Ukrainian mobile operators have started talking about the gradual “withering away” of the classic phone calls and SMS. Every year Ukrainians are less calling and more actively use the mobile Internet. Not least due to the development and expansion of 3G coverage in the country, writes UBR.
Although in small communities it was still “trending” standard voice calls and SMS when the operator expands its coverage to some new territory, the volume of Internet use within one to two weeks growing in 2 – 4 times. Therefore, one of the main goals of mobile operators now see the development of the 3G coverage.
“Voice traffic is increase, but insignificant, texting, on the contrary, “falling”, and “date” are very much increasing, at least twice a year. Everything goes to the fact that all voice and data traffic moves to the Internet channels,” — said the head of Department on public relations of Vodafone Ukraine Viktoria Ruban.
And lifecell for 2016, the volume of Internet used in the 3G+ network of the company, and it has grown 7 times. “This growth is due not only to the dynamic deployment of 3G+ network, which covers more than 6500 settlements, but high penetration of smartphones in our network (52.7 per cent at the end of the third quarter 2016),” — said the head of the Department of consumer marketing lifecell Dmitry Jyabura.
Will offer new tariffs
Due to the fact that Internet traffic is increasingly replacing voice and SMS, mobile operators currently working on the introduction of tariff plans, which will involve a limited number of free calls, but the increase in Internet traffic.
However, some market players completely abandon old plans, replacing them with new ones, and the remaining raise prices. So, for example, the subscribers of Kyivstar tariff plans which are closed, will be transferred to new packages “Conversations” and “Online”. As explained in the company, adjustment of conditions of tariffs occurs as changes in market conditions and customer needs in new services. To smooth the price increase the operator plans with additional services and packages.
At the same time, lifecell at the end of last year in one of their new tariff plans allowed customers to choose the necessary package 3G Internet connection (from 2 to 10 GB), and provided the opportunity, without charging to use the social networks and messenger BiP in Ukraine for video calls, chats and file transfers.
In Vodafone Ukraine is also considering the introduction of additional Internet package for its subscribers. “We will expand the range of tariff plans to introduce new service packages. I would not say that they will be more expensive, simply will to assume a greater volume of packets, including data. As a rule, if service is provided efficiently, people have not problem to pay for it. Moreover, it is not sky-high prices. Now the average cost of our monthly bills is about 40-50 UAH”, — said Ruban.
The expert added that we are not talking about a “catastrophic raising of tariffs,” because operators are afraid of losing their subscribers, just have new services, which by definition, can not cost less than what it was previously.
Operators hope that if will be introduced new, high-quality, interesting services, people will spend more than fifty hryvnia per month.
