Although Crimea is now part of Russia, mobile communications there do not work the same as in other parts of our country. In Crimea there are no Beeline, Megafon, MTS, Tele2, Yota networks, but there are Win Mobile, Krymtelecom, Volna Mobile networks, so all SIM cards of Russian operators work in roaming mode in Crimea.
For all Russian operators, except MTS, roaming in Crimea is quite expensive - calls, SMS and megabytes of traffic cost 5-10 rubles. MTS package tariffs, operating throughout Russia, also work in Crimea through Win mobile roaming. There is no additional charge, but there is one unpleasant feature - MTS free roaming only works in 2G mode. Internet speed is on average 0.1 Mbit/sec.
Win Mobile has 3G and 4G networks, but for some reason MTS is only allowed on 2G. Apparently, that's what they agreed on.
I asked several residents of Crimea and even SIM card sellers about mobile networks in Crimea, but to my surprise they knew nothing, talking only about MTS. I had to figure it out myself.
In Yalta, the networks of three operators are caught.
In the Internet S Tariff Plan, 100 MB of traffic costs 5 rubles. The “Youth” tariff plan has a subscription fee of 100 rubles per month, which includes 3 GB of traffic and unlimited calls to Krymtelecom numbers. Calls to Russian phones - 5 rubles per minute, SMS - 2 rubles.
The third network 25060 2G/3G belongs to the operator Volna Mobile (KTK-Telecom), which has not yet launched.
The cheapest option from MTS is a tariff with the strange name MTS Smart Unlimited, a SIM card with which you can buy in Moscow for 200 rubles. Every day in the first month, 12.9 rubles will be debited, for which you will get unlimited Internet, 200 minutes and 200 SMS per month. Upon return, the tariff can be changed to any tariff without a subscription fee, for example Super MTS. Let me remind you once again that the Internet in Crimea with this SIM card will be very slow - only 2G.
p.s. Important advice. If your mobile Internet does not work while roaming, even though everything is configured correctly, just turn off the phone (do not put it in airplane mode, do not overload it), wait a minute and turn it on again.
© 2016, Alexey Nadezhin
they do not work quite the same way as in other regions of Russia, due to fear of sanctions (and maybe for other reasons) Megafon, Beeline and TELE-2 do not work on the peninsula, i.e. you cannot buy their SIM cards and their promotions and tariffs intended for communication within the borders of the Russian Federation do not apply; subscribers of these operators find themselves in intranet roaming, which leads to an increase in the cost of their services.
At the end of December, the State Duma adopted a bill to abolish national roaming, including Crimea. And incoming calls from June 1, 19 should become free.
MTS in Crimea
From all-Russian telecom operators in the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol only MTS works, Moreover, you can not only buy a SIM card on the spot upon arrival, but also arrange the corresponding additional services for moving around Russia in your home region.
Crimean mobile operators
In addition to MTS, Crimea has its own operators: Win mobile (K-telecom), Volna, Krymtelecom and Sevmobile(the latter, apparently, does not catch well outside of Sevastopol and the surrounding area).
Mobile Internet in Crimea
As for the mobile Internet, 3G and 4G services are provided by WIN mobile (almost all all-Russian operators connect to it as part of roaming) and Volna mobile. Sevmobile also promises 3G in Sevastopol, and Krymtelecom throughout the peninsula. In fact, at the beginning of 2019, 3G is available almost everywhere, 4G is only in large cities
Megafon in Crimea 2018-2019
Megafon offers its subscribers the “Internet in Crimea” option:
the option is provided as part of tariff plans
and costs 60 MB - 99 rubles, without options 2.2 rubles per 1 MB
Also, as part of the tariff plans, the option of unlimited incoming traffic in Crimea is offered for 33 rubles per day. Without options, incoming - 2 rubles per minute, outgoing 3 rubles per minute, SMS 2 rubles
For comparison, I leave the information as it was last year 18 -
daily subscription fee – 15 rubles; incoming – free; outgoing – 4 rubles per minute (to home region); SMS: 3 rubles; Internet – 5 rubles per 1 MB.
If you do not enable the option, then incoming and outgoing will cost 9.99 rubles, SMS -4.90; 1MB – 9.90 rubles
Beeline in Crimea 2018-2019
Beeline has canceled international roaming in Crimea from June 20, 2016. Beeline does not have any special options for Crimea; prices for calls, SMS and Internet depend on the tariff plan chosen in your home region.
For example, with a SIM card issued in Moscow, a minute of an incoming call is 2.03 rubles, an outgoing call is 2.03 rubles a minute; SMS – 2.03 rubles; Internet 2.03 rubles per 1 MB. (In 2018 everything was priced at 2 rubles, obviously the 3 kopeck increase in price is due to VAT)
TELE-2 in Crimea 2018-2019
Tele2 has set the following prices for Crimea and Sevastopol in 2019.
Incoming calls - 1 ruble per minute,
outgoing 3 rubles per minute, SMS - 3 rubles,
Internet 1 MB - 3 rubles
You can also activate the “Like at home in Crimea” service: connection cost – 30 rubles; subscription fee – 6 rubles per day. This service resets the cost of incoming calls; all other prices remain at the level of the base tariff.
In 2018 it was 5 rubles per 1 minute for both outgoing and incoming calls; 5 rubles for 1MB and 3.50 for SMS.
MTS in Crimea 2018-2019
Since MTS operates in Crimea, you have two options: buy a local SIM card upon arrival or use a SIM card purchased in your home region.
MTS in Crimea belongs to the region “Krasnodar Territory and the Republic of Adygea” and offers several Smart tariffs, all of them include Internet packages, unlimited calls to MTS numbers in the region, packages of minutes for calls and SMS packages.
If you buy a SIM card in Crimea, then
for 300 rubles (Smart tariff) per month you can get 3 GB of Internet; 200 minutes for calls from all operators within the region and 200 SMS in the region. Calls to phones of other operators outside the region will cost 5 rubles per minute outside the region (within the limits - free), and SMS to phones outside the region will cost 2 rubles. All incoming calls and SMS are free.
But it’s profitable to do this if you need to make a lot of calls in Crimea to regional phones, but if you plan to call home, and your house is outside the Krasnodar Territory and Crimea, then it’s better to buy a SIM card and connect in your region before leaving. It is best to take Smart and Tariffische tariffs. Get plenty of internet and hundreds of included minutes to numbers in your home region.
When you arrive in Crimea, the connection network will not be MTS, but K-telecom or Winmobile
YOTA in Crimea 2018-2019
Yota has significantly improved the conditions for providing services in Crimea
outgoing calls - 2.5 rub./min., incoming calls - 2.5 rub./min., outgoing SMS - 2.5 rub., incoming SMS - free, mobile Internet - 2.5 rub. for 1 MB the tariff is 100 KB).
In 2018 it was - a minute of outgoing and SMS - 19 rubles, incoming - 9, Internet 9 rubles per 100 kb.
Cellular operators in Crimea: Win mobile
Win mobile has developed a special tariff for vacationers “At Sea”: 3 rubles per minute of any outgoing call within the Russian Federation and 10 kopecks. for 1MB of Internet; incoming calls are free.
You can also take a tariff “Freedom of Communication” with the “Big Country” option, at a rate of up to 60 minutes within the network per day - free, incoming - free; the option costs 0 rubles for connection + 3 rubles per day, with all outgoing calls to Russia costing 2.95 rubles per minute. In addition, you can install various options for the Internet on this tariff; without options, it costs 10 rubles per 1 MB.
If you only need Internet, then the Fast and Furious tariff gives 15 GB of Internet for 400 rubles per month.
Cellular operator Volna
Volna is not the most profitable operator for vacationers in Crimea. For 150 rubles per month at the “Sea” tariff, you get the same 3 rubles per minute outgoing within Russia, 300 free minutes for calls in Crimea and the Krasnodar Territory and 3 GB of Internet. The “Wind” tariff gives 10GB of Internet for 300 rubles per month.
Mobile operator Krymtelecom
Krymtelecom offers the “My Crimea” tariff (not valid in Sevastopol) 5 rubles per minute of outgoing call within Russia, 0.20 – within the network (after 30 free minutes), 1.50 – in the region, SMS – 1 ruble in the region and 2 in Russia, for 200 rubles per month you can additionally connect 10 GB of Internet.
Mobile operator Sevmobile
SevMobile offers the “My City” tariff: for 180 rubles per month, the subscriber receives 90 minutes within the region, free calls and SMS within the network, 3 rubles for incoming calls within the Russian Federation for 1 minute. On the Internet, it is better to connect an additional option - 10GB for 300 rubles per month.
It is worth noting that buying a SIM card in Crimea is not easy, for example, there are almost no official MTS offices in the region, and cards are sold second-hand, and there are official Win Mobile offices only in large cities. MTS salons can be found in Sevastopol and Simferopol.
Date of publication: 07/19/2016
Most Russians who want to relax on the peninsula ask the question: “what mobile Internet is better in Crimea?” Of course, the most favorable prices for mobile Internet are provided by MTS. Users of this operator on the peninsula can activate the following tariffs:
- “Super Bit” – three gigabytes of traffic per month.
- “Bit” - the tariff is valid only on the Crimean Peninsula and in the Krasnodar Territory.
- Internet Mini – five gigabytes of traffic per month.
- Internet Maxi – fifteen gigabytes of traffic monthly.
- Internet VIP subscribers receive thirty gigabytes of traffic.
Today, the majority of cellular users in Crimea have switched from the old operator MTS Ukraine to the new MTS Russia. While most people are already familiar with the services and connections, many people encounter problems when trying to connect to mobile Internet from MTS Russia.
When this mobile transition boom began, social networks and the Internet were filled with screenshots of all operator services. With the Internet on this list it was not entirely clear. Therefore, in this article we will try to describe in more detail all MTS mobile Internet services for Crimean subscribers.
How to connect “Super Bit”?
When you initially activate a Russian MTS SIM card, by default the tariff plan includes a mobile Internet package (“Super Bit Smart”) - 100 MB of Internet per day, but for the purposes of the promotion, the tariff is free for only two weeks. To activate this service you must dial the following combination: *111*8650#
How to connect "Bit"
The “Bit” package will cost a little less, but you will also have less MB. Activation occurs using the following method: *111*62# (point 1). 10 MB are provided per day. All services are easily connected and work on a tablet, phone, smartphone with any operating system.
Internet Mini connection from MTS
Connecting this option will be the most profitable for the tariff plans of the Smart and MTS Connect-4 line. First of all, the service is perfect for people who are not very demanding on the available amount of MB. To activate Internet Mini, you can use one of the following methods:
- purchase a kit with an already connected service (“MTS Connect-4”);
- connect the option using your personal account on the website of the mobile operator MTS Russia;
- from a mobile device via the command - *111*160#.
How to connect Internet Maxi from MTS
If you have decided that such a tariff plan will be the most profitable and want to connect it to your gadget? You can connect Internet Maxi in one of several ways:
- connecting to the service through your personal account on the official website of the MTS company
- using the command *111*161#.
How to connect “Internet VIP” from the mobile operator “MTS”
To switch to this tariff plan, you need to have a sufficient amount on the balance of your mobile device to pay for the first month of using the option. You can connect “Internet VIP” in several ways:
- purchase a starter package with an already connected service;
- activate the Internet option through the website of the mobile operator;
- send a command from a mobile device - *111*166#.
What mobile Internet is better in Crimea?
Internet connection services from other mobile communication companies are much more expensive than from MTS. The only exception was WinMobile - the only operator on the peninsula with its own equipment. The company offers three tariff plans on very favorable terms: “Online Day”, “Online Month” and “Online Freedom”.
Despite the fact that Crimea officially belongs to Russia, there are still quite a lot of problems with cellular communications here. The only Russian operator on the peninsula is MTS Russia. But on the official website of MTS there is no information about the Crimean branch. How does MTS Russia work in Crimea and on what terms are communication services provided?
What MTS tariffs are there in Crimea?
In order for residents of Crimea to be able to fully use Russian mobile communications, they are invited to connect to MTS with the “Super MTS” tariff. The numbers are assigned to one of the codes of the Krasnodar region +7-978. This is due to the fact that Crimea is the closest region to the Krasnodar Territory. Related to this are reduced tariffs for calls to subscribers in this region.
To connect other services, users can use the help of an operator by calling 0890, or the “Internet Assistant”.
Internet in Crimea
- “SuperBIT Smart” - 3 GB per month for 12 rubles per day;
- “BIT Smart” - 75 MB per day for 8 rubles per day;
- “MiniBIT” - 10 MB - for 10 rubles per day.
Roaming
MTS subscribers arriving in Crimea can use communications at Russian intranet roaming tariffs. Outgoing calls are charged at 8.9 rubles/min, outgoing SMS – 3.95 rubles, Internet access – 9.9 rubles/MB. To reduce the cost of communication services while roaming in Crimea, subscribers can use the appropriate options, for example, “Like home everywhere.”
All published prices for MTS communication services in Crimea are not presented in official sources. Before using communication services, you must contact the operator's help desk by phone 0890. Connection to MTS Russia is made upon presentation of a passport. The estimated cost of the connection kit is 50 rubles.
When going on vacation to Crimea, you need to take care of cellular communications, since special Crimean roaming operates in the region. And although legislative initiatives to abolish national roaming have been discussed for many years, tourists still have to pay extra. This is due to the fact that federal operators do not have their own infrastructure on the peninsula and provide services in the networks of roaming partners.
Of all the federal cellular operators, MTS provides the most attractive conditions for roaming in the region. Thus, subscribers from the Krasnodar Territory previously did not even feel the difference when using services in Crimea. They were subject to home tariffs for all communication services. However, last summer everything changed, and after the abolition of intranet roaming, Krasnodar subscribers also received additional payments in Crimea.
When going to the peninsula with an MTS SIM card from other regions, you can use the services under standard roaming conditions in Russia, or purchase a new number after arrival. Today we will tell you how to profitably use the Internet from MTS Russia in Crimea: how to activate the “SuperBIT” service, and how else you can save on the Internet.
To Crimea with your MTS
The first option for using profitable Internet in Crimea is to use your MTS number, even from a different region. So, if your tariff provides discounts or special conditions for using services when traveling around Russia, then you should not worry about possible overpayments.
After arriving in Crimea, you must allow Internet roaming on your phone. Since there will be no MTS network in the region, when you connect to the local network, the device will display information that you are in roaming.
In total, while on the peninsula, subscribers can use four local networks. WIN - has almost one hundred percent coverage of the territory of Crimea, and higher Internet speed. “Volna” was put into operation about two years ago, and does not operate stably throughout the entire peninsula.
There are also two operators “Krymtelecom” and “Sevmobile”, which not only cannot boast of wide coverage, but also the quality of communication leaves much to be desired.
If you use a tariff without a monthly fee, you will need to activate the “Like at Home Everywhere” option. It allows you to make calls at a reduced rate - three rubles per minute. Internet without additional options will be paid at a ruble per megabyte.
If you do not plan to use the Internet from MTS in Crimea, then it is better to disable data transfer on your phone. In the absence of special services, with a coverage area throughout Russia, traffic will be expensive.
But if you are using a package tariff, then you should carefully study the conditions before the trip. Depending on the cost of the tariff, service packages may not be used when connecting in Crimea. The solution in this situation is the “Russia Home Package” options.
There are two versions of the service - with daily and monthly payment. The first one costs ten rubles, and is suitable for those who are going to Crimea for a few days. If the planned trip is more than ten days, then it will be more profitable to use the “Home package Russia+” - by paying one hundred rubles, you can forget about additional payments for a month.
Buy Crimean MTS
Officially, the operator does not sell its starter packages in Crimea, and does not have company stores. However, in any city you can buy them in cellular communication stores, some of which operate under the operator’s brand.
MTS numbers sold in Crimea belong to the Kuban region, but have a separate numbering with code 978. When buying a starter kit, please note that they all come with the “Super MTS” tariff, which cannot be changed to another even after activating the number.
However, if you came to Crimea with a number from another operator, then this would be an ideal choice for using the Internet. Also, if you need to deactivate a number to avoid additional costs, this can be done at any MTS salon in your city. The same cannot be said about the number of a local operator, which can only be closed in Crimea.
Under the terms of the MTS tariff without mandatory payments in Crimea and other regions, a description of which can be found on the operator’s website, after activating the starter kit, the “Everything Super” service is automatically activated. It is provided for six rubles per day. The option includes one hundred megabytes of Internet, which is valid throughout Russia. The service also offers unlimited calls to local MTS numbers, even in a guest region.
If you do not use the optimizing service, then the basic tariff will apply - twenty megabytes for twenty-five rubles. After using the first package, the second one is activated, and so on.
Using the Crimean MTS number you can activate other options for the Internet. The best option is “Super BIT”. Three gigabytes of traffic will cost two hundred and fifty rubles, which can be used not only in Crimea, but also at home after the trip. To activate you need to dial * 111 * 628#.
Disabling MTS services in Crimea is another feature of all operator tariff offers without mandatory payments. When activating a new MTS Russia number in Crimea, a lot of options and service packages are activated, which are better to be disabled immediately.
Paid services have a trial period without charging for their use. This is an SMS package, a melody instead of beeps, a paid version of “You got a call.” They all have different free periods - one or two weeks.
Not all of them receive a notification that the service is starting to be provided on a paid basis, and additional debits from the balance simply begin. The easiest way to disable additional services on MTS Russia in Crimea is to use your personal account, or send commands from your phone.
You can also turn them off by calling the operator. However, standard conditions now apply when connecting with a “live” consultant. During the first year after the start of sales of Russian SIM cards in the region, it was possible to connect with a specialist from the “Crimean” MTS almost instantly, but now you will need to wait for an available operator.
Results
It is best to use the Internet in Crimea at a favorable price from a tablet or smartphone using an MTS number, or by buying a local SIM card. If you prefer to use your regular MTS number, then you need to make sure that its conditions apply when traveling around the country, and not only within the operator’s network.
When purchasing a new MTS number in Crimea, you need to determine how much tariff you need. All numbers in the region are sold in the “Super MTS” tariff package without the possibility of switching to another. To avoid unnecessary expenses, you will need to disable additional paid services and connect the required Internet package. If one hundred megabytes per day is enough, then you can use the “Everything Super” option included in the tariff.