What does this mean for us : Tele2 gives excellent speeds, but sometimes it can work unstable, while Megafon is always stable, the speed may decrease noticeably, but certainly not completely disappear. I consider stability to be the main issue in this matter. As a result : the speeds are rather equal, but Megafon’s coverage itself is better.

I can say that the connection quality is more or less similar. It’s just that Megafon has had decades to improve its network, and Tele2 got involved in this competitive struggle only a few years ago. Honestly, I would not change the operator if it were not for this failure in the quality of the Internet in a particular place . Moreover, if there was Wi-Fi there, I would never have thought about changing SIM cards, because I simply would not have known about the problem. Should you leave Tele2? If you haven’t had cases like mine, then definitely not. Overall quality is good. With another carrier, you'll likely pay more for your call, but you won't get anything special. Is it worth switching to Tele2 from another operator? If you are not happy with something about the current one, then be sure to consider Tele2. He really has something to offer you. From all this it follows that the fourth and youngest operator has caught up with its competitors. He just needs time to get a little better. Why did I switch to Megafon? I knew for sure that he fished well where it was most relevant to me. Will I return back to Tele2 after a while? Quite possible. I left without any negativity, it was just the way the circumstances turned out. Everyone likes it!

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Iota

Yota is a subsidiary of Megafon. It is widespread due to its unlimited offers. But due to my youth, I have not yet gained a large client base.

Advantages of Yota:

• high data transfer speed;
• The system of no roaming within the country has been in place for a long time;
• independent formation of a tariff plan;
• the opportunity at a low price not to limit yourself in communicating on social networks and instant messengers.

Disadvantages of the provider:

• low coverage due to recent start of work;
• Megafon addiction.

Regarding network resources, Yota is a clear leader. Accordingly, according to this criterion, determining whether Tele2 or Iota should be in the direction of the latter. According to other criteria, Tele2 is still more suitable for customers.

4G Internet operators in Moscow and the Moscow region - choosing the best supplier

Statistical data on the percentage of unsuccessful voice connection attempts by subscribers from different operators will help us objectively assess the quality of communication. This information was obtained as a result of testing conducted by Roskomnadzor in 2021 in Moscow and the largest cities of Russia. How did the operators compare?

Beeline features

Let's look at the operator's most voluminous tariff plans and their characteristics. The “Turn On” TP branch on a package basis fits these requirements.

If we compare the given prices, the conclusion arises that Tele2’s conditions are most suitable for mobile Internet.

Tips for choosing an operator

The optimal company can be determined based on several criteria. Firstly, which providers provide high-quality communications in a particular region. If the “big three” are more or less common everywhere, then Iota and Tele2 cannot yet boast of this.

Secondly, it is worth proceeding from the price and optimal selection of services. For example, the Tele2 calculator on the Internet will help you calculate how much the required volumes of messages, calls and traffic will cost. The database contains all current plans and additional options of the company. The same Iota allows you to calculate for yourself how much and what a subscriber needs.

Based on these criteria, it is easy to select a service organization from among federal providers and a tariff. It is important that the volume and quality of mobile communication services suits the client.

Tariffs for other devices

When comparing these services, MegaFon has an advantage. First, there is a plan for tablets with a free welcome period, as well as a convenient plan for smart devices.

Let's move on to the test. How did you measure it, what results did you get?

We used the publicly available OOKLA Speedtest Custom service. For those who don't know, OOKLA is the most popular Internet speed test site in the world, visited by more than 140 million people every month.

Through Speedtest Custom, we posted a public testing code on iPhones.ru, from which we received data once every 24 hours.

This data is partially anonymized - from it we cannot understand who exactly carried out the measurement. IP addresses are masked exactly half, and geolocation is recorded only for the nearest town or region.

Does your tablet need a SIM card?

Many gadgets are designed so that even in the absence of access to a Wi-Fi network, it is possible to use the mobile Internet if necessary - via 3g. Sometimes, hardware and software, when using a SIM card in such devices, allows you to use the gadget to make calls as if from a regular mobile phone. A tablet equipped with a module is not in great demand, and it costs more, taking into account the monthly fee for operator services, but there is a demand for them too.

How many results were included in the test?

We had 22.7 thousand participants, of which we eliminated 50%. These are results from other countries and from the home Internet. All tests whose geolocation and/or operator could not be determined were also separated.

As a result, the plate with the five TOP operators in Russia totaled 11,203 unique entries.

Of these by operator:

▪ MTS: 3285 measurements

▪ MegaFon: 2983 measurements

▪ Beeline: 2162 measurements

▪ YOTA: 1479 measurements

▪ TELE2: 1294 measurements

Comment: the number of measurements by operator indirectly hints at the size of the user base. Those who have fewer measurements have fewer clients.