Who is the owner of Yota. Yota: reviews
The Yota brand belongs to Scartel LLC, which in turn is a subsidiary of Megafon OJSC. Yota offers cellular communication services on Megafon's GSM and 3G/4G networks.
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 the Leningrad region, and then only in a limited manner. In the near future, Yota should be launched in every Russian region.
Advantages of Yota
The new operator promises its subscribers unlimited Internet for smartphones, 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, and 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.
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 communications, SMS, as well as network access. The latter is characterized by unlimitedness, and in absolutely real terms. If the tariffs of other mobile operators apply traffic restrictions in excess of the prepaid volume, Yota does not use this approach, at least for now. What chances does a mobile operator as young as Yota have to gain a foothold in the Russian market? 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. Prior to this, for many years, 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 SIM card from Yota, 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 of the mobile device is using, for example, “torrents”, or downloading large files. Unlike determining the fact of Wi-Fi distribution, Yota should not have 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 4G-based technologies. 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 Yota clients do not want to download large files, the practical need for speeds of more 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 communication services provided they use 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 are 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 clients of the holding company, of which it is an integral part. 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 the mobile operator may use this opportunity 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 a potential client does not necessarily need to look for other options, such as, for example, going to the office of a retail brand.
Internet service provider. Created in 2007 to provide mobile WiMax services under the Yota brand. Shareholders are Wimax Holding (33%) and Kristiva Holdings (according to a Scartel representative, controlled by Wimax Holding, 67%). 74.9% of Wimax Holding is owned by the Telconet Capital fund, and another 25.1% is owned by the state corporation Russian Technologies. Does not disclose financial indicators.
A source close to one of the Internet providers told Vedomosti that Sergey Adonyev is one of the owners of Scartel. Adonyev is a former partner of Vladimir Kekhman, owner of Russia's largest fruit importer JFC. Adonyev confirmed to Vedomosti that he owns a minority stake in Telconet Capital, which, in turn, controls 74.9% of Scartel through Wimax Holding.
Adonyev also represents the interests of Telconet on the board of directors of Wimax Holding, a source in the state corporation Russian Technologies, which owns the remaining 25.1% of Scartel, told Vedomosti. This was confirmed by Scartel CEO Denis Sverdlov. According to him, there are a total of five seats on the council: three seats, including the chairman, are occupied by Cypriot lawyers, one by Adonyev and another by Sergei Kulikov, chief of staff of Russian Technologies CEO Sergei Chemezov. Adonyev does not comment on this and does not disclose his partners in Telconet.
Adonyev is a comprehensively gifted person, says Boris Belotserkovsky, president and owner of the largest Russian slot machine manufacturer Unicum, who has known the entrepreneur for about 25 years. In business, he is more likely not an operator, but a strategist-developer, Belotserkovsky continues, he has an instinct for further prospects for business development.
In an interview with Vedomosti in the spring of 2009, Chemezov said that in 2006, Sverdlov and “two other people” came to him with an idea “from the realm of science fiction” about creating a WiMax operator. But “just in case,” Chemezov began to support them - in particular, Russian Technologies helped Scartel obtain frequencies, and at the end of 2008 they acquired a blocking stake in the company.
In 2008, representatives of Scartel reported that Telconet allocated $300 million for the development of the operator’s infrastructure and the purchase of equipment. In 2009, Telconet invested another $170 million for the further development of Scartel in Moscow, St. Petersburg and six other cities. By the end of October, the company's subscriber base exceeded 200,000 people, and the operator reached self-sufficiency.
Scartel invested another $20 million in a mobile television network in the DVB-H standard in Moscow, which its subsidiary Centaur recently launched into test operation. In three years, Scartel plans to become a federal operator, covering 180 cities with its network. According to iKS-Consulting analyst Konstantin Ankilov, depending on the network density, this could cost another $1.5–2 billion. In addition to Russia, Scartel owns WiMax licenses in Belarus, Nicaragua and Peru. In Belarus, the pilot network of the Yota Bel company is planned to be launched in the second half of 2010. The network in Nicaragua will be built by Yota de Nicaragua, 75% owned by Wimax Holding (the remaining 25% is from local investors). The network is planned to be launched into commercial operation in mid-2010.
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 that supported this communication standard began: Express cards, HTC MAX 4G phone, 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 specifications of the WiMAX standard, the normal speed for this standard is 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, the transition to the LTE standard in 2010 was an important milestone in development. 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 developed mobile communication devices, 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 just around the corner is the emergence of 5G mobile Internet, which will make Yota’s 4G networks less relevant and, accordingly, reduce the company’s income level.
The short answer is that Yota is a brand under which communication services are provided (communication operator) and equipment is produced. However, to understand what Iota is, you will need to analyze the structural features, history and prospects of the company, and find out its advantages and disadvantages.
How it all began
(it is called Scartel LLC) occurred in 2007, and a year later the Internet was launched using WiMAX technology. In 2009, sales of a modem released under its own brand began, and work was underway to create an LTE network.
In 2012, the merger of 100% of the assets of Scartell and 50% of PJSC Megafon was completed. Two years later, an advertising campaign for the new mobile operator launched on federal channels in the spring, and by the end of summer the first SIM cards were issued. Then the question began to arise, what is Yota, and why is it called a virtual operator?
Iota: what is it and how does it work?
It is called a virtual operator because it operates on the basis of several networks. LTE communications (that same treasured 4G Internet) are provided by equipment from Scartel LLC, and GSM is provided by Megafon.
The coverage area began with 6 large Russian cities in August 2014, grew rapidly and by the end of 2017 the operator provided coverage to the entire country, except for the Crimean Peninsula and Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.
To the question of what Eta is and how it works, there is another answer - it is a full-fledged cellular operator with large communications and Internet coverage, excellent technical support and competitive tariffs.
What are the advantages of the Yota operator?
Everyone became aware of this telecommunications company thanks to its unlimited 4G plans with an affordable price tag; this made it possible to quickly attract a significant number of subscribers. By the beginning of 2017, unlimited tariffs for smartphones were closed, but since 2019, you can use this option on a tablet or modem, and SIM cards for smartphones have an affordable price tag.
Peculiarities:
- A clear division of SIM cards depending on the devices for which they are intended. For example, a SIM card designed for a tablet will work in a smartphone, but the pricing will change greatly.
- Small number of own service offices. Ordered SIM cards are delivered by courier in most regions.
- Technical support can be obtained not only in the application or personal account on the website; anyone can ask a question on the official website in the chat and get advice.
- One price for calls to subscribers in your home region and throughout Russia.
- At least 30 days without roaming when traveling around the country. The cost of services during this time remains the same as in the home region.
- Tariffs with unlimited Internet are still available on tablets and modems.
Prospects
Iota continues to increase its 4G (LTE) network coverage; the operator plans to provide high-speed Internet to the entire country. The company is interested in data transmission technologies such as 5G and 6G, but there have been no official statements on plans for their implementation.