The Federal Antimonopoly Service Evaluates Mobile Internet Fees on Smartphones
The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) is examining whether mobile operators charge for distributing Internet access through smartphones in ways that may violate antitrust laws. This initiative is being communicated through official channels and reflected in statements from the department’s representatives.
According to FAS, citizens have raised concerns about paid distribution of Internet access via mobile devices. In response, the service has issued requests to various operators to clarify how this distribution is implemented and charged. At present, the regulator is reviewing the submitted information to determine whether antimonopoly rules are being breached. If violations are confirmed, the FAS has indicated that measures will follow, though the specific nature of those actions has not been disclosed publicly.
Industry perspectives on this issue vary. Eldar Murtazin, a prominent analyst with the Mobile Research Group, notes that a notable share of subscribers in the country – roughly one in five – utilize Internet distribution from a smartphone. He argues that operators turned this feature into a paid service to supplement income in a market where tariff increases are constrained by inflation rules and regulatory oversight.
On the other side of the debate, Maxim Savvatin of iKS-Consulting contends that the distribution feature remains not highly popular. He also believes that the current pricing of the service lacks strong protective value for users. Still, Savvatin suggests that revenues collected through this feature could be reinvested into network infrastructure improvements and maintenance, potentially benefiting overall service reliability.
Looking ahead, Savvatin does not rule out the possibility that additional charges could be introduced for software options and services that previously carried no fees or were offered as shared features. This could reshape how mobile data distribution is priced and perceived by customers, particularly as technology options expand and user expectations evolve.
The broader industry context also includes ongoing debates about how regulators balance consumer interests with the cash flows needed to upgrade networks. In markets with rapid smartphone adoption, the question of whether bundled or separate charges for data distribution create fair conditions becomes more pressing. Regulators in many countries monitor similar practices to ensure transparency, reasonable pricing, and adherence to competition rules. In this case, the FAS appears to be pursuing a factual assessment before drawing definitive conclusions.
In summary, the FAS is actively investigating paid Internet distribution via smartphone connections to determine if antitrust provisions have been violated. While analysts diverge on the popularity and economic rationale of the service, the outcome of the regulatory review will likely influence how operators price such features in the future and may affect consumer costs and choices across the market.