Local tariffs will freeze for a while

Planned increase of limiting tariffs for local communication on 10 % will not be as soon as possible. This question will be decided only in the beginning of next year.

There is a high probability of that following increase will not occur at all. Such succession of events should be expected in the event that the state together with operators of the market will think up other levers of regulation of an unprofitable telecommunication service. In "Ukrtelecom" suggest to suspend first of all outflow of the traffic fro its fixed in private mobile networks and for this purpose to pay attention to zero tariffs in networks of private traders.

Let’s remind, that from now on limiting tariffs for local communication for subscribers of cities and districts are increased by 20 %. This year, according to original project NKRS, the given increase was planned to conduct still on April, 1st, and since September, 1st it was planned to raise tariffs for all kinds of a fixed-line telephony — both rural, and urban — on 10 %. But plans should be corrected because the regulator during half a year has been blocked by decisions of the president and Ministry.

Head NKRS Sergey Kolobov says, that simple increase of tariffs, by the way, and by "Ukrtelecom" estimations, will not lead to desirable result. «We consulted on them in this occasion. It (increase) to mind heart. It, on the one hand, does not solve an enterprise problem, on the other hand, leads to social intensity and furthermore untwists inflation. Now it is necessary to revise the approach to this problem», — he declares. NKRS with "Ukrtelecom", as he said, have come to conclusion, that they over the given question will work in common. Sergey Kolobov underlines, that increases do not need to be expected.

Member NKRS Vladimir Zverev also considers, that increase of limiting tariffs as a whole will not rescue a situation. «The second increase of limiting tariffs will be separately considered by results of base otslezhivaniy. We will look, what indicators will be brought by« an Ukrtelecom ». To a close of the year we will have only a statistics, and a question, possibly, will be considered in the beginning of next year. February, I think, that it is real term for consideration of the second stage. Increase thus can be, and can and not to be», — he underlines.

Zampredpravleniya Igor Sirotenko suggests to look Open Society "Ukrtelecom" at a situation more widely: « The state has incurred a role to supply all citizens with universal service of communication. It, on the one hand, regulates tariffs, and with other – has created a free competitiveness in the markets, in particular, in the mobile communication market, and has allowed there to operators to do everything, that they consider it necessary within the limits of their licences ». In this connection some conclusions, as he said, arise. If the state considers, that it is a normal way when the traffic escapes in a network of mobile operators let then agrees with increase of tariffs for local communication. And if the state does not wish to raise these tariffs then it is necessary to condition that the traffic did not leave the fixed network to the mobile operators who have established 0 copeck for minute in a network. Mister Sirotenko agrees that in this question it is necessary to apply regulyatornyie measures. The first stage of increase of tariffs, as he said, has not solved a problem of profitability of rendering of services.« Especially for "Ukrtelecom" as we work not only in a city, but also in village. And if to look at other operators in the market of local communication all of them work in a city, behind very rare exception. And here activity in a countryside is more wasteful for the reason, that population density is less, and lines are longer », — underlines Igor Sirotenko. At"Ukrtelecom", on its data, 1,3 million subscribers in village. Thus the rural telephony brings the companies about 0,5 billion grn. Losses in a year.