Russia will cancel international cellular roaming with members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Armenia by 2025. Eurasia Today reports, citing Vedomosti.
According to the media outlet, this is stated in the annex to the request of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), sent to large cellular service providers of the union states and the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation in March 2023. The authenticity of the document was confirmed by sources by two «Big Four» providers.
The EEC requested information on fair tariffs for cellular communication services in international roaming. In the letter, the commission asked, by April 14, to provide data on the number of users, volume and cost of cellular services provided to users of the EAEU countries from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2022, as well as information on income received.
The roadmap for the abolition of roaming in the EAEU, attached to the request, states that by the end of 2024, telecom companies should develop «rules for the use of fair tariffs for communication services in the territory of the member states.»
By the first quarter of 2025, providers have to reduce international interconnect rates and introduce appropriate tariffs for cellular services for users of the EAEU countries.
According to an MTS representative, the plan provides for «logical stages of implementation,» but the result will depend on the implementation of the necessary measures by all participants. He did not rule out a possible drop in income for all cellular service providers due to the innovation.
Earlier it was reported that cellular service providers reduced prices for roaming services in countries that became popular among Russians after the start of partial mobilization in September 2022. New roaming conditions have become available in Turkey, Kazakhstan, Armenia and other countries.
