From January 22 to Beeline corrects the condition rating packet. The changes at first sight insignificant, but it is only at first glance. In fact, planned attempt to fix a rather unpleasant for the operator "bias" in the structure of the subscriber base and simultaneously solve several pressing issues. Try to understand this unusual maneuver for the Moscow market. 
BiPlyus Subscribers will pay 9 cents "rent" a day (an average of $ 2.75 per month), $ 0.19 per megabyte Internet-GPRS traffic, and $ 1.02 per megabyte Wap-GPRS traffic (1 cent per 10 kb). Sending multimedia messages (MMS) will be billed at $ 0.19 for fashion, receive MMS free. Connection fee only package - $ 0.10. All this - as of January 22. Take in the hands of a calculator and compare the costs for the subscriber BiPlyus - active user GPRS: let's say, 2 MB Wap-traffic, 200 MB of Internet-traffic and a couple dozen MMS. Monthly cost today: $ 2.75 + $ 38 = $ 40.75. Expenditures after January 22: $ 2.75 + $ 2.04 + $ 38 + $ 3.80 = $ 46.59. Economical costs the user (phone + PDA) would be, for example $ 2.75 + $ 9.50 = $ 12.25, and 2.75 + $ 1.02 + $ 9.50 + $ 1.90 = $ 15.17, respectively. For credit and the advance of tariff plans, all changes were limited to the appearance of a mandatory license fee of $ 3, Wap-traffic separately (optional) is not charged, sending an MMS is free until April 15, 2004.
In terms of image BeeLine particularly fear is not necessary: a formal price and terms for contract customers have not changed (except for the imposition of the previously voluntary services Wap-GPRS), and a full GPRS on prepaid appeared quite recently, you can "nod" to the fact that the month of studied statistics and to develop a tariff policy. Already connected to the Wap-GPRS contract customers and does not notice the change. However, many "news" does not like and in a highly competitive market for such a move must be serious reasons.
With the introduction of services to Internet-GPRS BeeLine acquired more than a dozen of thousands of "foreign" subscribers due to a kind of GPRS-monopoly in the market prepaid tariffs. So far, there was virtually no competition, including, for purely technical reasons - for example, the absence (so far!) MTS full prepaid platform and, consequently, a lack of GPRS on all denim tariff plans. GPRS on Megafonovskih Light's there, but relatively expensive and not very convenient to pay (the need to "buy" pre-fixed block of data), plus - the presence of the term of payment. In addition, GPRS-coverage of Moscow and Moscow region in the network BeeLine until better and prices lower than those of competitors.It turns out that VimpelCom invests in the development of GPRS-network in Moscow and regions, including to ensure that the needs of mobile Internet subscribers as its competitors, gaining a modest return on its cheap Internet-traffic generated by such a subscriber. From this perspective, the introduction of license fee is quite reasonable. And maybe even good for subscribers of other operators. For example, contract, MTS certainly abandon the appreciated Beeline Internet (including $ 3 abonentki Beeline MTS Internet is slightly cheaper) and will no longer suffer with two SIM-cards, and left without GPRS subscribers Jeans push MTS an early solution to the problem of GPRS on prepaid tariffs.
The technical aspect is even more interesting. Just a year ago, there was a clear division: Wap-GPRS mobile phones to travel "light" Wap-resources, Internet-GPRS - for full Internet access from your PC / laptop / PDA. Now those boundaries are increasingly blurred, as appears more and more new phones with Wap-browser 2.x and smartphones. These devices Wap-gate operator is not needed, they have successfully downloaded Wap-content through the usual access point. And as users of such phones to talk to voluntarily pay $ 3 a month for Wap-GPRS, which they completely useless? More - more. Some models allow you to view has long been common Internet resources through wap-gate, and smartphone users in the BeeLine so now have an unlimited Internet access for $ 3 a month - if you want, of course, because Image of Web-pages on the smartphone screen hardly be called comfortable. Even proper Wap over the past year strongly "potyazhelel: color pictures, polyphonic ringtones, tutorials with color maps, etc. already generate quite a decent traffic. Well, of course, do not forget the growing popularity of MMS: though sadly subscribers of Beeline to learn about the upcoming start of the piece charging messages can be comforted by the fact that the subscribers of competitors have been paying for their MMS, and often one-third more expensive than the future $ 0.19 Beeline
Several questions remained unanswered, the information should appear later. For example, as will be the case with GPRS-roaming, international and federal network for Beeline subscribers BiPlyus: When needed (and need it?) To replenish their accounts at the notorious $ 50 before the trip. Another question - tarifitsiruemye intervals (rounded). In the Internet-GPRS as such is referred to + 40 KB of data received during the session (according to unofficial information - 20 minutes), but that's what it will be a Wap-GPRS to start charging $ 0.01 per 10 kb? And whether to keep the guard interval of 5 kb (in case of failure of the connection)? According to the logic of rounding interval for Wap-GPRS should be 10 kb instead of 40, but full confidence in this - will have to wait for more information.
In summary: unpleasant, but nothing can be done, too many are already "hooked" on the mobile Internet and will not abandon it. Introduction trehdollarovoy license fee are not happy, but with the advent of the Internet on a full BiPlyus something still to happen with the billing. Was selected that option - well, look at the reaction of competitors. And let's hope that the introduction of fee for a "package of three services" have a positive impact on their quality - BiLaynovsky Wap-GPRS in November last year caused a lot of fair criticism.