Fees for service: "If, yes if only on living examples

From time to time operators brings to market another offer for a predominantly non-voice communication. Several years ago, such tariff products is limited to providing significant discounts on SMS and were aimed at people with hearing and / or speech. Accordingly, the public sale were missing and a wide range of consumers were unknown. Today the mass market with pleasure "swallow" a rather big portion of such tariffs, but really interesting offers something not many. Maybe operators are no longer needed extra income? In contrast, revenue from VAS (value added services) are necessary and important as ever, but competent account the parameters of such non-voice tariff is non-trivial task. Error in either direction will be very unpleasant for the operator: in one case the rate will be known "stillborn" (ie useless) in the other - will provoke a reduction in income. Most likely, this is why operators are not particularly want to experiment, limited to careful tuning.

Try to understand the classic confrontation between "the interests of the consumer - the profit of the operator and at the same time on the living examples try to assess the relative value of some current proposals. It is important to remember that the cost of SMS-and GPRS-traffic for the operator is relatively small, but the final retail price of these services is an effective marketing tool that can be used for different purposes.

From the standpoint of the consumer ...

Contemporary fare for multimedia non-voice communication should ideally take into account all of today's delivery vehicles: SMS, MMS, email, a variety of hypostasis ICQ. Contentious issue with Push-To-Talk (whether non-voice communication?), But we will conditionally be regarded as such, as well as send a voice message as an MMS or email. One would think, why not design a plan with affordable prices on all of the above, even with high rates for voice communication? Wishing to connect would have found quite a few, and consumption of precious network resources is negligible. Conservatism development rates and the reluctance to address the needs of the (not so small) group of users?

... And operator

"Mark up" of such fare - is simple enough, but why do you need an operator? Let's be realistic: virtually any rate plan is a kind of food set times of development of socialism in which to pack a scarce tea bag attached slightly tainted mildew of pearl barley. However, the rate is (thankfully) different from the product set of the lack of "obyazalovke" purchase. Importantly - to sustain a balance of price and allow the consumer to some extent to optimize the cost, while not provoking him to further efforts to acquire cereals at another store. You can give "in one bottle" cheap SMS and MMS in all directions (at the same time cheap and GPRS-traffic), but then the rate for these services will be used. There is also an additional risk "obvalivaniya" prevailing market prices: we can remember our sincere envy and resentment of Moscow MTS and Beeline at the time of appearance odnotsentovyh SMS in MegaFon. A more recent example - a promotional fare "Jeans-PEPSI», in which to attract new subscribers Connections December to May 2006 were odnotsentovuyu billing of SMS-messages. In the end, after the expiry of the company's shares had to fight not very pleasant talks with FOG (All-Russian Society of the Deaf) at the odnotsentovyh SMS.Presumably, the Jeans-PEPSI »played a role in that, in some regions, MTS had to be reduced to one cent, SMS-rates for the hearing impaired.

Choose from that give

Obviously, the public "ideal" (from a consumer perspective) tariff for multimedia non-voice communication to us with you still do not get it. Cellular companies are willing to offer discounts on five-time SMS for new connections, «MMS costs SMS» and starting free MMS packages for future revenue from the expanding audience, but all within the unit and time shares. From the meager list of other options - SMS-packages and GPRS-traffic (guaranteed income statement), as well as regular discounts on traffic for the subscription fee (also a guaranteed income). In the so-called special rates we have seen attempts to offer some kind of balanced-stop solution, from which today the most interesting is the «RED Text» MTS. Among the other options - an old "communicator" (MegaFon Moscow), "Click" (Beeline) and «RED» (MTS) And, of course, in this regard are interesting optimized for data transfer rates "Skylink", but today we compare the GSM operators.

Shall not quote the description of tariffs, simply take two real detail is typical of non-voice communication profile, and try to recalculate the figures for the different tariffs. The result will be inaccurate (different discounts on different directions), but some conclusions can be drawn. The first table - counting the actual detail «RED» under the new tariff «RED Text». The figures given for rubles including VAT and are rounded, the monthly service fee Internet + (in the first detail) is conditionally added to the column "Inbound GPRS-Internet." In the second detail ("REDaktsiya) figures have been converted in accordance with the parameters« RED ». Proportion of SMS and MMS to simplify the calculation, conditionally accept and recalculate the 75% rate in RED and 25% - to other operators. Incoming SMS / MMS, incoming voice calls and other non tariffing services are excluded from the list.

As we see, in the first case, the difference between «RED» and «RED Text» negligible savings from switching to «RED Text» just over 5%. Practically all the difference formed by depreciating in «RED Text» traffic GPRS-WAP. Demanded a WAP-traffic owners of smartphones and communicators (a tariff is designed specifically for them) - the question is very controversial, and without that traffic figures for expenditures equal almost to the ruble. All the reduction of non-voice communication safely "eat" the appreciated voice communication. Although let's face it: 37 minutes of outgoing calls per month - not too big figure, and almost all calls were within MTS. In the second case, savings from switching to «RED Text» can be considered significant (26%), and subject to MMS sending long SMS instead the result would be even better.

Now let's try to move these two examples of the tariff plans of other operators and to compare the total costs for the month. Terms of leave before (too lazy to count all), ie number of outgoing minutes in the MTS network and within the tariff change on the mechanical vnutriset corresponding operator. Rental value "Buzzer" subtract from the total cost. For "Click" (Beeline), we assume about 20% of calls to "Favourite number" and take into SMS-packets: 25 SMS to number 1 and 2x50 SMS to number 2. In the tariff "communicator" (MegaFon Moscow) there is a mandatory monthly fee of 300 rubles, which will be deducted in any case regardless of whether they were used by all included in her services.In this same rate for a long time remained per-second billing from the second minute, so the cost of minutes of voice traffic conditionally accept for 4 rubles.

It is clear that the tariffs «RED» and «RED Text» appeared much later than competitors, yet from such a significant difference in numbers? Detailed analysis of the deal let developers tariffs, but some "weaknesses" are obvious without thoughtful research.

• "Click" (Beeline): Why is the cost of MMS-messages in a standard rate left (as in the other TP) - a mystery. As recently as February 12 this year, Beeline preoccupied competitiveness "clique" and introduced a preferential tariff night-GPRS-Internet, why not be at the same time bring the cost of MMS in accordance with last sentence competitor? The second absurdity - a step size of SMS-packet. Packages 25, 50 300 and immediately SMS - strange logic. It was difficult to envisage a package of 100 or even 150 SMS? One is forced to suspect that we are "persuaded" to purchase large wholesale SMS or settle for 27% discount in packages of 50 SMS.
• "Communicator" (MegaFon Moscow): High Strap ARPU (about 400 rubles) certainly puts this rate at losing position at a relatively modest cost, but the problem is not the only problem. The idea of ​​the tariff, in principle, not bad, for the parameters are obsolete (TA launched on the market for almost 2 years ago). The desire of the operator to fix the ARPU at $ 15 makes sense, but the inclusion of a package of 3 MB WAP-traffic slightly puzzled by all the day the tariff. And today will have any overt stimulation, the assembled insert a SIM-card with a "communicator" in your PDA or smartphone. Although the mandatory fee would reduce to the level of RUB 150 and removed from the package for WAP-traffic - could easily have yet to live.

It is hoped that the Beeline once again hold a fine-tuned his "clique" to reflect new market realities, and MegaFon-Moscow fare will find a place for non-voice communication, in its new line of "Light." Although it is possible that the case be limited to the introduction of SMS-packet for all "light". A new line seems to be not far off: tariff "ruble" is about to go into the archive, and is very likely that the same fate will soon befall the "Mobile".