Crimea falls into the sanctions zone, for this reason Russian telecommunications companies do not dare install their equipment on the peninsula. All representatives of the “Big Four” mobile operators offer technical roaming through the towers of Crimean organizations to provide communications to their customers. However, MTS in Crimea in 2021 gives its subscribers the opportunity to switch to domestic Russian roaming, and not to international, as was before.
How MTS works in Crimea
In 2021, MTS in Crimea does not have its own towers, official sales points or representative offices, but in fact, a SIM card can be bought everywhere at unbranded points. However, it is better to take care of purchasing it in advance, before traveling to Crimea. This will save time searching for a point of sale, and will give you the opportunity to choose the optimal set of services in advance.
As for the quality of MTS communication services in Crimea in 2021, whether the network works stably or not, you don’t have to worry. The company provides communications using the equipment of roaming partners. These are local operators that operate under the Volna Mobile and Win Mobile brands. Just a couple of years ago, there were problems with communication even in large cities such as Sevastopol. MTS in Crimea is working great in 2021: today the network has good coverage even in small villages. The Internet is characterized by stable speed and uninterrupted operation, a 3G network is available.
Mobile Internet - tariffs and costs
The operator offers subscribers several tariffs and options , designed for those who regularly use the Internet, always staying connected.
Tariffs “X” and “ULTRA” .
How to connect to the Internet?
Upon arrival in Crimea, subscribers must complete a number of actions:
- Set permission on your device to use the Internet while roaming.
- If the tariff provides for a subscription fee, and the use of the service package in Crimea is not valid (such conditions are stipulated in the description of the tariff plan), you need to activate the “Home package+” .
- If you do not plan to use the Internet while traveling, you need to turn off data transfer on your device .
Will there be roaming?
When deciding how to connect MTS in Crimea without roaming, it is worth considering that the peninsula not only has restrictions caused by the political situation, but also represents a separate region of Russia. This suggests challenges for large companies to enter the region. Despite the formal abolition of roaming within the country by operators, the concept of a home region and special conditions for calls while traveling remain.
Of all the operators, only MTS managed to bypass the so-called mobile sanctions system. Previously, the peninsula was defined in the MTS network as the Krasnodar Territory, but today it is separated into a separate region - Crimea. Despite the absence of its own towers in Crimea, all calls are charged exactly the same as when traveling to other regions of Russia.
There is no need to activate roaming separately; all subscribers have this service initially. After arriving on the Crimean territory, the connection to the local network will occur automatically, and the tariff will remain the same without extra payment for roaming.
Shutdown
Disabling roaming does not make sense, since the service is provided free of charge and is basic. But, if the subscriber is determined to refuse the service, he will be able to disable it in his personal account in the section with a list of active options.
It will be much more relevant to deactivate options aimed at reducing the cost of cellular communications. They work in any region, so if the client does not deactivate them themselves, money will continue to be debited from the SIM card balance, no matter how much the user needs more active add-ons. The deactivation procedure depends on the connected add-ons and may vary. The exact methods of disconnection should be clarified on the website or with the company’s consultants. An alternative, universal solution would be to disable unnecessary services through your personal account.
MTS tariffs in Crimea in 2021: which one to choose
To save money, you just need to choose a tariff that suits the basic indicators or connect options that are convenient for traveling around Russia to the current one. Particularly lucky are those who already have ULTRA tariffs, as well as Smart line formats “Our 042018”, Top, as well as Smart+ 102014 and +022015. For these MTS subscribers in 2021 in Crimea, tariffs will operate in the same way as when traveling to other constituent entities of the Russian Federation, even if registration takes place in the networks of Crimean companies.
For other tariffs the conditions are as follows:
- all incoming SMS messages and calls are free;
- outgoing within Russia to any numbers - 3 rubles per minute;
- outgoing SMS within Russia/to other countries - 2/8 rubles per minute;
- Internet traffic - 1 ruble per 1 MB.
To reduce costs, you can add the “Home package” or “Home package +” options to your existing MTS tariff. The first one is intended for short trips and costs 10.5 rubles per day. The second is for a long stay in the Crimea, it requires a subscription fee of 104 rubles per month.
The essence of these options is that thanks to an additional payment, the client can use the functions included in his package while roaming. Also, other communication services will be charged according to the terms of your home region. Internet for MTS clients in Crimea is provided without restrictions within the selected packages, but there is a speed limit. Every day, 500 MB will be downloaded at the highest possible speed, and then it will be reduced to 128 Kbps until the end of the day.
These options are available to customers who have activated tariffs:
- “Smart device 032017” (open version);
- "WE MTS";
- Smart light;
- "My Unlimited";
- “All MTS”;
- "X";
- Smart;
- Smart Nonstop;
- “Mobile. BIG";
- "Tariffishche"
- Smart Mini.
About the current situation
The situation regarding the peninsula is ambiguous. Currently there is only one operator operating in Crimea - K-Telecom. Russian companies entered into contracts with him to provide roaming services.
The quality of communication is inferior to both Russia and Ukraine. Second generation technologies are used to access the Internet. You can access websites only through undemanding browsers, like Opera Mini. Chrome gives connection errors.
Russian operators cannot provide communications to the peninsula. Companies will quickly find themselves under sanctions. What does this mean for them:
- Loss of foreign business. Let us remind you that MTS has a subsidiary in Ukraine.
- Serious losses.
- Problems with purchasing equipment. Networks are updated and maintained using foreign-made equipment.
The risks for companies are too high. Despite calls from short-sighted politicians, the Government and the State Duma are in no hurry to oblige operators to work on the peninsula. The authorities understand that this way they will deal a serious blow to organizations and may leave them without foreign equipment, which will lead to the inability to maintain and improve networks throughout Russia. Unfortunately, the country is technologically dependent on China, Europe and the United States.
Smart line
This family of tariffs is considered one of the most popular among all existing MTS programs. The Smart tariff is suitable for those who use the Internet moderately. It includes 250 minutes and SMS, as well as 5 GB of Internet traffic. Price - 470 rubles.
There are also tariff modifications - Smart mini, Smart+, Smart Nonstop and others, but most of them today belong to the archival category. This included the popular “Smart Unlimited” tariff, which for 500 rubles a month gave 10 GB of Internet, 300 calls and SMS for calls from Crimean operators and unlimited calls for calls within the network.
Today the basic Smart package can not be purchased in all Russian cities. However, for those who are already on this MTS tariff today, using it in Crimea will be beneficial independently or when ordering.
"Cunning scheme"
At the end of 2021, State Duma deputy from the Republic of Crimea Dmitry Belik announced the holding of tenders, as a result of which Crimean cellular operators will receive licenses to operate in the Krasnodar Territory. The corresponding agreement was reached with the Deputy Minister of Communications of Russia Oleg Ivanov , Belik said in an interview with the First Sevastopol TV channel.
Crimean operators received licenses to operate in the Krasnodar region in order to transfer local MTS subscribers formally assigned to Krasnodar to their networks
The deputy explained that the purpose of the scheme is to provide residents of Crimea with the opportunity to switch to local operators while maintaining their numbers. After this, income from servicing Crimean cellular subscribers will remain with local cellular operators, who will be able to invest these funds in the development of their networks.
Tariff "Tariffishche"
This option is suitable for those who prefer to spend a lot of time on the Internet. Traffic is available without restrictions in your region and in the amount of 30 GB in others. After 30 GB are used up, to gain access to the World Wide Web you need to order the corresponding option for 25 rubles using the command *111*844#.
This package also includes 600 SMS and minutes not only for calls within MTS, but also to the numbers of all other cellular operators in Russia. In this case, the subscription fee is 460 rubles per month. The more minutes you need, the higher the fee will be. Maximum - 1,600 minutes and SMS for 900 rubles monthly for a year for the first connection or 1,125 rubles for the second time. In Crimea it will be especially economical if you order additionally.
MTS operator on the peninsula
MTS is one of the largest Russian companies providing telecommunications services in Russia. In Crimea, the company provides communication services to subscribers under national roaming conditions .
The operator's starter packages were among the first to appear on the shelves of the Crimean Peninsula after the Republic of Crimea came under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation. The editors of krym.in described everything about cellular operators operating in Crimea in as much detail as possible using the link here. We described in detail about the work of the MegaFon operator in Crimea in this article.
- We described in detail about the work of the Beeline operator in Crimea in this article.
- The nuances of Tele2’s work on the peninsula are here.
Tariff X
Another suitable tariff for fans of surfing on social networks. It assumes the provision of 200 SMS, 100 minutes and 7 GB of Internet. The main feature is free access to the most popular instant messengers and social networks. Among them are YouTube, VK, Apple Music, Whats App, Tik Tok, Telegram. Even some online games, like Tanki Online and WoT, are available without additional Internet traffic tariffs.
The cost of the tariff is 405 rubles per month or 13.5 rubles per day for new clients during the first month of use. If traffic outside social networks runs out, you can order extra packages. The terms of the program apply throughout the country.
Before you hit the road, you should download the MTS mobile application on your smartphone. It makes it possible to monitor your account balance online and, if necessary, change services to more suitable ones at any time.
Also, get discounts from TravelAsk and bonuses from partners:
- Buy car products at discounts using “Wheels for Free” promotional codes.
- Labyrinth promotional codes allow you to save significantly on the purchase of books and stationery.
- Buy modern electronics and accessories at discounts using the Svyaznoy promo code.
Tariffing and additional features
Most users subscribe to this tariff plan to use the Internet. Please note that almost everyone is satisfied with the quality of the service provided. First of all, you should pay attention to the fact that the speed is not cut off, regardless of how the SIM card is used, that is, directly through the phone or via a modem.
How are things going with watching videos? As a rule, there are no hints of “braking”. Everything is quite fast and convenient. Problems can only arise when downloading torrents. In this case, the download does not occur at all, or the speed is so low that you will have to wait a very long time for the download to complete.
Speed cuts occur when you use more than 20 GB of traffic per day or 300 GB per month.
Restrictions vary depending on the subscriber's location. You can check them with your customer support operator.
To provide Internet access to other devices, you will have to pay extra. This service is charged at 30 rubles per day. Please note that no employee of the company can guarantee uninterrupted Internet access. Everything will depend on the region in which the subscriber will use it.
What to choose? Best Operator
Win Mobile has the best coverage on the entire peninsula.
- with paid roaming disabled, you can use your SIM card, since incoming calls will be free
If you need mobile Internet, there are three options:
- connect an Internet package for travel to your SIM card
- take a local SIM card with an Internet tariff
- Important! Dreamsim - (SIM card for travelers) does not work in Crimea.
How not to make a mistake when choosing a mobile operator?
Most experienced tourists advise purchasing local SIM cards in order not to experience any problems with mobile communications. For example, MTS works well in Crimea. It is noteworthy that this particular operator is the largest on the peninsula. It offers services in national roaming, which at the same time have an affordable price. It is also worth considering offers from Win Mobile - this is one of the first operators to appear in Crimea.
As for the alternative, you can also consider Tele2, which offers the lowest cost when making calls within Russia. Beeline and Megafon have interesting offers that should be considered individually, analyzing your needs. Otherwise, there is no problem in choosing a tariff plan that allows you to constantly stay in touch. You should first study information about the network coverage of each of the operators whose tariff plans you are considering.
