Rostelecom - full review: reviews, tariffs, advantages and disadvantages

Detailed review of the mobile operator Rostelecom

, known to everyone as a major Russian Internet and cable TV provider, is also a cellular communications provider.
The virtual operator operates on the Tele2 network, just like Tinkoff Mobile and SberMobile. entered the communications market in 1993. In 2012, it merged with the regional company Utel, and in 2014 with Tele2. This article will focus specifically on the proposals of Rostelecom itself.

Let's look at the pros and cons of the operator.

Advantages

• Saving. Not a bad price/quality ratio.
• Stability and reliability.
• Free packages of instant messengers, social networks and videos.
• After exceeding the limit, it is easy to get the necessary minutes and gigabytes.
• Bonus program.
• It is very profitable if you combine the purchase with home Internet, telephone or television.
• Promotions are held frequently.
• Payment is debited only once a month.
• Unused minutes/gigabytes are carried over to the next month.
• Convenient personal account where you can configure all the necessary options.
• Beneficial for corporate clients: cellular communications can be free if you connect other services.

Flaws

• Only Rostelecom clients who are already using its services can connect.
• There are few SMS messages in the package.
• Unlimited only for messengers and social networks, otherwise traffic is limited.
• The package of messengers/social networks includes only the most popular of them: VK, Facebook, Whatsapp, Viber, Odnoklassniki, TamTam.
• To connect to online TV, you need to activate a promotional code (in the Wink application).

Coverage area

Rostelecom subscribers have access to communications throughout almost the entire country (65 regions). Since the operator operates on the Tele2 infrastructure, its coverage covers the same territory. However, the network does not catch everywhere; it is best in large cities.

Standard Features

Rostelecom's work in Moscow and Moscow Region

The Tele2 operator came to Moscow recently, when all other operators had firmly established themselves in their rightful places and gained subscribers. But the appearance of the discounter caused a certain stir - with low prices, it managed to quickly build an army of fans. One thing that upsets subscribers is that in the capital region they will have to change their mobile phone; old models do not work here.

More precisely, not the old ones, but those that do not have 3G support on board. If there is no third generation support, then the connection will not work. And nothing can be done here - it is not profitable for modern operators to build 2G networks. Subscribers have two exits:

• Buy a simple phone with 3G support - their cost is from 2000 rubles.
• Buy any smartphone - there are almost no models without 3G on the market.
• Activate 3G in the phone settings - some models have 3G support, but it is disabled in the settings.

We install the Rostelecom SIM card into the new phone, turn on the power - we get a working phone. There is no alternative solution to the problem.

Rostelecom Mobile user rating

Positive reviews

Clients note that the operator’s conditions are much more favorable than those of his colleagues from the Big Four. I like the quality of communication, the speed of the Internet, and also the fact that the network reaches almost everywhere (in large cities). They note the respectful attitude of call center employees towards clients. It is easy to get any information by making an SMS request. Convenient website, bonuses.

Negative reviews

Since they work on the Tele2 basis, far from large cities there are often problems with communication. You can also find reviews from residents of cities in the center of the country who complain about very weak Internet. Technical problems with connection are often noted: for example, problems with delivery, it is unknown where the money went, difficulties with activating the SIM card. Problems are resolved by technical support, but not promptly and some clients remain dissatisfied with the result. There are reviews about the incompetence and negligence of Rostelecom Mobile customer service.

Features of mobile communications from Rostelecom

Rostelecom is a virtual cellular operator based on the Tele2 infrastructure. Moreover, Tele2 actually belongs to Rostelecom with all the ensuing consequences - a similar pricing policy, almost the same coverage area, almost the same technical problems. In general, the operator is doing a good job, and the coverage is getting better and better every year. But there will always be dissatisfied subscribers.

The cellular operator Rostelecom, using Rostelecom's infrastructure, really has a wide coverage area. But in some regions there is no network. Then national roaming is activated, which is characterized by high communication prices. Under pressure from the FAS, they decreased somewhat, but this did not make them the most profitable. And subscribers will have to come to terms with this fact.

Tariffs for Rostelecom SIM cards

Let's consider the cost of services in the city of Moscow. In cities and regions, the cost of services differs. You can get acquainted with the cost of services and tariff plans in your city at the link https://rt.ru/mobile/mobile_tariff

The company's tariff plans change at least once a year. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify current information when connecting to this operator. The “SuperSimka” and “For All” tariff lines were valid until January 23, 2021; now you cannot connect to them.

"New story"

Offer includes: 200 minutes of outgoing calls, 50 SMS messages, 3 GB. mobile Internet, Wink-TV for 12 months. Subscription fee – 220 rubles. To switch to the tariff, send code 92 to short number 220.

"The Whole Story"

Outgoing limit – 400 minutes, SMS – 50 pieces, Internet traffic – 9 GB, Wink-TV. Price – 340 rub./month. Connection: code 93 to 220.

"Endless story"

500 outgoing minutes, 50 SMS, unlimited internet, 101 Wink channels. Monthly fee – 500 rubles. To connect, send code 95 to number 220.

"Family History"

One package with a total balance for five SIM cards. Outgoing calls – 600 minutes, SMS – 50 pieces, traffic – 25 GB, 101 TV channels. Price per month of use – 700 rubles. To activate, write SMS “94” to the same number.

Switch to “RT” with the old number

For subscribers who want to connect to Rostelecom SIM card tariffs while keeping their old number, special conditions apply. The advantage will be a 20% discount on the monthly payment valid for 6 months.

To switch, you need to make sure that the phone number is registered in your name, there is no debt on it, and also that it belongs to your region.

Review of the Internet with a Rostelecom SIM card.

With SIM card for phone

Rostelecom subscribers who want to use a SIM card only to access the Internet can activate special options:

• "500 MB+" . A one-time replenishment of five hundred megabytes will cost 50 rubles. This option is activated by default if you have used up your tariff limit and there are more than two days until the end of the month. The conditions are valid not only for some tariffs, check with the operator.
• "Internet from your phone" . 100 MB provided. for 7 rubles/day.
• "A Day on the Net" . Traffic per day – 200 MB. Cost – 16 rubles/day. Only those days on which you use the Internet are paid.

Line of “Simple Internet” tariffs for the Rostelecom SIM card:

"S" . One and a half gigabytes for 120 rubles/month.

"M" . 3 GB/month for 180 rubles.

"L" . 7 gigabytes for 270 rubles/month.

"XL" . 15 gigabytes for a month plus unlimited use of the Global Network at night. Cost – 400 rubles.

In this line, the unused balance remains with you for the next month. You can connect an additional one gigabyte for 125 rubles or 3 for 240.

With SIM card for tablet

The “Internet” tariff is suitable for different types of devices. For tablets, it offers special conditions. Monthly fee – 300 rub. The price includes 10 GB. Internet. An outgoing call within your region will cost 1.8 rubles. per minute, in Russia to RT numbers - 2 rubles, to other operators - 8 rubles, SMS - 2.5 rubles.

You can also connect to the “Simple Internet S, M, L” tariffs on your tablet, as well as a special offer – “Simple Internet on a tablet”. This includes 10 GB. per month, as well as unlimited social networks (VK, Facebook and Odnoklassniki) and Navigation (Yandex.Maps, Yandex.Transport and Yandex.Navigator).

For computer

For this type of device, the operator offers two “Simple Internet” tariff options:

• "XL" . 15 GB. traffic at 400 rub./month. Unlimited access to the Global Network at night is included.
• "2XL " 30 GB. for 650 rub. per month. Night unlimited is also included in the price.

Personal opinion

I didn't like Rostelecom's tariffs. And that's why:

1. There is no normal unlimited Internet on any of the tariffs, although it is advertised. Yes, the brief description states that there is a package at maximum speed, but what will happen next was only found out in technical support.
2. There is no normal description of the conditions. I looked at a lot of tariffs from various regular and virtual mobile operators, but I have never seen such an incomprehensible description. What does it cost? “The “500 MB+” option is activated
   when the main package of Internet traffic according to the tariff plan
   . It is clear that these note points were simply copied from somewhere and inattentively edited. And a bonus is that this condition is incorrect, since after using up the main package, unlimited access is activated at speeds of up to 128 Kbps.
3. Rostelecom's tariffs almost completely copy Tele2's tariffs. And why, one might ask, is Rostelecom needed then? You can switch to an MVNO if it has advantages over regular telecom operators, since simply in terms of communication quality, MVNOs cannot beat mobile operators due to the fact that they operate on the same base stations.

Roaming

1. On trips around the country. The cost of a minute of an incoming or outgoing call (within Russia) is 5 rubles. SMS message to a subscriber in Russia – 3.5 rubles, to foreign operators – 5.5 rubles. Outgoing calls to the CIS countries – 30 rub./min., within Europe – 49 rub./min., to other countries – 69 rub./min. If the balance is below zero, all services are suspended, incl. incoming messages are not received. In Crimea and Sevastopol, other rates apply: 1 ruble per minute for an incoming call, 3 rubles/minute for outgoing calls within the Russian Federation.
2. Abroad. Rostelecom offers the option “Internet abroad CIS and Europe”. The monthly fee is 100 rubles/day, 10 MB. the subscriber receives it free of charge per day, then 10 rubles. for 1 MB.
3. Tariffs for other countries. Outgoing calls to Russia are charged depending on the country of residence. So, a minute of call from Europe will cost 15 rubles, from Asia, Africa and Australia – 35 rubles. From other countries – from 65 to 165 rubles. For information on the cost of calls from abroad to other countries, check on the operator’s website.

The same rates apply to incoming calls. You will be charged 15 rubles per minute for a call in the CIS countries and Europe, 35 rubles. – in Asia, Africa and Australia, 65 or more – in North and South America, etc.

One SMS from Europe and the CIS will cost 6 rubles, from Asia, Africa, the Americas, etc. - 12 rubles. Maximum – 29 rubles. for countries such as Iraq, Algeria, Maldives, Seychelles, Tunisia, etc. (check with your operator for more details). The same prices apply for mms. Incoming messages are free.

One megabyte of Internet traffic will cost you 25 rubles if you are in Europe or the CIS countries. For the rest of the world - from 50 to 700 rubles.

RT recommends turning off configured forwardings before your trip, as they can cause unnecessary expenses. You can do this by dialing the combination ##002#. Help desk for Rostelecom subscribers in roaming: +7(495)5395539.

Voice problems

There are reviews that cellular communications from Rostelecom are not ready to provide high-quality voice telephony - they say that it breaks constantly, the voice “gurgles”, and incomprehensible interference is heard in the handset. This could have happened around 2008 when coverage was poor. In 2021 and 2021, when Tele2 networks covered the whole of Russia (and we remember that Rostelecom operates on the basis of Tele2), there are problems only at the border of the coverage area. However, with any other operator you can find places with weak reception - the laws of physics and the propagation of radio waves have not been canceled.

Additional functions

Internet and TV

• The Social Networks package provides unlimited access to VKontakte, Facebook and Odnoklassniki. In some tariffs it is included in the price.
• "Messengers" package. Unlimited use of Viber, WhatsApp, TamTam. The daily fee is 2 rubles.
• Convert minutes to gigabytes. The service is free. You can exchange minutes from the main package or transferred from the previous month. The exchange is made under the following conditions: 1 minute - 10.24 MB, 10 minutes - 102.4 MB, 100 min. – 1 GB.
• Online TV. A subscriber who connects to a cellular connection receives 12 months of free access to 101 channels in the Wink application as a gift.

Call management

• Unlimited for RT numbers. 5 rubles per day for calls not only to the operator’s mobile numbers, but also to landline ones.
• "Simple Geography". You can make discounted calls to numbers of foreign mobile operators for 2 rubles/day. Conditions for specific countries can be found on the website rt.ru.
• Caller ID. Allows you to hide your number when calling for 3.7 rubles. per day. Guaranteed to work only on RT numbers.

SMS management

Additional 100 sms for 100 rubles per month and 300 for 200 rubles. Valid on numbers of any Russian operators.

Sim management

• Landline number. Short numbers as for landline phones for 3 rubles/day. Free for Family Story, Whole Story and NeverEnding Story plans. Convenient for remembering, can be used in advertisements.
• Replacement. If you change your number, the old tariff plan will remain with you, as well as the remaining packages and connected services. The first replacement is free, then - 50 rubles.

Please note that prices for services are indicated for Moscow; prices in other regions may vary.

Low quality of service in offices

We analyzed reviews of Rostelecom mobile subscribers on the Internet and were surprised to find a huge number of complaints about office employees. People complain that they cannot put two words together, do not know the conditions of the promotions, cannot provide background information on current tariff plans - they re-read the data from advertising leaflets. There are also complaints about the incorrect treatment of subscribers by specialists. It is not very clear how to deal with this without violating the criminal code.

How to connect

Becoming a subscriber to the company is not so easy - you need to use at least one of the main ones: the Internet, cable television or home telephone. If you already have any of these, you can choose one of two options:

1. Leave a request on the website (home delivery is possible).
2. Come to the company office.

Activation

You must pay a subscription fee to your account. The SIM will be activated after the required amount is debited. This usually takes about two hours, but sometimes the waiting time lasts up to a day.

If you purchase a device from Rostelecom, it will have a SIM with the application installed by default.

Replacing a SIM card

If you lose your SIM card, you can replace it, keeping your numbers and all connected packages and services. This can be done for free at any company office.

SIM lock

This procedure is necessary so that in the event of theft, a criminal will not be able to use your card and all the accounts associated with it. There are several ways to voluntarily block a SIM:

1. From your personal account. You need to log in, and the site itself will tell you what actions to take.
2. At the Rostelecom office. You just need to contact an employee and they will help you.
3. Call support.

Where to complain about Rostelecom

You can complain about Rostelecom directly to Rostelecom. You go to the office with your passport, write a claim (they won’t accept it without a passport), and wait for review. According to the law (it is adopted by the government, not Rostelecom), the review period is 60 days. As a rule, they respond much faster if you have entered your contact information correctly. You can also periodically call the hotline and check the progress of your application.

If Rostelecom does not respond to your requests, you can complain to Rospotrebnadzor, the prosecutor's office, Roskomnadzor or the court. Going to court will bring a positive result if there is really significant evidence that the operator is wrong. Especially if his actions caused you harm.

4/5 — (3 votes)

Review of promotions for the Rostelecom SIM card

A nice bonus for customers is that the company often offers discounts when purchasing multiple products. For example, at the moment there are two promotions: “For the family” and “For everything”. The first includes home Internet with antivirus and parental controls and interactive television. The cost of the set is 1120 rubles. The second option is the same, but with high-speed Internet and a large number of channels for 1,450 rubles. Mobile communication in both cases is a gift.

Helpful information

*122# — check balance;

*100*12# — package rest;

*103# — find out the current tariff;

*115# - about roaming.

Support phone number: 8800181888; 1888.

How to find out that the number belongs to Rostelecom

There is a form on the RT website that allows you to determine which cellular company owns a particular number.

How to disable sim

In case you lose your SIM card or simply decide to refuse the company’s services, do one of the following:

1. Call technical support. You will need to answer the call center manager’s questions and dictate your passport details.
2. At the Rostelecom office. You will also need a passport and, if the number is registered to another person, a power of attorney from him.
3. In your personal account. To do this, you must be registered on the website rostelecom.ru. There are two options here: temporary and permanent blocking. In the first case, two weeks of waiting are free, for the rest you will have to pay. You can log into your personal account through the official application.

Publication date: 05/14/2019