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  #1  
Old 14 Apr 2011
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Russian sim card
Hi all.

We are going 1st of July this year to Russia, Road Of Bones and back the west side of Bam.

Anyone who knows the best Russian Sim card to buy? what i think of is mostly data traffic, updating website with the mobile phone mostly..

Possible to buy prepaid cards in advance from some supplier?

Best tele company to use in Siberia?

Any ideas and advice is welcome

/Patrik

advrussia.com (being updated while we are traveling)
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  #2  
Old 14 Apr 2011
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While you're waiting for a definitive response, I can give you a second-hand answer...I think Colebatch recommended the MTS or Megafon networks out along the Road of Bones, but in most of the country you'll be fine with any SIM.

I have an MTS SIM, and they've got data-centric plans which you should enquire about when you get the SIM.

You can get pre-paid scratch cards just about anywhere, I wouldn't worry about that, you can pick some up when you get the SIM.
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  #3  
Old 15 Apr 2011
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Yes different regions have different strengths with different networks. Some oblasts are best with Beeline, some with MTS and some with Megafon - and some of the cities are best with Yota.

The other complicating factor, is Russia, being such a large country, is divided into Federal Super Regions ... which a sim card is native to. A sim card from Moscow will work cheaply in Moscow and Moscow region, but will incur roaming charges outside that region. Sim cards and packagaes are cheaper in Moscow and Moscow region than anywhere else.

As of 6 months ago, a data plan with unlimited data was just 495 rubles a month (12 EUR) on a pay as you go SIM card - in Moscow. Try to buy the same package in Vladivostok and it was 1100 rubles a month and included speed restrictions on data transfer. In Magadan, it was 1500 a month and the free data only worked 6pm to 6am.

I would probably get an MTS prepay SIM card in Moscow ... get an unlimited data plan. Chuck a couple of months of credit on there (2500 rubles or so). But because of the data roaming charges once you start getting a long way from Moscow, when the credit runs out, I would just get a locally sourced MTS card from whereever you are at the time.
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  #4  
Old 17 Apr 2011
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You may have to get a russian person to buy the card for you.

Good luck,hope you have a great trip.
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  #5  
Old 17 Apr 2011
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jennabusa View Post
You may have to get a russian person to buy the card for you.
Why do you say that? I have never heard that before...
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  #6  
Old 17 Apr 2011
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Originally Posted by motoreiter View Post
Why do you say that? I have never heard that before...
Not sure if this is what Terry means, but ... you usually need current registration ... maybe if you got some registration in a hotel early in your russian visit and dont have anything with current dates on it, they may kick up a fuss.

I have come across all sorts of different attitudes from sim sellers, from anal box tickers that go thru and check your registration docs, to people who give them away for free on the street without looking at anything. So in between all those attitudes, its hard to know what the actual rules are.
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  #7  
Old 17 Apr 2011
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MTS or Beeline
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  #8  
Old 17 Apr 2011
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Originally Posted by 9ijiyhb View Post
MTS or Beeline
Beeline has almost no coverage on the Road of Bones and other remote parts of Yakutia and Magadanskaya Oblasts.

Only in Yakutsk and Magadan cities is there Beeline coverage. MTS and Megafon have coverage in most of the small towns and villages along these remote routes.

Beeline is fine is you stay on Trans Siberian Highway or other asphalt regions of Russia, but in remote regions its not as good as MTS or Megafon. There are some strange exceptions ... in Amurskaya Oblast for example Beeline is the best ... even in remote villages. I guess they have a good "deal" with the Oblast government there. But the guy was asking about Irkutskaya Oblast, Yakutia and Magadanskaya Oblast mainly.

The only problem with coverage in remote areas, is that it is usually 2G. Sometimes 2.5G. 3G is only available in the cities.
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  #9  
Old 18 Apr 2011
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Originally Posted by colebatch View Post
There are some strange exceptions ... in Amurskaya Oblast for example Beeline is the best ... even in remote villages. I guess they have a good "deal" with the Oblast government there. But the guy was asking about Irkutskaya Oblast, Yakutia and Magadanskaya Oblast mainly.
Actually, many of the networks in this region started as independent regional operators and then were purchased by the national players. Thus the strength of regional networks is the result, to some extent, of when the regional operator was launched, the strength of its management team, how much financing it could obtain, etc. If the national operators could not/did not buy one of the original regional players, they had to start from greenfield and thus are probably still behind. In that region, I suppose that Beeline bought the leading operator and has simply retained its lead.

My former company started the first GSM operators Chita and other regions, and over time we sold them to MTS and other operators.
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  #10  
Old 18 Apr 2011
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i,m sure your right walter, i was refused twice last year,apparently because i was foreign but when a russian friend came with me, there wasn,t any problem.?
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