State Duma deputy Anton Gorelkin shared the response of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) to a deputy’s request regarding information that appeared in the media about an increase in prices for cellular communication services by 10 to 15% from 2025. According to the published document, the service is willing to accept a rate increase if it is economically justified.
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- Information about the price increase appeared in various media outlets based on a survey conducted by Telecom Daily of market participants. According to the survey, 95% of Russian telecommunications companies are going to increase their service rates.
In a letter from the FAS, signed by the head of the service, Maxim Shaskolsky, it is stated that the data underlying the publications about tariff increases “are not based on the real circumstances of the state of the communications industry.” The service noted that no one checked whether the survey participants were connected to the communications industry.
The FAS noted that “the dissemination of such analyzes is due to the desire to expand the audience.” At the same time, the antimonopoly service allowed prices to rise if there was an economic justification.
“When assessing the economic feasibility of increasing tariffs for communications services, FAS Russia analyzes the dynamics of changes in expenses of telecom operators, including taking into account planned and documented expenses, in order to compare them with the additional income of the operator due to the increase in rates. “Economically justified costs may include costs associated with changes in regulatory policy, for example, an increase in fees for radio frequency spectrum or compliance with new legal requirements,” the FAS response says.
In the event of a price increase, the FAS carries out an economic feasibility study.
Shaskolsky cited MTS as an example. In April-May 2024, the operator increased tariffs for communication services for more than 29 million subscribers by an average of 8%. According to the results of the analysis, the increase was recognized as economically unjustified. The company was ordered to bring the rates within which the increase was made to the level of the rates in effect before the violation was committed.
“It seems that the FAS does not support the theory that society is “warming up” to an inevitable increase in tariffs and sees in the spread of this type of news only the desire to “exaggerate” noisy headlines,” Gorelkin concluded.
At the same time, the deputy said that he was ready to publish the position of the authors of the survey.
Author:
Ekaterina Strukova
Source: RB
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
