Roskomnadzor will not require the “big three” operators — MTS, “MegaFon” and “Beeline” — to provide coverage in the Crimea. It is reported by RBC with reference to the report prepared following the meeting of the Ministry and representatives of cellular companies.
Together they have found a way to extend the Federal licenses to provide communication services in UMTS (3G) so that the operators didn’t have duties to market the region.
According to the representative of Roscomnadzor Vadim Ampelonskiy, at a meeting in the office which was held the day before, it was decided that upon expiration of the operating licenses operators of Roskomnadzor will make changes to the application to them and will update “the list of regions with regard to their enlargement and new regions within Russia”. The Crimea and Sevastopol in this list will not be mentioned.
“All both worked, and will work. Operators “the big three” no force in the Crimea is not going to drive,” said Ampelonskiy. Thus, the Agency will amend the Appendix to the license and update the “list of regions with regard to their enlargement and new regions within Russia” without mention of the Crimea and Sevastopol.
This spring MTS, “Beeline” and “MegaFon” is the deadline of a Federal license for a 3G network. The company received a document 10 years ago, when the Crimea had not yet come to Russia. By law, operators are obliged to provide access services in all regions of the country, otherwise the license is not extended. The work in the Crimea for them is fraught with sanctions from the West.
Earlier, MTS said that they did not plan to work in the Crimea to the lifting of sanctions. This, in particular, said the President of MTS Group Andrey Dubovskov. “Until then, as long as the sanctions regime, MTS is not planning to go to the Crimea”, – he said. The other two largest Russian operator, also acting unpatriotic. In July last year, “Beeline” and “Megaphone” have declared that do not wish to enter the market of mobile communication of the Peninsula.
Currently in Crimea there are only a few local operators. The Peninsula also sells SIM cards Russian Federal operators, but they claim that this occurs without their knowledge.
