Bright orange stickers on some payphones MGTS became interested spodvigli on a close study of the question: what kind of a cunning intercity "alternativschina" clearly stated on the monumental and conservative blue boxes with the logo of MGTS? Results of the study simultaneously pleased and disappointed. Yes, really radically cheaper. But for those "who knows" - as long as expensive. Yet? 
Attempt number two
Earlier this year, we wrote about the first unsuccessful attempt to MGTS introduce to its subscribers Muscovite IP-telephony. No good for Mikhail Smirnov, the then Director General of MGTS, this idea is not over. The project is quietly turned and all mention of this carefully cleaned from the site of the company. In the meantime, though with a delay of a year, but started coming out different long-awaited "Rules ...", without which long ago adopted the Law on the relationship "work" in much the same as "worked" to the Constitution in the absence of administrative, criminal and other codes. Rostelecom now seems to be (?) Lost its monopoly on long distance, and even competition in this market is continuously intensifying. Calling Cards alternative companies - in itself, but even mobile operators begin to offer more humane than the rates for long-distance relationship ("Tariff Single MegaFon-Moscow). Against this background Rostelekomovskie rates seem subtle mockery of retirees who simply do not know how to use options for further communication. MGTS the situation is not too happy: Russia's largest telecommunications provider receives nothing from the fat cake long distance and international calls, though most long distance calling is done from the MGTS network. Today's innovation in the Moscow network of payphones - the first cautious attempt to MGTS to win myself a little bit of long-distance market.Two-faced payphone
It turns out that in Moscow the telephones started a joint project on long-distance IP-telephony. Consumers pay-phone connection, a simple and elegant alternative: a procedure for dialing virtually unchanged for a relatively inexpensive communication channels, Zebra Telecom is enough to push the usual eight "star" and then dial the country code / city in the usual way. No special cards, dial a special number and a long pin codes. In addition, the fee for the call is removed from the usual calling card of MGTS, ie the whole process as simple and friendly. For convenience has a price: the portion of the profit takes his MGTS and zebra-mutant payphone costs considerably more expensive than "clean" card IP-telephony. All the same benefit is very noticeable, according to the company - from 35 to 80 percent savings.Of course, the service is focused primarily on immigrants and sure to be popular due to ease of use. Cheap long-distance now available in 4 thousand payphones MGTS, by the end of the year is planned to increase that number to 6,000.Expect streams of gold in the coffers of MGTS is not necessary for several reasons. Moscow Payphone Network is loaded very unevenly, on the outskirts of the city and in residential areas vehicles may hang for months without work, bringing nothing but losses. However, hang in as insurance in case and call the emergency services. The main burden falls on the phones in subway stations and other crowded places - of course, such devices have got stickers "Zebras" in the first place. The second reason - long-standing stereotypes about the expensive pay-phone long-distance calls for long conversations with friends and relatives in other cities have traditionally used phone cards. Do not forget the mobiles: constantly running in the capital long ago got SIM-card operator in Moscow.
Intricate tariffs
It is very difficult to compare prices for regular long-distance payphone, IP-payphone tariffs on long-distance connection of other operators. The problem is that the cost of a call from a payphone is defined in the "conventional payphone units (t.u.e.?), The price t.u.e. depends on the par buy maps, but still amount written off during the call units depends on the type of card (with a per-minute or per second billing). Price t.u.e. varies in the range of 1.5 rubles. - 5,0 rbl. For example, the price of 2.2 rubles. incorporated in the phone card worth 110 rubles. To completely confuse the consumer, even invented, "Rate 1 and Rate 2, which are applied depending on the billed credit card, coins or phone cards. Some - by no means complete! - Representation of standard payphone pricing MGTS can be obtained from available on the site table. Interested parties can arm scientific calculator and calculate the fluctuations in the value graph of minutes depending on all these factors.After that will calculate a floating (depending on direction) ratio in the zebra-glued to a payphone plate and enjoy the potential savings. And also once again to make sure that the call to Australia is cheaper to "Single" (MegaFon), Beeline subscribers in Vladikavkaz - with Moscow Beeline, etc. It is obvious that consumers of large volumes of long distance for a long time to compute the best option for themselves and successfully use them. Payphone "mezhdugorodka" even in her zebra-incarnation can lay claim to the attention of only occasional or casual user, although the scale of those in Moscow will be more than one thousand.What's next?
If we consider the payphone project as a sort of "trial balloon", the future prospects of the joint venture look interesting. In the case of transfer of IP-experience the entire telephone network MGTS starts viewed the future civilization of fixed telephony. In an ideal - with a choice of one of several options for any long distance calls: Traditional Rostelecom, one of the alternative operators, or IP-telephony operator. But it matters a relatively distant prospect for the practical realization of all this grace will not only give / sell multiple licenses, but also rebuild all the schemes of inter-operator interaction in accordance with new regulations. Not to mention the numerous technical and administrative issues that will certainly have to be addressed.Especially for the Mobile-Review questions about the future prospects of IP-telephony in urban telephone networks responsible Victor Kaledin, CEO of Zebra Telecom:
- It is clear that while the project involves only Payphone Network Moscow. And whether it planned to expand cooperation (albeit in the long run) on the cheap through the distant relationship with Zebra processing accounts via billing systems MGTS? In order to bill customers for the services of MGTS "Zebra Telecom" must be licensed for the long bond. Now Zebra Telecom is preparing a package of documents for filing an application for the license.
- Are there any plans like that (payphones) cooperation in St. Petersburg? If so, at what rates contact with Moscow? Will there be a card roaming "(meaning the card MGTS) with Peter? While the talks with "St. Pereburgskie payphones" Zebra Telecom "was not performed. We have just launched a joint project with MGTS Moscow. It is possible that such a service may seem appealing to our colleagues in St. Petersburg, and we are implementing a similar project in St. Petersburg.