A Desperate Choice: My Experience with the Mysterious 'Na Svyazi' Operator
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- The Na Svyazi operator's network coverage was surprisingly good, even in areas where other providers were down.
- Their 4G connection was stable and fast, which was a game changer when we needed to communicate with emergency services.
- Any unused data is rolled over to the next month, so you don't lose your hard-earned cash.
- Their customer support team was responsive and helpful, even when we were in a tight spot.
- The Na Svyazi operator's SIM cards are affordable, especially considering the value for money you get.
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- You can't top up your account without a Russian bank card, which can be a problem if you're not a local.
- There's no live operator you can call for help, which can be frustrating when you need immediate assistance.
- To register, you can't receive SMS codes, which means you'll need to find another way to verify your account.
- You can't make or receive calls (voice or video) when you're using the Na Svyazi network.
- There's no mobile app to manage your account or check your data usage.
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Editör Özeti
I'll be honest, when our region went dark, I was desperate for a working mobile operator. My family and I tried Na Svyazi, and their service was a lifesaver, but it came with some quirks. Their network coverage was surprisingly good, even in areas where other providers were down. The 4G connection was stable and fast, which was a game changer when we needed to communicate with emergency services. But there were some issues - you can't top up your account without a Russian bank card, and you can't make or receive calls or video calls. You'll need to find another way to verify your account when registering, and there's no mobile app to manage your account. Despite these drawbacks, the Na Svyazi operator's SIM cards are affordable, and the customer support team was responsive and helpful. If you're in a similar situation, this review might just save you some headaches.
Teknik Özellikler
Disclaimer: Please don't bring up what's going on in my region in the comments or private messages. This is a review of a mobile operator, not a call to discuss unrelated topics. Thanks!
My Story:
I've been in some tough spots before, but three weeks ago, my area was hit with a total communication blackout. No phone, no internet, no way to contact loved ones or even emergency services. It was like being a blind kitten. On the third day, one internet provider managed to get their network up and running, and people were scrambling to find the least crowded Wi-Fi hotspots. My family decided to buy new SIM cards with a code of around 7,990. We headed to the regional center, where we chose an official point because it was listed in the official groups for our region.
The Mysterious Operator 990
It took some digging to figure out who this operator was. First, we found an official press release from the company's owner on Telegram, which I've included a screenshot of.
As far as I understand, this is a daughter company of Rostelecom, just like Volna, which operates in Crimea. And indeed, if you check the data for my IP address, it confirms the 'Miranda-media' thing, which I've included another screenshot of.
Also, you can check the open registry for code 990 and see this.
But the operator here is listed as WinMobile, which makes sense, since calls to and from Volna are charged as if they're within the same network. What's worth noting is that Volna SIM cards can't connect to 'On the air' towers, and vice versa, but they say they'll fix it. Plus, neither SIM cards from other continental Russian operators nor local Ukrainian operators can connect to these towers. The tower code is 25096, and these same digits automatically appear in the phone's 'Operator name' section.
Now that we've got the basics covered, let's talk about the services.
1) Cost and Purchase Conditions
The cost of the SIM card varies. In the regional center, the first cards cost 100 UAH by passport. For 150 UAH, you could buy one 'without a passport.' When they started selling cards in other cities in the region, the official price was set at 75 UAH. But 'without a passport' cost around 300 UAH.
Check out what you get in your hands. They take a photo of the SIM card on a background of your passport beforehand, and then they register all the numbers sold in one day in an online database.
You can get no more than five SIM cards per passport in most places, and sometimes it's just two, but I think it's a temporary restriction due to high demand.
2) Tariffs
Sorry about the crumpled leaflet, but they're even harder to get than SIM cards, and asking for one from the seller is a whole ordeal. Luckily, we bought the cards for the whole family, and they gave us one for all of us. What's interesting is that the seller doesn't even tell you that you need to 'activate' the card by calling 0515 or set up the internet separately. As a result, many people buy the card, don't ask for the leaflet, and then can't understand why just inserting it into the phone isn't enough for normal use.
Overall, the tariff is pretty similar to Waves' main tariff, but with 25 GB of internet, 500 minutes, and fewer SMS.
Notice that there are no other tariff options or operators.
3) Internet
I somehow missed the footnote about the internet and spent 10 minutes trying to figure out why it wasn't working. I restarted my phone, turned the SIM card on and off, and even tried the 'Airplane Mode' thing, but then I read the footnote and set it up in a couple of minutes. I'm not sure how a regular user is supposed to do it, though. As for older people, let's just say it's not exactly user-friendly.
4) Connection
Right now, there are two types of towers in the area: 4G and 2G. The 2G one handles calls and SMS, and every time you receive or make a call on 4G, it gets disconnected, and you lose your internet connection. After the call ends, your phone automatically switches back to 4G. For the first couple of days, calls worked perfectly, just like on Waves, but then they disabled the ability to make calls. I assume it's because the network is overloaded due to the number of subscribers. SMS works fine, but incoming calls just say 'You've been called' and the person on the other end says the recipient isn't a subscriber.
5) Coverage
I live about an hour outside the city center, and let me tell you, the signal is spotty at best. I'd drive into town and get a decent connection, but as soon as I left the city limits, my phone would lose signal. I'd get a few bars in my hometown, but it was like the internet was patchy and only worked in certain areas. I was starting to get frustrated, especially since I'd just gotten the SIM card and was excited to try it out. The first day, I realized that my house was on the edge of the 4G coverage area, and I'd get no internet at all. But then, after a few days, I started to notice that I was getting a weak signal, and my messages would update occasionally. It was like a miracle! But it wasn't until about a week and a half later that I got a stable 4G connection everywhere in my house.
6) Recharging
You can top up your balance using the QR code on the flyer, or by finding the operator 'На связи' on the Payberry website. Alternatively, you can use a bank card to top up, but you'll need to use a Russian bank card - there's no option to use a Ukrainian bank card. The good news is that there's no charge for topping up with a Russian bank card. However, I was surprised to find that I couldn't top up using my bank's online banking system - the operator isn't listed. But at least the process is straightforward, and you can top up using a card. All SIM cards come with 100 rubles on them, and the first month's package is free. After that, you'll need to top up 300 rubles every month. My old Vodafone package cost 125 hryvnias per month, but it's now 145 hryvnias, so this new SIM card is actually a bit cheaper.
One major drawback is that you can't register anything on this number, even if you need to get an SMS confirmation. I've tried it myself, and it's not working. You also can't call the operator to ask questions - there's just an automated voice on the number 0515. Most people who try to top up using a Ukrainian or continental Russian number will get a message saying that there's 100 rubles on their account, but they won't be able to top up their card. There's no way to contact the operator, either - no news, no plans, no way to find out why my calls haven't been working for almost a week. And to make matters worse, there's no choice of tariffs - they promise to add more options like Volny, but for now, it's a one-size-fits-all approach. And with no competition from other operators, it's starting to feel like a monopoly.
8) Pros
The coverage is getting better all the time.
I got a nice surprise when I found out that I'd been given 10 GB of extra internet and 100 minutes on other Russian operators for free.
The unused traffic from this month should carry over to next month, which is a nice perk (although I haven't tested it yet).
I'm glad to have found an operator that actually works.
The fact that it's considered 'in-network' in Crimea is a huge plus for me, since I've got family and friends living there.
For mainland Russian operators, being 'in-network' means you're using a Russian number, and if you've got minutes for domestic calls, you can use them to call here.
Unlike Volna, we're not stuck in 'roaming' mode all the time. I've got friends who've been living with the 'R' symbol active for 8 years now – it's a small thing, but it drives me crazy.
Verdict
Am I satisfied with the elusive 'Na svyazi' operator? Not really, but it's better than nothing.
Would I recommend it? Yeah, because at this point, there's no other option for staying connected.
