The question regarding which operator has the best mobile Internet periodically arises in online comments, is heard in individual articles and notes, and in general is considered quite important for customers. The urgency of the problem is due to the fact that some people need fast and inexpensive access to the Internet from a mobile device, while others need many minutes of communication. Often people use their phone to periodically call family members abroad, and this requires a special tariff plan.
In order to choose the most favorable tariff in 2021, which allows you to use the Internet and satisfies other requests of citizens, it is worth carefully studying the offers from existing operators and drawing conclusions. All important points and similarities on the topic of the material will be presented in the note.
What did you expect: voting results
In the announcement of the test, we asked readers which operator, in their opinion, will become the leader in mobile Internet speed.
We place bets: who will win?
- MTS
- Megaphone
- Beeline
- Tele 2
- Yota
27%
MTS
41%
Megaphone
8%
Beeline
15%
Tele 2
9%
Yota
11346 voted
More than half of the participants predicted MegaFon's victory (54%). Next came MTS (22%), then Yota (12%), and then Beeline and Tele2 (6% each) divided the votes approximately equally.
MegaFon's active campaign to promote its LTE Internet clearly worked, since every second person expected it to win from the very beginning. The second place for MTS, even though it has the largest subscriber base in the Russian Federation, is surprising: expectations from the operator did not crush the “mega” even with a numerical advantage.
Yota's reputation and its purely nominal relationship with MegaFon helped the Blues take third place according to expectations. And people have not expected miracles from Beeline and Tele2 for a long time, as demonstrated by the rating of expectations.
The editors' assumptions generally coincided with the reader's. The reality turned out to be predictable.
Competitors
It is difficult to give a definite answer to the question “which operator is better?” Everyone here relies on personal experience and their preferences. Today there are the following operators on the mobile communications market:
- "MTS";
- "Megaphone";
- "Tele 2";
- Beeline.
These are the largest operators on the market; you can find other competitors in the regions, but they are not comparable in scale. Consumers mainly on value for money. Therefore, today you can find a large number of package offers to suit any needs.
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.
Best call rates
If you spend most of your time within a Wi-Fi network, there is no need for large amounts of traffic. The first factor in choosing a tariff plan is the number of free minutes both online and offline.
Smarts “What you need 500+”
The main reason for the tariff plan to be included in the rating is the availability of 500 free minutes for outgoing calls per month. You can make calls anywhere in the country, but with the Internet, not everything is so simple. Standard conditions provide 3 GB, but it works stably only in certain regions. You can view the coverage map on the company's official website. The tariff plan can be recommended for communication lovers or those who have a good Internet signal in the area. The tariff also includes 200 SMS messages.
Price: 245 rubles.
Smarts “What you need 500+”
MTS "Smart"
Many MTS users liked this tariff because of the ease of setup. As always, it includes unlimited within the network. There are 3 service levels: 10 GB and 200 minutes, 15 GB and 400 minutes, 20 GB and 600 minutes. The price for the entry-level package is 500 rubles, and for the most advanced – 700 rubles. Everyone can independently choose the tariff plan that can meet their needs. They are all moderately priced. The main disadvantage of the tariff is the lack of free Internet, there is not even unlimited access to social networks. The operator additionally gives 2 months of MTS TV Light free of charge.
Price: 500 rubles.
MegaFon "Turn on! Communicate"
The tariff plan is in demand due to the possibility of connecting to unlimited traffic. The operator still offers unlimited Internet volume for using instant messengers. The standard tariff includes 15 GB of Internet for visiting any websites. It also provides unlimited communication with other MegaFon users and 600 minutes for all operators in Russia. Prices and conditions are subject to regional fluctuations; in St. Petersburg, 20 GB of traffic is given, and in Samara the price is 100 rubles lower.
Price: 600 rubles.
Beeline "Family"
The tariff plan is not cheap, but it includes as many as 1200 minutes for communication between any operators and 300 SMS is a good bonus. It is mainly chosen because of the endless Internet. The tariff was called “Family” due to the possibility of almost unlimited communication with relatives and loved ones. If you connect to home Internet, you won’t have to pay anything extra, it’s already included in the price. Moreover, the operator offers a solid speed of 100 Mbit/sec. If you pay an additional 200 rubles, you can activate and transfer 20 GB of Internet to two contacts, as well as share minutes and SMS.
Price: 900 rubles.
Which operator in Russia has the fastest mobile Internet?
1) MegaFon .
Download speed: 54 Megabits/s Upload speed: 18.1 Megabits/s Average lag: 38.7 milliseconds
2) Second place goes to Yota .
Download speed: 40.3 Megabits/s Upload speed: 15.3 Megabits/s Average lag: 42.1 milliseconds
3) Third line for MTS .
Download speed: 28.4 Megabits/s Upload speed: 14.5 Megabits/s Average lag: 40.2 milliseconds
4) The fourth was Beeline .
Download speed: 24.9 Megabits/s Upload speed: 15.5 Megabits/s Average lag: 34 milliseconds
5) Last place – TELE2 .
Download speed: 16.1 Megabits/s Upload speed: 7.8 Megabits/s Average lag: 45.7 milliseconds
Comment: MegaFon has confirmed its claim about the fastest mobile Internet in Russia by a landslide. Nothing to add.
Next comes Yota, which is not surprising - a relatively young operator, new equipment, emphasis on LTE almost from the very beginning. Here the predictions of iPhones.ru readers missed miserably.
MTS is located strictly in the middle of all results. You can’t praise or scold, except perhaps for not living up to your reputation in the preliminary vote. Beeline stood a little behind them, which will surprise few people.
But Tele2 amazed us; we did not expect such sad average speeds. These numbers are sad to look at. I don't envy subscribers.
YOTA
An operator that stands apart from the “Big Four” and was designed specifically for mobile Internet users. It was this operator that first offered a customizable tariff, like a designer, when the user himself chooses a package of minutes and Internet. And today such functionality is familiar to subscribers of all operators.
Today, too, you can “build your own Yota,” and the uniqueness of the new designer from the virtual operator is again ahead of all other market offerings in this parameter. Now the step when choosing services is one minute and one gigabyte, which allows you to choose exactly what the user needs with special calculation accuracy. Let's look at the cost of comparable tariffs in the traffic range of 5, 10, and 15 GB with a package for 500 minutes:
- 500 minutes and 5 GB of Internet costs 387.38 rubles per month;
- The same volume of services, but 10 GB per month - 393.80 rubles;
- The same volume of services, but 15 GB of mobile Internet - 397.80 rubles.
As you can see, doubling the Internet volume (from 5 GB to 10) increased the subscription fee by only 15 rubles. So, trying to identify the best operator for mobile Internet, we analyzed the price offers of leading Moscow cellular operators. Let's summarize the data in a table and draw conclusions.
| Operator | Rate | Internet | Price |
| Beeline | First gigs | 6 GB + unlimited for instant messengers | 450 rub. |
| SuperCITY | 25 GB + unlimited for instant messengers | 550 rub. | |
| Megaphone | No overpayments. Minimum | 6 GB + unlimited for instant messengers | 390 rub. |
| No overpayments. Internet | 20 GB + unlimited for instant messengers and social networks | 500 rub | |
| No overpayments. Calls | 6 GB + unlimited for instant messengers | 600 rub | |
| MTS | NETARIF 200 minutes + 6 GB | 6 GB + unlimited for instant messengers | 454 RUR |
| NETARIF 400 minutes + 10 GB | 10 GB + unlimited for instant messengers | 483 RUR | |
| NETARIF 400 minutes + 15 GB | 15 GB + unlimited for instant messengers | 491 RUR | |
| X | 7 GB + unlimited for music, video, social networks, instant messengers, games, application downloads | 545 RUR | |
| Tele2 | Light | 10 GB | 360 rub. |
| My online | 15 GB + unlimited for instant messengers and social networks | 400 rub | |
| Yota | 500 minutes + 5 GB | 5 GB | RUB 387.38 |
| 500 minutes + 10 GB | 10 GB | RUR 393.80 | |
| 500 minutes + 15 GB | 15 GB | RUR 397.80 |
What are the average results in Russia?
If we take all measurements , including home Internet:
Download speed: 53.1 Megabit/s Upload speed: 41.5 Megabit/s Average lag: 26 milliseconds
Results exclusively for the TOP-5 mobile operators in Russia:
Download speed: 32.7 Megabits/s Upload speed: 14.2 Megabits/s Average lag: 40.1 milliseconds
Comment: upload speed remains the weak point of mobile Internet in Russia. But it's not that scary. Another thing is surprising: the download speed over cellular networks is only 40% lower than the overall speed in general.
So, slowly but surely, our LTE is catching up, and in some places even surpassing the home Internet in the average Russian home and office.
People's rating
This indicator has its place, but basically, it can be attributed to the reviews that users leave after the conversation has ended or they have used the Internet.
If we talk in more detail about the reviews, then MTS is one of the best mobile operators for users, since it receives and maintains communications throughout the country, and no matter what region you go to, in any case you will be able to contact with the help of MTS. Thanks to this advantage, MTS is the most numerous communications dispatcher, which has about 80 million users.
Megafon earned its popularity and loyalty thanks to its rapid modernization, so it became the very first communications dispatcher to introduce 4G. In addition, Megafon has the most convenient application among all operators and is slightly inferior to MTS in terms of the number of users.
Beeline has been losing its popularity in recent years, although when everything was just in its infancy, it was the founder of everything new in the world of mobile communications and the Internet. At the moment, the operator has one of the lowest indicators, but many users are still loyal to it.
Tele2 is a young operator that has recently entered the market. It has a large number of towers in all regions of the country and is already catching up with the market leaders.
What does the TOP 5 mobile operators look like in terms of Internet speed?
Once again, now without numbers and more clearly.
1. MegaFon 2. Yota 3. MTS 4. Beeline 5. TELE2
Comment: Focus on this rating when choosing an operator for mobile Internet. Especially if you live in large cities.
It is worth understanding that the numbers may differ specifically in your home or office. Therefore, before deciding to change the operator, you should run a couple of speed tests at home and at work, borrowing a SIM card from someone for the evening.
Important Note
Unlike wired Internet, mobile Internet is not unlimited. This term implies unlimited traffic usage. Traffic refers to the entire volume of information received through the network. Telecom operators often limit this volume.
Therefore, you can find offers in the form of packages where the Internet is limited to a certain volume . For example, with a package of 1 GB, the user can use the Internet only until this volume is used up. When this volume is reached, the speed is limited and access to the network is prohibited.
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 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.
"Beeline"
Many people know Beeline as a home Internet provider. But, in addition to this, it also provides wireless networks. Thus, the “Everything” tariff line offers packages of minutes, SMS and traffic. For just 350 rubles, users get 6 GB of Internet, 500 minutes and SMS. A unique feature here is that if you pay for the month at once, the amount of traffic doubles, i.e. for the same amount the package is 12 GB.
This promotion applies to all offers. This is an excellent offer for those who like to save money and spend money wisely. All you have to do is pay on time and receive a lucrative bonus in the form of additional traffic.
What is the average speed in the 5 largest cities of the Russian Federation
Moscow: 31.4 Megabit/s download, 16.6 Megabit/s upload
St. Petersburg: 25 Megabit/s download, 13.8 Megabit/s upload
Novosibirsk: 33.3 Megabit/s for download, 12 Megabit/s for upload
Yekaterinburg: 21.9 Megabit/s for download, 13.9 Megabit/s for upload
Nizhny Novgorod: 29.7 Megabit/s for download, 17.4 Megabit/s for upload
Comment: It is not surprising that regions can overtake Moscow in terms of mobile Internet speed. As a rule, the infrastructure of cellular networks outside Moscow has been updated in the last ten years.
In regional centers, it is easier and cheaper for operators to install new base stations and upgrade other equipment, ultimately achieving higher speeds than in the capital.
Interesting and important characteristics
First you need to understand what network mode you are interested in. The frequency ranges of 3G and LTE are different, and in order to receive their signals, you must select antennas or feeds, depending on the configuration, with the appropriate frequency. Of course, you can take antennas with a frequency range that covers both standards, but in this case the output signal will be slightly worse (again, depending on the number of adapters, the length of the cables and their properties; these characteristics affect all configurations of a given system, including This also applies to signal attenuation).
It is necessary to check the signal levels of mobile networks at the site in advance. As I already said, I chose MTS, because here it is always caught and MTS has quite a lot of towers (compared to other operators) with different network modes, including LTE, which, I hope, will be upgraded to 5G in the future. So I selected my equipment “for growth.”
Reasons for choosing a channel relative to offset
Offset, it seems to me, is much better, so I made the wrong choice, especially considering my capabilities: but I caught LTE on a wave, and the problem is the height. To begin with, I spent a long time and diligently choosing equipment and possible combinations, including various types of antennas. In the end, I liked two options:
- Offset reflector with a diameter of 0.9 m or more with an irradiator for frequency ranges from 1700 to 2700 MHz and supporting MIMO technology.
- Dual wave channel with the same frequency.
The gain for both sets is from 24 to 28 dbi. I settled on the second one: it has much fewer problems with catching a signal from telephone towers. I took the cable with reduced losses and attenuation so that the reception signal was more stable.
On site, I set up the antenna using Google Maps and the MDMA program. The desktop version of MDMA allows you to check the signal level on the receiving device (modem module in the router). This program is not so easy to use, but if you understand Netmonitor, then it is unlikely to cause any difficulties for you. In the end, there are very good recommendations and clear instructions. Please note that a male-to-male USB connection is required.
To check the direction of the antenna, it is enough to assemble the entire system, that is, connect the antenna to the router, and the router to the computer, but only through a USB adapter. Then we launch MDMA and select the direction of the antenna.
MDMA:
The choice of a specific router model was determined by the above requirements, but the list was limited to these models:
- Huawei E5172
- Huawei B315S (there are alternatives from providers and telecom operators)
- Skylink V-FL500
- TP-LINK TL-MR6400
- ZTE MF283 (there are alternatives from providers and telecom operators)
- Huawei B310
The price range is from 4 to 9 thousand rubles per unit. I chose Huawei B315S because of its low cost and the ability to create IP telephony and connect up to 32 devices. And it can also catch LTE.
Megaphone
While figuring out which cellular operator is better for a mobile phone, we decided to take a closer look at Megafon, the second most popular company. The number of subscribers today reaches 77 million, and Data roaming is available in 100 countries, and international roaming in more than 200.
Pros:
- Maximum coverage area in Russia. Anyone who uses the company’s services does not have to worry about the fact that in a certain corner of the country he will not have mobile Internet or communications in general. Even in non-densely populated areas, Megafon equipment is present. The company is doing everything to take a leading position in Russia, so it is concerned about the quality of the services provided;
- Megafon monitors current trends and actively implements new technologies. Among them are mobile 4G+ Internet with data transfer speeds of up to 300 Mb/s;
- Fast Internet, which allows you to comfortably use your phone while away from home.
Minuses:
- Weak technical support;
- Complexity of tariff plans. Tariffs are very confusing and vary greatly in price, which greatly depends on the region and the number of additional options.
