The first mobile phones appeared in the USA in the 1970s, but in the Russian Federation the history of cell phones began only in the nineties. Back then, mobile phones could only make calls within one region, but now everything has changed. Using a mobile phone you can make calls not only within Russia, but also abroad. To do this, telephone companies create roaming.
Description of international roaming capabilities
If we explain in simple words what roaming is, we can say that roaming is the ability to use cellular communications in all regions, and not just in your home. If the user activates roaming, then during the trip he is not separated from the world and remains a full part of it. A person can use the Internet, call and write SMS messages just like in his hometown. Roaming will cost more than regular cellular service, but it's worth it. Each telephone company has certain types of roaming. Megafon also has this. Megafon attracts its customers by the fact that calls in roaming are often cheaper than on the tariff in the home region.
The nuances of mobile communications when planning a trip to distant countries or how not to disconnect your native SIM card
Before getting ready for a long journey, do not forget about mobile communications.
Some people, when going on a trip, turn off their cell phones for this period of time or use foreign SIM cards, hoping to save money. But we want to assure you that this method does not bring any savings, but on the contrary, tariffs in other countries are very expensive compared to ours. In addition, in order to use a local telephone card, you will have to somehow notify your loved ones about the change of number and this will not save money.
Therefore, let us introduce you to the conditions for using the roaming option from the Megafon operator:
- First of all, you should pay attention to the state of your personal account - the subscriber’s balance must be positive .
- To activate the option, it is necessary that in the country where you are traveling, it is possible to receive a signal from Megafon.
- Activate the roaming option on your number (you will learn about this later in the article).
When leaving, check in advance for information about roaming opportunities on the official website.
In roaming, all standard options included in the operator’s tariffs will be available:
- Incoming and outgoing calls.
- Package of SMS and MMS messages.
- Internet connection.
In most countries of the world, online tariffs apply , but not in China, Greenland, Palestine, and some countries of Central and South America, so Megafon subscribers have the opportunity to activate an extended roaming option on Megafon (without a monthly fee or connection fee) if a trip is planned exactly to those parts.
Goodbye roaming
The first service from a large list is the Megafon Goodbye roaming service. She has the following characteristics:
- The cost of roaming is about 350 rubles;
- Outgoing and incoming calls cost the same as in your home region;
- SMS and MMS cost the same as at home;
- Internet traffic is provided on the terms of the home region, but it should not be more than 1 GB;
- The option is active in many countries in Europe and the CIS, including Western European countries, Eastern Europe led by Hungary, Scandinavian countries and the Baltic countries;
- Connection and disconnection are free
The whole world
Megafon also offers its subscribers another roaming service - Megafon whole world. The cost of the service varies slightly depending on the subscriber’s place of residence, but its average price is about 100 rubles.
Also, roaming megaphone the whole world has the following characteristics:
- The first 40 minutes of incoming calls are completely free, from 41 minutes the price of calls will be calculated according to the conditions of the host country.
- Outgoing calls, SMS and mms, Internet traffic will cost as much as such communication services cost in the host country.
- This roaming can be activated all over the world.
- You can enable this option once a day.
- Connecting and deactivating roaming is absolutely free.
- The subscription fee is charged daily.
- The service is not compatible with all Megafon tariffs.
If a person does not want to connect any permanent service to his number, then he can buy a certain package of minutes.
Activation and deactivation
It's time to talk about how to activate Roaming, Goodbye Megafon and refuse to use the offer - you will be surprised at the number of free methods available.
How to activate the Roaming option, Goodbye on Megafon
Let's start by discussing the question of how to activate the Roaming, Goodbye option on Megafon and whether it needs to be done.
The operator has made it so that the option does not require a connection; it is built into all tariffs and is activated only if you start using communication services abroad. You just need to call, write SMS, accept an incoming call, go online. Payment will be debited only on days of use
We figured out how to connect Megafon from a Roaming, Goodbye phone; in other words, you don’t need to connect the option.
It is worth considering that the option is not disabled automatically, which means you need to do it yourself.
How to disable the option
Now let's see how to disable the Roaming, Goodbye option on Megafon! As you most likely understand, you don’t need to turn it off either, and you simply can’t do that. the only way is to activate another option “Simply roaming“, dial the command *105*1535#
Package of minutes Europe and CIS
There are several types of minutes package:
- Package for 25 minutes of calls to European and CIS countries. With this option, all incoming calls during the first 25 minutes of the call will cost the subscriber nothing. This option also includes free outgoing calls to Russia and Belarus, but calls abroad will cost 150 rubles. Outgoing SMS and Internet are not included in this option. You can connect a megaphone for 25 minutes in Europe and the CIS for 350 rubles.
- Package for 50 minutes of calls to Europe and the CIS. The first 50 minutes of incoming calls will be free, and starting from the 51st minute the subscriber will be forced to pay 89 rubles. The first 50 minutes of outgoing calls to Russia and Belarus are free, and calls to other countries are paid from the first minute. Outgoing SMS costs 30 rubles per message, and for Internet traffic you need to pay an additional 300 rubles per day. The cost of connecting to the service is 550 rubles.
Mobile communications of the Maldives
On the islands, two major operators offer their cellular services - Dhiraagu and Ooredoo, previously known as Wataniya Telecom. In both companies, you can choose prepaid tariffs (issued for tourists very easily and sometimes even without a passport) or subscription (purchased only by local residents and calculated to pay the bill monthly).
Dhiraagu, according to users, has a better and more stable connection. There are a variety of prepaid rates available. Initially, they sell a SIM card for 30 rufiyaa, 20 of which go to your account (Standard tariff plan). A minute of conversation within the network will cost 0.55-0.99 rufiyaa, and when calling to numbers of other operators - 0.55-1.5 rufiyaa. Exact prices are determined by the time of day. SMS can be written at a price of 0.2-0.5 rufiyaa. You can also connect 5 numbers (two of which can be international) and communicate with your family with a 10-15% discount. Separate Dhiraagu tariffs will help you get discounts on specific services, be it SMS within the Republic or access to Facebook. By the way, a minute of conversation with Russia will cost this operator a little less than 5 rufiyaa. Ooredoo works better on residential islands because it is designed for the local population. A SIM card will cost 30 rufiyaa, and the account will also have 20. Calls will cost according to different times of the day: 0.49-0.89 rufiyaa per minute of conversation with another Ooredoo subscriber and 0.69-0.99 rufiyaa for calls to any Maldivian numbers. It is noteworthy that if in Dhiraagu it is cheaper to communicate after 1 am, then in Ooredoo there are discounts after 23:00 and on Fridays. Messages from this operator can be sent for 0.2-1 rufiyaa. For an additional payment of 10 rufiyaa, you can activate unlimited calls and SMS throughout the country for a day. There is a package of five hundred SMS for 19 rufiyaa and discounts on international calls, but the latest offer does not apply to calls to Russia. Where can I buy a SIM card from these operators? First of all, it is worth visiting the sales office at the airport of the republican capital. You can go to the business center in Male. SIM cards are also sold on large islands and in hotels (you need to ask your hotel about this option). True, the sale of SIM cards in the latter case is not entirely legal, but you still practically do not overpay. Recharge vouchers and phone booth cards are also available at all of these locations. Using vouchers, you can top up your phone balance at operator offices, official showrooms and ATMs.
Mobile operator Dhiraagu | ||
| Internet 4G (sim) | Rate | Price (dollars) |
| 1 GB | $5,5 | |
| 5 GB | $22,7 | |
| 10 GB | $32,5 | |
| 25 GB | $65 | |
| 75 GB | $162,5 | |
| Call to Russia | 1 min | $0,32 |
| *Data correct as of August 2020 | ||
Mobile operator Ooredoo | ||
| Internet 4G (sim) | Rate | Price (dollars) |
| 17 GB | $30 | |
| 30 GB | $50 | |
| Call to Russia | 1 min | $0,31 |
| *Data correct as of August 2020 | ||
Expanded international roaming
If a Megafon subscriber wants to travel to an exotic country such as Botswana, Brunei, China or Iran, then it is best for him to use the extended international roaming service. This is necessary because in these countries there are no Megafon partners and automatic switching to their services is simply impossible. Megafon extended international roaming is connected absolutely free, but this can only be done at the Megafon office with a passport. Users of all tariffs can activate international roaming, except those that work only with the Internet without cellular communications.
The Megafon company has not forgotten about tourists who prefer old, proven countries to exotic ones. One of such countries is Abkhazia.
Internet Maldives
We have already mentioned the GSM900 standard, which more often implies the use of a 3G mobile network. Perhaps, 4G, which was launched on the islands in 2013, can be found at the airport and in general throughout the capital Male. To use the mobile Internet, you need to accept one of the packages of the previously designated operators.
The Ooredoo company invites everyone to connect entire packages that are valid for a month. The lightest traffic option is 500 megabytes for 99 rufiyaa. The maximum, in turn, is 12 gigabytes for 900 rufiyaa. There are also medium options of 2 gigabytes for 200 rufiyaa. To activate the selected Internet package, you need to call the corresponding number (*929#) or use a replenishment voucher. The Dhiraagu operator has two prepaid Internet tariffs. Relatively speaking, this is data transfer for a smartphone and a tablet. In the first case, you can get an hourly package (25 megabytes cost 10 rufiyaa) and a daily package (125 megabytes cost 25 rufiyaa). If you have an extra 300 rufiyaa, you can connect to unlimited internet for a month, which in practice ends after 2 gigabytes. The big advantage of Dhiraagu is that the operator does not charge for extra megabytes after the package is exhausted, although the data transfer speed still drops. It is noteworthy that the Internet for the tablet cannot be connected to an existing SIM card. You need to buy a card plus a voucher for 100 rufiyaa for the account, which will cost 200 rufiyaa. Then you select the amount of traffic you need. The maximum is six gigabytes for 500 rufiyaa.
Abkhazia feels like home
Abkhazia is located next to Sochi and very often people go there for a short period of time. Naturally, for 2-3 days they don’t want to buy and connect a new SIM card. For the convenience of its subscribers, the company created a megaphone. This service allows Megafon subscribers to use calls, SMS and the Internet under the terms of their home tariff. There will be no roaming for Megafon users in Abkhazia.
Currently, the most important thing for subscribers is not calls, but the Internet with its social networks and other opportunities. Therefore, in order to have good Internet during the trip, a tariff was created that expands the World service. The new tariff is called “The Whole World”.
Wi-fi in hotels
Today, wireless Internet can be found in more than two hundred hotels in the Maldives. First of all, Wi-Fi is available in South and North Male, in Baa and Kaafu, Maafushi, Toddu, Himmafushi, Hulhumale and so on. In a word, almost all populated and tourist-oriented atolls, as well as resort islands, understand the Internet capabilities on their territory in advance. Wi-Fi data transmission works well at the main airport and even at the ferry terminal.
Unfortunately, hotels in the Maldives cannot yet boast of wide coverage of Wi-Fi routers. For this reason, the Internet can only be found near the reception, in the bar and restaurant at the hotel. In many cases, the use of wi-fi is paid - daily (on average, 300 rufiyaa). Sometimes a hotel may offer wired Internet, but you must have your own wires.
On most islands, the operator Dhiraagu has separate Hotspots. These can be accessed by purchasing prepaid vouchers. Using unlimited Wi-Fi will cost 95 rufiyaa per day, that is, cheaper than if you go to a hotel. However, you will have to look for specific points with the Internet and sit near them.
If the last option does not bother you, you can also look for Internet cafes, which are found not only in the capital, but also on ordinary residential atolls. An hour of internet will cost $3. It is noteworthy that individual Internet cafes are often owned by hotels themselves. To do this, they equip an area near the reception or open a business center. However, hotels force you to pay as much as $10 an hour for computer use.
When you go to small islands for a secluded getaway or a day excursion, the likelihood of finding a wi-fi spot is not very high. Therefore, it is worth considering purchasing a 3G modem from one of the two cellular companies.
If we analyze mobile communications and data transmission via the Internet in the Maldives, we should note the low price of services and good quality. You should choose a specific communication option in accordance with your travel goals. For example, if you do not plan to make or receive calls while on vacation, you can limit yourself to roaming from a Russian operator. With constant use of mobile communications, Maldivian providers will offer more profitable services. If you do not want to buy a local SIM card, then when choosing a hotel in the Maldives when planning a trip, check with the hotel for Internet access.
In the case of the Internet, those who like to immediately post photos from the beach and talk about their travels are better off arming themselves with a SIM card with the coveted gigabytes or even buying a modem.
And for emergency communication and rare forays into the World Wide Web, paid wi-fi in a hotel or restaurant is quite suitable. In any case, remember that you need to go to the Maldives to relax and enjoy unity with paradise nature, so don’t get hung up on constantly surfing the Internet. Internet and mobile communications in the Maldives
We reduce the cost of Internet abroad with the “World Online” option
The “World Online” option allows Megafon subscribers to use unlimited Internet while roaming in 78 countries around the world. When connecting, nothing will be debited from the subscriber’s account; money will be debited daily and 650 rubles will be debited. The validity period of this option is unlimited; you can enable or disable it at any time. World Online does not work with all tariffs and a device with this option cannot be used as a router. But if this option is connected to a mobile phone, then you can use all types of networks - 3g and 4g (LTE).
Also available with per minute pricing. This service exists in two versions:
- 25 minutes;
- 50 minutes.
“World” differs from the “Package of minutes Europe and CIS” option in that, in addition to the usual Russia and Belarus, Thailand is also added to the list of countries. To connect to the world online for 25 minutes, you need to pay 900 rubles one-time.
World 50 minutes costs 1,500 rubles and, apart from the presence of Thailand in the list of countries, is no different from the regular 50 minute package.
Useful Megafon tariff settings for those traveling abroad
Very often, for vacationers outside the country, replenishing the balance of their phone becomes a big problem. To prevent this from happening to you, we recommend that you turn to these and “Autopayment” from Megafon. Thanks to them, your phone will always stay in touch and you can contact your loved ones at any time without worrying about your balance going into minus.
Auto payment:
USSD request to enable auto payment.
SMS request for connection.
There are special commands to monitor the account status, but checking their balance each time takes some time. But why waste it on empty activities when you can spend it on sightseeing or other more pleasant moments.
Having connected from Megaphone, the system will automatically monitor it and provide information on the gadget’s display.
Description of roaming on the official Megafon website.
“Megafellow” option from Megafon will help you get all the information about mobile communications in the region where you are going . Her responsibilities include providing information on the cost of roaming services in the local region, how to top up the phone or check the account balance.
Also pay attention to the “Call Back” when communicating with the operator’s hotline, since it is designed specifically for cases such as roaming, where every minute is worth its weight in gold.
Description posted on the Megafon website.
Useful video:
Methods for connecting and disabling the Megafon roaming service abroad
Connecting and disconnecting international roaming megaphone occurs after dialing certain numbers. The numbers differ from each other, depending on which service is connected. But the main methods do not change, there are two of them:
- Through your personal account on the company’s website or application;
- Come personally to the megaphone communication salon and ask the consultant to do this.
Compare and choose the best international fare
Megafon tries to attract as many clients as possible to its company, so many options are created. All these options offer the opportunity to use the Internet from a megaphone abroad.
| Goodbye roaming | The whole world | Expanded international roaming |
| 350 RUR/day | 109 RUR/day | 0 rubles |
| 89 RUR/minute outgoing | The first 40 minutes are free, then at the prices of the host country | According to the tariff of the host country |
| SMS and MMS at home region prices | According to the tariff of the host country | According to the tariff of the host country |
| 1 GB per day | According to the tariff of the host country | According to the tariff of the host country |
| 41 countries | The whole world except Andorra, Cuba, Algeria, Morocco, Monaco, Maldives, Syria and Tunisia | The whole world |
Thus, we can draw the following conclusions about the roaming of the Megafon company. A megaphone with Internet abroad can work with a variety of options and services. The main ones are:
- Goodbye roaming;
- Package whole world;
- Package of 25 and 40 minutes separately with European countries and separately with Thailand;
- Expanded international roaming;
- World online;
- A separate reduction in communication fees in Abkhazia.
Internet is provided only on one tariff, “World Online,” because only on it the price for Internet is fixed. The rest of the tariffs calculate the Internet at the prices of the host country. You can also read the article about the cancellation of roaming in Russia from MegaFon, except for Crimea.
Cost of calls and SMS from Cyprus or to Cyprus
Comparative price of international communication services from the most popular Russian operators (in rubles):
| Mobile operator | Incoming calls | Outgoing calls to Russia | Outgoing calls within Cyprus | Sending SMS |
| Beeline | 25 – 200 | 25 – 200 | 25 – 200 | 9 |
| Megaphone | 49 | 49 | 49 | 25 |
| MTS | 50 | 50 | 50 | 19 |
| Tele 2 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 6 |
