Belarusian telecom operators. Communications in Belarus, how to call from Russia? What should a foreigner take into account?

In most cities in Belarus you can find pay phones. There are quite a lot of them near railway and bus stations, metro stations, and on central streets. However, not all street payphones support international calls. To pay, you must purchase telephone cards, sold at newsstands. In small towns, payphones are only available in post offices.

Calling card cost: from 6500 bel. rub.

Internet in Belarus

Internet in Belarus is provided by many companies, among which the largest are Beltelecom and Atlant Telecom. The main type of Internet in Belarus is an ADSL connection, followed by Wi-Fi and mobile Internet. Wi-Fi Internet is available in large hotels, restaurants and cafes.

Mobile communications in Belarus

For Russians going on holiday to Belarus, the most optimal option would be to connect to roaming. Mobile communications cover almost the entire territory of the country, and there is stable communication almost everywhere, with the exception of large nature reserves.

Prices are indicated in rubles

Main operators cellular communication in Belarus the companies are MTS, Velcom, Life, DIALLOG. 3G mobile communications are present in all major cities.

How to call from Russia to Belarus

To call from Russia to Belarus you should dial:

• 8 - 10 - 375 (Belarus code) - city code (for example - Minsk) - telephone number;

Example: 8-10-375-017-12345

How to call from Belarus to Russia

To make a call from Belarus to Russia:

• 8 - 10 - dial tone 7 - city code (for example - Moscow) - subscriber number

Example: 8-10-7-495-12345

How to make long distance calls to Belarus

To make a long-distance call in Belarus you should dial:

• 8 - city code (for example - Minsk) - subscriber number

Example: 8-017-1234567

City codes in Belarus

070 - Minsk

0212 - Vitebsk

015 - Grodno

The Russian company DMTel assessed the main specifications and the quality of services of Belarusian mobile operators, comparing MTS, velcom and life:)..

How was it considered?

The tests took place in June 2016 in Minsk. Experts checked communication networks using the Nemo Analyze system. The specialists used the Nemo Outdoor Invex II measuring system, which is installed in a car, as well as a smartphone Samsung Galaxy S5, Huawei modem E392 and Nemo FSR1 scanning receiver.

For each operator, analysts conducted more than 1,500 tests of outgoing calls, as well as more than 1,700 data transfer sessions.

To evaluate the quality of communication during calls, the system simulated a call with a speech sample transmitted. Speeds and quality mobile internet tested in several ways, including downloading an archived file, repeating ping tests, loading a “reference” web page, and playing a YouTube video clip.

To evaluate the characteristics of radio coverage, measurements were performed using a scanning receiver that supports all frequency ranges and technologies (GSM, WCDMA and LTE) implemented in the network of each operator.

Voice communication

To assess the quality of voice communications, experts measured how often networks reject calls, as well as how many calls are dropped after the “conversation” has begun. We checked how long it takes on average to establish a call.

Analysts also measured the quality of speech transmission. To do this, a speech sample in Russian was transmitted over the network, and then the quality of its sound was assessed.

“In addition, the share of values ​​of this indicator below a given threshold is given,” the report says. — This allows us to determine the subscriber’s level of satisfaction with the quality of voice transmission when using the voice service.”

The measurement results are in the table. Bold indicates the best values.

In terms of connection setup time, failure rate and call continuity, life:) networks showed the best results. The quality of transmission of the speech sample turned out to be the highest with velcom.

Experts have combined the main criteria on a radar chart. The wider the lines, the higher the scores.

Data transfer

Data transmission has been tested by many different ways: checked the transit time of a data package, the success of downloading and uploading sessions of data packages, web pages and streaming videos on YouTube.

We have not included all results in the table. In almost all indicators, the MTS network showed the best result thanks to LTE technology. It is worth noting that at the time of testing, life:) had not yet launched 4G technology, which is now available.

Another important criterion is the proportion of time using various technologies and network modes. As expected, the MTS network had the highest share of LTE, and velcom had the highest share of DC-HSPA mode use.

Radio coverage

Experts also measured the signal quality in different parts of the city. It was assessed according to multiple criteria: for each communication technology, the maximum, minimum and average values, as well as their distribution, were taken into account.

“In GSM (2G) networks on the drive test route, all operators provide continuous radio coverage in terms of the share of RSSI Best values ​​≤ -90 dBm,- the report says. — In terms of the share of RSSI Best ≤ -70 dBm values, the best result was registered in the network of Mobile TeleSystems JLLC. The network of CJSC “BeST” occupies the second position, UE “Velcom” is in the third position for this indicator.”

But in the WCDMA (3G) network, the best result was shown by velcom, followed by analysts who placed MTS and life:) in third place. In the LTE (4G) network, only MTS was able to evaluate - at that time the technology worked only for this mobile operator.

The experts also identified the “leaders” in terms of the received signal level for each technology. The table combines the values ​​of the share of measurements for which the best received signal level was recorded in relation to the network levels of three operators simultaneously.

True, the summer results of the study cannot be called final - they show the situation six months ago. In addition, measurements were carried out only in Minsk.

“The presented results reflect the positions of operators during the period of work on the drive test route and do not apply to the networks as a whole,- says the report. — As technology advances, coverage areas and network capacity expand, the relative positions of operators are constantly changing.”

In order to call from Russia to Belarus, you need to know a few general rules:

1. The dialing starts with the number 8 - intercity access.
2. Next, dial 10 - access to international communications.
3. Next, dial 375 - international code Belarus.
4. Next, you need to dial the city code or mobile operator. For example, 29 or 33 is the code of the Belarusian mobile operator (analogous to our 916, 903, etc.), 17 is the code of Minsk, 1749 is the code of Naroch.
5. Next, the phone number is dialed - for large cities and mobile operators these are 7-digit numbers, for smaller cities - 6 and 5 digits.

The average cost of 1 minute from a landline phone for which these rules apply is 26 Russian rubles.

It is also possible to dial Belarusian numbers from mobile phones of Russian operators: instead of 8, 10, dial “+”, then follow the same dialing procedure as indicated above. For example: + (375 17) 344-00-56 (call to a Minsk landline).

This rule also applies if you call from a Russian mobile operator in Belarus.

For example:

• +375 29 674-45-56 - call to the mobile phone of the Belarusian telecom operator;
• + 7 495 423-45-34 - call to a Moscow landline phone (7 - Russian code);
• + 7 916 234-56-78 - call to MTS Moscow mobile phone.

The cost of calls from Russia to Belarus from a mobile phone: outgoing call - from 2 to 3 US dollars per minute of connection, incoming call from a Belarusian number - free of charge.

For calls from a mobile phone of a Russian telecom operator made in Belarus: outgoing from 3 to 4 US dollars, incoming - from 1.5 to 2 US dollars per minute of connection.

Please note that the cellular operator Beeline requires that you have at least $50 in your phone account to enable roaming; MTS turns it on automatically. These operators provide stable communications throughout the Republic of Belarus.

The cost of such calls is several times cheaper.

To call from Belarus to Russia:

• If you call from a mobile phone of a Belarusian operator, you must have roaming enabled, which is not always possible due to the conditions tariff plans, and also often not economically profitable.
• When dialing from a payphone, the usual rules for dialing Russian phones for calls from abroad apply. For example: 8 107 495 432-56-78 - call to a Moscow city number (8 - intercity access, 10 - international access, 7 - Russian code).

Mobile communications on the territory of Belarus are stable, but there are areas of poor coverage, for example, large nature reserves (Belovezhskaya Pushcha, etc.).

We wish you pleasant calls and good communication!

When traveling around the world in different directions, it is always important to be able to stay in touch and be available for calls from loved ones or work colleagues. For this purpose, Beeline has a special service that allows you to use cellular services without connecting to a local telecom operator. What tariffs are offered as part of the Beeline roaming service in Belarus? Let's take a closer look.

First of all, regarding connectivity. Beeline roaming in Belarus is connected automatically as soon as the subscriber enters the service area local operator cellular communications. Thus, no prior connection is required.

It is worth noting that fees are charged strictly based on the use of services.

That is, until the client receives incoming call or no outgoing call is made, the daily package of minutes will not be activated and the fee for it will not be charged. The same applies to the Internet, the megabyte package will not be activated until the connection is made. Therefore, in order to avoid unnecessary unplanned expenses, while roaming, you should disable all applications that automatically connect to the Internet.

Beeline roaming in Belarus: call costs

Many people are interested in the cost of calls and messages when staying in Belarus, how to roughly calculate possible costs for mobile communications? To determine costs, you need to focus on the terms of provision of the “Most Profitable Roaming” service from Beeline in the CIS countries.

• Upon use of communication services, 200 rubles are deducted from the subscriber one-time, at the expense of which a package of 10 minutes is activated. They must be spent within the current day. The remaining minutes do not carry over to the next day, so it is better to spend them immediately. In the next billing period, the package is renewed under the same conditions.
• If the package of minutes has ended, but the need to talk on the phone remains, then a minute of conversation over the standard package costs 10 rubles.
• If a traveler needs to send an SMS message, then regardless of the direction, its cost will be 20 rubles.

Calls are charged per minute, payment is charged from the first second. It is worth noting that the change of day occurs according to the local time in which the subscriber is located.

Internet cost

Another important companion for every traveler is mobile Internet. Being away from friends and family, you want to always be in touch online, share news, photos and general impressions. What Internet prices does Beeline provide to a subscriber located in Belarus?

1. As part of the service, when a subscriber connects to the Internet, a daily package of 40 megabytes of mobile Internet is automatically activated. The cost of the package is 200 rubles and is charged immediately at the time of connection. As practice shows, this volume is quite enough to use social media. networks, check emails and don’t get lost.
2. If the package is exhausted, but the need for the Internet remains, then further connection occurs at a price of 5 rubles for each megabyte of traffic.

Thus, the total cost of one day of stay in Belarus for a Beeline subscriber will cost 400 rubles, subject to active use of communications. If you save money and don't call mobile phone every day, and also use the Internet less often than usual, you can save a lot, since payment for the services provided is charged only upon use.

It's summer, the flow of tourists to Belarus is increasing many times right before our eyes. Every year I receive dozens of questions from my colleagues and friends from neighboring countries like: “which Belarusian cellular operator to connect to” or “which SIM card to buy in Belarus.” I visited the communication stores of three operators and calculated the cost of services in order to resolve this issue at least until next summer.

The input data is simple. Only a passport of a foreign country (for example, Russian) and a stack of money in hand.

The main criteria for choosing an operator are the cost and volume of mobile Internet. Phone calls(both in Belarus and abroad) have approximately the same cost, the difference in prices between the three operators is so undramatic that it makes no sense to pay attention to it.

Six years ago, guest rates were obscenely expensive. Over the weekend I could spend 50-60 dollars (hello MTS!). At the moment, prices have become simpler, and there is increased competition between operators. It is quite possible to spend 10–15 dollars, provided the trip lasts up to a week.

Let's take three particular cases of a hypothetical trip to Sineokaya on vacation.

In the first case, the tourist is ready to limit himself to one gigabyte of mobile Internet traffic, mainly for checking mail and a little activity in in social networks. He plans to fulfill all other needs via Wi-Fi.

In the second case, I suggest considering a more demanding traveler. To comfortably use his devices, he will need 2 gigabytes of mobile Internet traffic.

In the third case, we will be faced with a real Internet spender, who requires no less than five gigabytes of mobile Internet traffic. This tourist does not deny himself anything and does not rely on Wi-Fi.

Below is a simple table that clearly shows the cost of traffic packages from various operators. But please don’t immediately rush for an attractive price. After the table, I’ll briefly talk about the nuances that need to be taken into account when choosing a telecom operator.
After all, you just want to relax and travel, and not experience communication problems at the most inopportune moment.

In the indicated price I immediately include hidden fees, fees for activating a service or SIM card, subscription fee and other expenses. In a word, you see the amount you will have to pay, without any unpleasant surprises in communication shops. In some cases, the amount of traffic will be approximate (instead of 2 - 1.9 or 2.2 gigabytes), such tariffs - sorry. Prices in Belarusian rubles.

1. Tariff “Communication without obligations”. Immediately after activating the tariff, you receive one gigabyte of traffic.
2. Tariff “Communication without obligation”. Immediately after activating the tariff, you receive one gigabyte of traffic + a “900 MB” traffic package = 1.9 gigabytes.
3. Tariff “Communication without obligations”. Immediately after activating the tariff, you receive one gigabyte of traffic + a “3600 MB” traffic package = 4.6 gigabytes.

4. Tariff "Guest". 1GB traffic package. The amount includes a hidden fee of 4,650 rubles for activating the SIM card.
5. Tariff "Guest". 2GB traffic package. The amount includes a hidden fee of 4,650 rubles for activating the SIM card.
6. Tariff "Guest". 5GB traffic package. The amount includes a hidden fee of 4,650 rubles for activating the SIM card.

When choosing a cellular operator, it makes sense to take into account the geography of travel in Belarus. If you come for a few days solely to visit a major city, you are free to choose any company. But if your trips involve visiting natural or architectural monuments outside cities, then the choice is reduced to velcom and MTS.

The quality of communication on highways for almost all operators leaves much to be desired. But even in small cities, 3G is of such high quality that it can outperform LTE in some areas of Moscow. Any of the tariffs described above will not allow you to go into the red, but operators may not warn you about the end of funds in advance. Don't forget to check your balance.

You can top up your account in almost any store, post office, communication store or using a card on the Internet. MTS allows you to top up your account through Yandex.Money. The life:) website does not work well on iPhones and iPads. And if you have to wait more than three minutes for a response from the velcom operator, you will be rewarded with an additional traffic package. All operators will easily provide SIM cards of the required format: classic, microsim or nanosim.

Have a nice trip and stable internet!