Tele2, the Russian mobile operator, the City mobile application for Troika cardholders and Next Mobile have launched CityMobile, a virtual mobile operator. The services of the new mobile operator are aimed at holders of the Troika transport card, who will be able to pay up to 99% of their mobile communication costs with City app bonuses. The launch of an MVNO based on a transport card is a unique business case that has no analogues in Russia and the world.
The new operator GorodMobile has already begun to provide communication services to residents and guests of the capital region. Customers will be able to pay for cellular communications with City mobile application bonuses or rubles in any ratio. To use all the features of the new mobile operator, the user only needs to pay 1 ruble. The entire remaining amount can be paid with bonuses accrued for replenishing the Troika card and making various purchases within the City mobile application. For subscribers of the new operator, there are five tariffs with a monthly fee from 49 to 500 rubles per month.
GorodMobile SIM cards can be obtained with a Troika card at the Live Communication counters and in company stores at 29 Moscow Metro stations. At the same time, the activation of a SIM card, the conclusion of an agreement and identification of an individual are automated, completely remote and can be performed by a new subscriber without the participation of a support service. You can manage services, replenish the balance and change the tariff through the City mobile application. The GorodMobile operator operates in the capital region according to the MVNO model on the Tele2 network.
The Tele2 network covers the territory where 100% of the population of Moscow and the region lives with high-quality mobile communications and high-speed mobile Internet. The network was built using the latest 5G Ready equipment and focused on high-quality coverage of the transport system. Back in 2018, the company was the first operator to provide full indoor coverage of the LTE network of all metro stations and related infrastructure. Tele2 carried out large-scale technical work to install the latest equipment in the Moscow Metro. The total length of the feeder cable in the metropolitan metro was 520 km. When building a network, Tele2 strives to ensure stable communication quality and equal service availability anywhere in Moscow and the region. High speeds of mobile Internet are guaranteed to allow passengers to use streaming video services in HD quality.
With the launch of an operator for transport card users, Tele2 and Next Mobile are adding to the portfolio of unique business cases in the MVNO business. World and Russian experience includes the launch of virtual operators for a community of professional drivers and support for an emergency response system in case of an accident. However, for the first time, we are talking about creating an MVNO for transport card holders. This proves that not only commercial banks, broadband operators and retail networks can launch virtual operators, but any high-quality projects with a loyal audience.
Tele2 has been successfully developing the MVNO factory since 2016, now the company serves more than 20 partners. In the stagnating telecom market, it is virtual operators that are demonstrating double-digit subscriber base growth rates.
Sergey Volkov, director of development for the segment of virtual operators and partnerships at Tele2:
“Tele2, as an MVNO factory, has a wide expertise in launching virtual operators: our partners are successfully increasing their client bases, integrating communication services into their ecosystems and increasing user loyalty. With the launch of GorodMobile, we are entering another new segment of the MVNO business. This is the world’s first case of launching a mobile operator based on a transport card. Given the demand for Troika and the possibilities of the City app ecosystem, the new mobile operator will be relevant for all public transport passengers in the capital region. Favorable tariffs and format of CityMobile operation will also be attractive for guests of the capital and tourists. We offer the new operator’s customers high-quality communications, wide coverage and high-speed mobile Internet, which allows them to use streaming services, including in the metropolitan metro.
Nikita Nechaev, head of the mobile application City:
“GorodMobile is the first solution in the world that combines a mobile operator and a transport card. Simple and transparent payment for communication with City bonuses (1 bonus = 1 ruble) allows you to benefit here and now, reducing your daily expenses. To pay for mobile communications with City bonuses, users only need to top up their Troika card with a 3% cashback or make purchases from app partners. We strive to ensure that cashback, discounts and bonuses are available to our users in a single convenient application in every segment of everyday life, including now GorodMobile mobile communications.”
Mikhail Samodurov, Head of Business Development at Next Mobile:
“Next Mobile and the City mobile application have created the most high-tech and user-friendly product. Next Mobile provides its entire infrastructure for the use of GorodMobile, and therefore reliable communication and fast Internet, as well as a convenient personal account and the Gorod app ecosystem for Troika card holders, will be key success factors. The new mobile operator will combine all the advantages of traditional mobile operators and the daily need of people for transport services. In this case, no additional actions are required from users.
You can buy GorodMobile SIM cards at 29 metro stations (Live Communication counters and branded metro stores):
“Alexander Garden”, “Barrikadnaya”, “Belarusian (ring.)”, “Kiev (ring.)”, “Kitay-gorod”, “Kuznetsk bridge”, “Kursk (ring.)”, “Revolution Square”, ” Pushkinskaya, Sretensky Boulevard, Arbatskaya, Cherkizovskaya, Komsomolskaya (ring), Komsomolskaya, Turgenevskaya, Slavyansky Boulevard, Street 1905, Savelovskaya, Paveletskaya , “Paveletskaya (ring)”, “Dmitrovskaya”, “Chkalovskaya”, “October (ring)”, “Vorobyovy Gory”, “Exhibition”, “Park of Culture”, “Trubnaya”, “Nizhny Novgorod”, “Mayakovskaya” .
