The Yota brand belongs to Scartel LLC, which in turn is a subsidiary of Megafon OJSC. "Iota" offers services cellular communications on GSM networks and 3G/4G Megafon.
Coverage area of the mobile operator Yota
The new federal operator has so far begun to provide its services only in Moscow, the Moscow region, St. Petersburg and Leningrad region, and then only in a limited mode. In the near future, Yota should be launched in every Russian region.
Advantages of Yota
The new operator promises its subscribers unlimited Internet for a smartphone, sms, free calls to other Yota users, 300 free minutes of calls to numbers of other Russian operators, as well as roaming-free space throughout Russia. For now, the new operator offers only one tariff. The cost of monthly service for this tariff is 750 rubles. However, other tariffs will appear later.
Disadvantages of Yota
There was a fly in the ointment in the Yota tariff. So, Iota’s Internet cannot be called completely unlimited. The operator notes that the tariff is intended exclusively for use on smartphones, mobile phones, tablets. The use of Yota SIM cards on other devices (including routers, modems, desktop computers and laptops) is not allowed.
However, the “surprises” do not end there. The tariff is intended for use with one SIM card on one device. Using a card inserted into the phone to provide additional access to communications from other devices is not allowed (in particular, we are talking about distributing the Internet via a wireless channel).
If these restrictions are violated, the operator will reduce the Internet speed to 32 kilobits per second. In addition, Yota speed will also be limited to 32 kilobits for services that use network resources to access torrents and download large files. It turns out that downloading torrents with this tariff will be quite problematic.
Yota service center and personal account
In order to increase comfort and optimal prices, the operator abandoned traditional sales channels. You can order a Yota SIM card either through the operator’s website or through a special mobile application, and receive it by courier or at the point of issue. Their address is indicated in the mobile application.
The company relied on online service, abandoning the traditional contact center. Subscriber support will be provided via chat on the website or mobile application. Services will also be managed entirely through the app.
Internet anywhere in the city - at home, at work, in a cafe, on a walk. No wires, only convenience and mobility. The Yota company provides the opportunity to access the Internet at any time and anywhere. To use its services, do a few things: simple steps.
You will need
- - modem, router or laptop with a Yota module.
Instructions
On the official website or at the company's office, check whether you are in - whether it is possible to connect in your area. Please note that terrain features, the location of buildings and your personal location may make it impossible or difficult to receive a signal. For information, contact technical support or consult with other users in the area (for example, through a forum).
Select and purchase a device for the Yota network - a modem, router or laptop with a built-in module for connecting to the network. Check if there are any promotions or special conditions for new users. Find out the conditions for returning the device if it does not suit you.
Read the instructions and connect the selected device to your computer, go through all the installation steps sequentially software. Typically, the device will automatically launch the installer, find the network, and connect to it. After connecting, register on the site: enter your full name, create a login, password, Security Question and the answer to it, also indicate the address Email And
Mobile operators
Mobile operator Yota is currently a subsidiary of one of the Big Four members, which owns 100% of its shares. In addition, it is considered virtual because it does not have its own equipment, but provides services using the networks of the parent company.And yet, despite the occasional rumors about the upcoming liquidation of the brand, Yota is still an independent company living on its own income. The Russian Federation is the main region in which this provider operates. At various times there were attempts to enter foreign markets, including such an exotic one as Nicaragua, but by now the company’s ambitions have seriously shrunk.
The range of services provided by Yota comes down to two main areas:
- Telephone communication standard GSM.
- Mobile Internet in 2G/3G/4G networks.
Story
The founders of the company, called Scartel LLC, are Russian entrepreneurs Sergey Adonyev and Denis Sverdlov, who became its first head. The latter is a co-owner of the KORUS Consulting company and for some time served as Deputy Minister of Telecom and Mass Communications.The goal for which everything was started was to create a network in the Russian Federation operating in the WiMAX standard, which was progressive at that time. The decision was made in 2006, but the provision of services began only two years later.
Also in 2008, sales of the corresponding equipment supporting this communication standard began: Express cards, HTC phone MAX 4G, and then, a year later, a laptop.
The Yota brand appeared in 2007. According to rumors, this name was born as a result of SMS correspondence between the founders of the company. At that time, no one had even thought about providing voice communication services - they were only talking about creating a high-speed Internet network.
It should be said that Yota’s connection quality was not all right. Despite the fact that, according to the WiMAX standard specifications, it is normal for of this standard is a speed of 100 Mbit/s, in practice 20 Mbit/s was considered the norm, and in some areas this figure was completely miserable - 8-9 Mbit/s.
Therefore, an important milestone in development was the transition in 2010 to LTE standard. This did not pose any particular problems, because the frequencies used coincided with WiMAX. But with the equipment it immediately became easier for customers: now it was enough to install the appropriate SIM card in one of the widely used models of gadgets.
However, it was not possible to achieve widespread coverage across the country's regions: even the opening of the network in Kazan encountered administrative problems and was postponed for several months. But the company did not give up: in 2011, it entered into an agreement with the Big Three operators on the development of 4G networks in Russia.
In the same year, an attempt was made to enter the Belarusian market, where, however, it was not possible to last even a year - already in the summer of 2012, the provision of services was curtailed.
The financial performance was not at all pleasing to the company's management, and in 2012 a deal was made with the operator MegaFon, which at that time showed an active interest in the development of fourth generation networks. As a result of the reorganization, Scartel LLC, which owned the Yota brand, became a subsidiary of MegaFon, and already in 2013, a representative of the Big Three became the owner of 100% of the shares.
However, complete absorption did not occur for a number of reasons. Moreover, the 4G networks of MegaFon and Yota were not combined, which in practice causes some inconvenience to users of the latter, since they cannot use communication services in regions for which the operator does not have the appropriate permits.
But in the spring of 2014, the launch of a new federal cellular operator was announced, which took place a little later - in August of the same year. The company used MegaFon equipment, and not at all for free, which had a rather negative impact on the attractiveness of the tariffs.
At the same time, the head of Yota was replaced - now it was Anatoly Smorgonsky, who replaced Denis Sverdlov, who resigned. By that time, he had managed to work in the companies VimpelCom, Russia and, however, he did not stay in his place for a long time - already in 2015, he also left his post, giving the chair of the head of the company to Mikhail Dubinin.
A little later, a gradual change in tariff policy begins. Thus, at the beginning of 2017, the connection of new users to tariffs with unlimited Internet traffic was stopped. Instead, a new package line was launched, in which the number of gigabytes was already limited.
Six months later, subscribers received a unique opportunity to “design” their tariff, independently determining the volume of certain services in accordance with their own needs. And at the beginning of 2018, the opportunity was opened to connect packages without calling minutes, which turned out to be convenient for those who only needed the Internet.
Separately, it should be said about the Yota Devices company, known to us from the YotaPhone line of smartphones. In June 2011, the Yota division, which was developing devices for mobile communications, was spun off into a separate company. Over time, it has become one of Russia's largest suppliers of equipment for 4G networks, known for its modems and routers.
Even before the separation, Denis Sverdlov, who headed Yota at that time, announced plans to create a domestic 4G smartphone, work on which continued until 2013, when the first YotaPhone entered the market.
Unfortunately, the ambitious project ultimately ended in failure: the number of copies sold of the first generation barely exceeded 30 thousand, the second - a little more than 150 thousand, and the third never reached the Russian market, despite the announcement in August 2017: in addition At the time, a large part of Yota Devices was controlled by the Hong Kong investment holding REX Global Entertainment and the new product was refocused on the Chinese market.
As it turned out, $50 million in investments and healthy entrepreneurial impudence were not enough to repeat the success of or in Russian realities.
Today's day
There is currently no official information about the size of Yota’s subscriber base. As of 2015, it amounted to about 1 million users in 52 Russian regions. According to indirect data from one of the Big Four operators, 2.5 million Yota subscribers called its subscribers.How much does this amount to from the entire Russian mobile communications market? Quite a bit: in 2017, the number of users exceeded 250 million people.
Considering that the subscriber base of the “weakest” member of the “Big Four”, Tele2, at this time amounted to 40.6 million, it becomes clear that the provider does not have any special prospects: in the ratings it falls into the unenviable “Other” category.
But the advent of 5G is just around the corner mobile internet, which will make Yota’s 4G networks less relevant and, accordingly, reduce the company’s income level.
A new player has appeared - the Yota company. For a long time this corporation was known as a provider of wireless Internet access. The range of services of the new operator includes all those services that are in demand today, that is Voice connection, SMS, and network access. The latter is characterized by unlimitedness, and in absolutely real terms. If in the tariffs of others mobile operators If there is a traffic limit in excess of the prepaid volume, Yota does not use this approach, at least for now. What are the chances of getting a foothold? Russian market has as young as Yota, mobile operator? What kind of reviews prevail? Why is using Yota services especially beneficial for subscribers?
Access to the market
The new mobile operator Yota actually entered the market in August 2014. The issuance of SIM cards under this brand began in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladimir, Tula and the Far Eastern cities: Vladivostok and Khabarovsk. Interestingly, users could submit preliminary applications for SIM cards in advance through a mobile application. At the same time, the Yota company (“mobile communications operator”) announced its new status back in April. For many years before this this organization was mainly engaged in providing wireless Internet access services. Activities in this direction are still carried out by the company: it sells branded modems of the appropriate type. Therefore, in order to accurately distinguish between the two main types of services provided by the organization (mobile Internet and cellular communications), in our article we will refer to the company as “Yota-mobile operator”. In turn, if we are talking only about the mobile Internet, we will call the company “Yota provider”.
The company plans to ensure the presence of the brand as a provider of cellular communications services in all regions of Russia. which was determined by the Yota mobile operator company, iPad, iPhone and Android enthusiasts. That is, those people who are accustomed to using We also note that the Yota company can be fairly conditionally considered an independent player in the cellular communications market. The fact is that this organization is a subsidiary of Megafon. At the same time, as some analysts believe, the Yota mobile operator can still “win back” the share of the other largest corporations in the segment (MTS and Beeline).
Basic tariffs
The tariff policy of the new cellular provider is quite young. For example, at the time of entering the market, the company made it possible to use only one tariff, including 300 minutes of calls, unlimited Internet and any number of SMS for 750 rubles per month. The tariffs offered by the Yota mobile operator today mainly differ in the number of calls to phones. That is, there is a “basic” monthly payment of 300 rubles, which guarantees unlimited Internet. In turn, you can pay extra and receive an unlimited number of SMS for use. The minimum surcharge for voice calls is 140 rubles (100 minutes), the maximum is 990 (1200 minutes).
Restrictions
Please note that the SIM card from the new mobile operator is only suitable for smartphones, tablets and cell phones. You cannot connect it to a PC; to access the Internet, you can use a modem from the Yota provider.
Devices in which the SIM card released by the Yota mobile operator, w3bsit3-dns.com, will be fully functional. Also using mobile devices With a Yota SIM card you cannot “distribute” the Internet in Wi-Fi mode. Some experts note that if the supplier detects violations in the use of the SIM card, then the network access speed may be reduced to 32 kbit/sec. However, it is not entirely clear how this will be implemented in practice.
At the same time, the company will introduce a similar restriction if it is discovered that the owner mobile device uses, for example, “torrents”, or downloads large files. Unlike the definition of fact Wi-Fi distribution, Yota should not have any problems with recording requests for trackers. If there are no violations on the part of the user, then access to the network is guaranteed at a decent speed through the 4G standard and, moreover, unlimited.
Connection
How can I connect to the services offered by the Yota mobile operator? There are two main ways. A SIM card from this communication service provider can be ordered through the company’s website or using the mobile application. The ordered SIM card will be delivered by the courier. You can also pick it up at pick-up points, the address of which will be displayed in the application. If clients have difficulties using the services, the Yota mobile operator will send settings through its support service; they are necessary for the correct operation of SIM cards. In this case, the emphasis is on the interaction of the relevant supplier structure with clients through online channels, for example via chat.
Reviews
Yota mobile operator has very different reviews from experts and users. They can be roughly classified into three categories. The first characterize the quality of communication services. The second is the company's pricing policy. Third are the market prospects of the new operator. Regarding the first type of reviews, we can say that in general they are positive. And this is not surprising, since Yota largely uses Megafon’s infrastructure, which is probably not inferior in technology to that used by other operators. Regarding prices, the opinions of users and experts are different.
Premium product
Yota mobile operator offers tariffs mainly for customers in the premium segment. Because when simply comparing them even with those that Megafon has, their benefits are not so obvious. Moreover, there are noted restrictions in using the Internet. There is another point of view, according to which Yota’s tariffs are quite fair. The fact is that you can get truly unlimited Internet for a monthly fee of 300 rubles per month (if you do not violate the rules of its use, it has no restrictions on traffic, speed, etc.) not with every operator.
Many users, by the way, are impressed by the sales channel organized by the Yota mobile operator. Customer reviews indicate that courier delivery is convenient. You can order a SIM card anywhere in the city, home, or work.
Coating
How effectively is the new operator prepared to serve subscribers in terms of coverage area? Everything depends, first of all, on the communication technology used. Of course, the Yota mobile operator provides coverage according to 2G and 3G standards almost everywhere, if we talk about the cities where the company operates.
It's a different matter when it comes to the latest technologies based on 4G. In this case, what the Yota mobile operator guarantees is that the coverage area is distributed, even if we talk about Moscow, not always evenly. At the same time, to satisfy the basic needs of using the Internet, the resources included in the 3G standard are sufficient. Taking into account the fact that it is not advisable for Yota clients to download large files, the practical need for speeds greater than 3-4 Mbit, which 3G provides, may be low.
Marketing
Actually, we can talk separately about the reviews that characterize the market prospects of the new cellular service provider. There is an opinion that Yota, in particular, is not entirely effective in terms of using sales channels. As we have already said, SIM cards are distributed through ordering through the website and delivery by courier or using pick-up points. This is not the most optimal path that the Yota mobile operator has chosen; reviews from employees of some analytical agencies are in this tone. The fact is that in order to gain a significant market share, a company needs to win a target group of customers of 10 million people; for this, larger distribution channels are needed, such as, for example, networks of retail brands.
Innovation in sales
There are also experts who believe that the resources chosen by Yota for distributing SIM cards are, in fact, revolutionary in their own way. The fact is that when using standard channels, in particular networks of retail brands, the cost of attracting a client is about 500-700 rubles, and this, as a rule, is the minimum. If you use the services of a courier, the figure is reduced by about half. Another thing is that the distribution dynamics in this case are lower. However, it is quite acceptable to assume that Yota will use innovative distribution methods only at the very beginning of the business, if necessary, using standard, albeit more expensive, channels.
Will the Internet be unlimited?
There is an opinion that over time the Yota company, which announces its readiness to provide Internet access services in a completely unlimited format, will move to a model that may include restrictions. Now this cellular operator, due to a fairly small number of users (when compared with the number of subscribers of the same Megafon and other Big Three companies), can provide unlimited online access without any nuances (except for restrictions on downloading “torrents”) . There are experts who believe that there are no objective prerequisites for this. If only for the reason that the average Russian mobile Internet user downloads approximately 3-5 gigabytes of files and data per month.
The user doesn't need much
This volume is generally guaranteed in the “standard” tariff plans of other mobile operators, but within the framework of prepaid traffic and for the same 300 rubles per month. Experts probably believe that, firstly, Yota has no particular reason to expect that in the segment where the company will provide services, the average monthly traffic volume will increase significantly relative to 3-5 gigabytes (especially taking into account the restrictions on “torrents” and files large size), and secondly, technology is still developing. And therefore, the potential load on the servers may not be so critical as to deviate from the policy of providing unlimited Internet access.
Market segments
We said above that Yota will likely focus on Premium-level clients. That is, those who may be willing to overpay for Additional services communications subject to the use of unlimited Internet. At the same time, there is a version that the range of clients of the new operator will also be replenished by those who are accustomed to average-cost tariffs. This can be facilitated, for example, by Yota’s favorable roaming policy.
All calls between subscribers of this operator Now free throughout Russia. In addition, according to some experts, unlimited SMS for 50 rubles is a completely competitive price even against the backdrop of “standard” tariffs from other operators. SMS has not yet gone out of fashion, despite the fact that online messengers are becoming increasingly popular. True, experts find it difficult to say, analyzing the prospects of the business model offered by the Yota mobile operator, when exactly the company will master new target groups of customers.
Is Yota a competitor to Megafon?
Can Yota be considered a direct competitor of Megafon, despite the fact that it is a subsidiary of one of the leading Russian operators? Experts believe this is not the case. There are completely radical versions on this matter. According to one of them, Megafon, in principle, is not interested in the success of the new business implemented by Yota. The mobile operator (reviews of some analysts at least contain such assumptions) did not appear on the market in order to take away some of the holding’s clients, integral part which is. Most likely, experts believe, this is due to the desire of the management of the innovative company to get comfortable in niches that are fundamentally new for the Russian cellular market.
There is a version that Yota was forced to develop unusual distribution channels for SIM cards to a certain extent because Megafon did not provide the company with the resource in the form of its own dealer network.
Yota and retail networks
There is also an opinion that this opportunity the mobile operator may use it in the future. But for now, as evidenced by the reviews and reviews left by experts regarding the activities carried out by the Yota mobile operator on thematic portals, the company is trying to come to an agreement with dealers at the level of Euroset and Svyaznoy. Therefore, even if the holding does not give the go-ahead to use the dealer network, Yota will have a spare resource. Although the resource that the Yota mobile operator has allows you to connect quite quickly, and potential client It is not at all necessary to look for other options, such as going to the office of a retail brand.
Cellular operator Yota communications appeared on the Russian market quite recently - before that, networks in the Wi-Max format were deployed under this brand. Today Yota is a full-fledged mobile operator. The network offers basic services such as unlimited Internet access, voice calls and SMS/MMS sending. That is, there is everything you need to communicate with friends, family and colleagues.
What is so good about the new cellular operator Yota? What are its advantages, since such operators as MTS, MegaFon, Beeline, Tele2 and Skylink already operate in Russia? We will try to answer these questions in our short review.
The new cellular communication from Yota is fundamentally different from the services offered by other cellular operators. And the main difference is the provision of truly unlimited Internet access for tablets and PCs. Other operators also have it, but there are speed restrictions - some package is given without restrictions, but after it is exhausted, the speed drops to 64 kbit/sec, which is very low. As for the Yota operator, it offers its subscribers high-speed unlimited Internet, without distinction between high-speed and low-speed traffic.
For example, when using the Internet on a tablet, the speed is not limited in any way - we can enjoy the maximum access speed. As for the Internet on computers, you can adjust the access speed here - the higher the speed, the more subscription fee. But there is no such thing as a “traffic packet at maximum speed” in this network. The disadvantage of accessing the Internet from a smartphone is that there are limits from 5 to 30 GB. Also present online restriction on downloading torrents, which is unlikely to make future subscribers happy. But in general, the tariffs are quite suitable for surfing, instant messengers, mail and social networks.
You can learn how to test the speed of Yota from a special review dedicated to this issue.
In addition to the main traffic packages, Yota offers its subscribers additional unlimited traffic for access to instant messengers Skype, Viber, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Telegram, as well as social networks VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
In addition to unlimited Internet, Yota offers roaming-free space throughout Russia. That is, we can move throughout the country and not overpay for communication services. On-net calls are free by default, and calls to numbers of any other Russian operators are made within the ordered package of minutes - and also without overpayment.
Yota mobile communications offers a single tariff for all smartphone owners. But this tariff has unique feature– it is fully customizable to the needs of subscribers and offers them adjustable volumes of services. We can configure packages of minutes and traffic, add/disable unlimited SMS, activate the option “ Unlimited apps" That is, We set our own tariffs, which is very, very profitable. Yota's tariffs for cellular communications will certainly appeal to those who want to set their tariff in accordance with their preferences. Moreover, prices will not change even during intranet roaming. But if we stay in another region for more than 30 days, the tariff will change in accordance with the “Regional” tariff. Incoming calls will remain free.
Similar tariffs, only without the ability to make calls and send/receive SMS, apply to tablets, modems and routers - here we can adjust the speed of Internet access. But traffic still remains unlimited! Yota operator services are managed via the Internet - using a profile on the operator’s website or using mobile application for smartphones. Using these tools, we can also get help from service center specialists.
The Yota operator offers not just Internet, but high-speed Internet at 4G speeds. Thanks to this, we can enjoy high-speed access where the corresponding networks operate - and this is more than a hundred Russian cities. In the future, the geography of 4G will expand, but we can use communications in other standards - these are 2G and 3G, while remaining online throughout Russia.
Who will be interested in this operator
The new cellular operator Yota will be of interest to the following categories of subscribers:
- Travelers;
- For lovers of high-speed Internet;
- Business users;
- Technically advanced people.
Accordingly, for everyone else it will be practically uninteresting, since the main advantage of Yota is the provision of high-speed Internet, which is already included in the subscription fee.
In April 2014
In August 2014
The combined network of Megafon and Scartel includes broadcasting only on the 2600 MHz band (Band 7), therefore, in cities where Megafon built its own LTE networks at 800 MHz (Band 20), for example
Read completely
In April 2014 The emergence of a new federal virtual cellular operator Yota was announced based on the combined network of MegaFon and Scartel.
In August 2014 the issuance of Yota SIM cards to users who pre-ordered started in six cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Vladimir and Tula. By the end of 2014, the coverage area had grown to 28 cities, and as of August 2015, the cellular operator Yota issues SIM cards in 52 regions of Russia.
The combined network of Megafon and Scartel includes broadcasting only on the 2600 MHz band (Band 7), therefore, in cities where Megafon built its own LTE networks at 800 MHz (Band 20), for example, in Tolyatti or Syzran, Yota is not able to provide 4G communication services due to lack of coverage.
As a cellular operator, Yota provides its customers with federal coverage in 2G / 3G / 4G networks, unlimited Internet for smartphones, free calls within the Yota network, as well as a single cost for services within the Russian Federation.
In October 2014, the product line of the mobile operator Yota expanded with SIM cards for tablets, allowing customers to independently choose the required speed of unlimited network access, which determines the size of the subscription fee.
Since July 2015, Yota began providing mobile communication services in Arkhangelsk, Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, Pskov, Novgorod, Tyumen regions, Kalmykia, Mordovia, Udmurtia, Altai Territory. In August 2015, Yota appeared in the Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd regions, Perm region, Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, Altai Republic, Dagestan, Chechnya. In September 2015, the issuance of SIM cards started in the Saratov, Belgorod, Kirov, Murmansk, Ivanovo, Tver, Smolensk regions and Stavropol Territory. In October 2015, Yota began providing communication services in the Amur region, Buryatia, Jewish Autonomous Region, Trans-Baikal Territory, Yakutia, and in November 2015 - in the Rostov and Ryazan regions. Since January 2016, you can connect to the Yota mobile operator in the Republic of Ingushetia, Adygea, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia and the Voronezh region, from February 2016 - in Karachay-Cherkessia, from July 2016 - in the Sakhalin region, from August 2016 - in Komi and Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, since October 2016 - in the Kurgan region.
Yota is the first among mobile operators from tariff plans with unlimited internet.
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