Nikiforov: the Russian SIM cards will start working with a code +7 in the Crimea since June

Inhabitants of the Crimea in June of the current year will have an opportunity to use the Russian SIM cards which begin with a telephone code +7


Inhabitants of the Crimea in June of the current year will have an opportunity to use the Russian SIM cards which begin with a telephone code +7, the Minister of Telecom and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation Nikolay Nikiforov within the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) said in interview to Russia 24 TV channel.

"The first Russian SIM cards will appear in the Crimea at the beginning of June", – Nikiforov told, having added that former numbers will remain and will work. "We consider option of a long transition period and we adjust communications operators on that during it all operating SIM cards could work, both with a code of numbering +38, and with the Russian numbering +7", – the minister noted.

Under the contract till January 1, 2015 the transition period during which questions of integration of the Crimea and Sevastopol in economic, financial, credit and legal Russian Federation systems will be settled works.

Statistics on the Crimea

According to research, the volume of the telecommunication market of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol in 2013 is estimated approximately at 1,8 billion dollars, growth following the results of a year made more than 15%.

More than 73% of the income in this branch are the share of mobile communication, 11% – of broadband wire Internet access, 8% – of paid television, 7% – of the fixed telephony and 1% – of the wireless Internet. For the end of last year on the peninsula nearly 3 million subscribers of mobile communication, more than 500 thousand subscribers of the fixed telephony, 263 thousand subscribers of broadband Internet access and 364 thousand subscribers of paid TV were.

Penetration of mobile communication makes 128%. In the market the MTS company with a market share of 52% is in the lead, the second and third places belong "Kiyevstar" and Life (21% and 16% of subscribers respectively).

Level of equipment of Sevastopol the fixed telecommunication makes 72 telephone sets on 100 households for a city network and 47 telephone sets for a rural network. Across the Republic of Crimea this indicator makes 59 telephone sets on 100 households.

Penetration of service of broadband Internet access on the peninsula made 29% that is much lower, than the all-Russian indicators. In 2013 growth of the income in this segment on average on the region exceeded 5%, the subscriber base grew by 8%.



ITAR-TASS
 No. of 23.05.14