Prices on mobile connection are going to grow. First of all VimpelCom ventured to rise prices (brand name Beeline), some tariffs were risen in February. The other operators of the "big triplet" decided not to change tariffs but they don?t exclude such possibility.

Russian Ministry of Communication taking charge of mobile phone operators consider there are no reasons for anxiety because of prices escalation on mobile connection growth. Administrators think this price growth touches only business tariffs, "folk" tariffs won?t be changed.

Tatyana Menkova, analyst at Finam investment company, considers active ruble devaluation (which began from November 2008) is the main reason for tariffs growth. Devaluation pace considering the USA currency decline amounts to 28,5%. "According to our estimates growth of tariffs on mobile connection will be not less than 30-40%. Paying capacity fall, unemployment growth connected with negative economic situation in our country have an additional impact on tariffs growth.

Some mobile phone operators raised prices 23% in average on mobile connection. On the whole the tariff escalation will allow them realize expensive high-tech projects".

J`son and Partners? leading expert Rishad Allaberdiev considers prices growth is not connected with world crunch. "Particularly VimpelCom tries to optimize its tariff policy. Their aim is to draw attention of potential clients from some tariffs to others including new ones".

Large-scale prices escalation on mobile connection is unlikely, considers expert, especially nowadays. Each mobile phone operator understands prices escalation won?t push users to other operators only if all of them raise prices at the same moment.

Experts mark, about 15-20% of population were to cut their expenditures on mobile connection what makes mobile phone operators make up benefit losses by prices raising. Nevertheless expenditures of Russian citizens will gradually fall. Decline of talks duration is expected at an early date. But it is likely to happen in case social conditions gets worse.

Artem Krasnov
sections: Society