In the next year, tariffs for mobile communications in Ukraine may increase by 50% due to the costs of companies for energy equipment, inflation and tax increases. Media expert and author of the YouTube project "Negotiation" Oleksandr Glushchenko noted that operators will not be able to sharply raise the cost of tariffs, but their growth during 2025 is inevitable.
Factors influencing the growth of tariffs
Oleksandr Hlushchenko explained that the reason for the increase in tariffs is not only investments in energy equipment, but also inflation and tax increases. From September 1, excise taxes on fuel, which are consumed in large quantities by generators to support the operation of base stations, will increase in Ukraine. He predicts that subscribers should prepare for a gradual increase in tariffs during 2025, which could tentatively amount to 50% from January 1 to December 1.
Challenges for mobile operators
The lifecell company noted that the purchase and installation of tens of thousands of backup power sources in a short period of time requires significant additional investments. "It is necessary to find a balance between providing communication and the ability to provide services to subscribers at an affordable price," lifecell emphasized.
Tetyana Popova, head of the board of the "Telecommunications Chamber of Ukraine" association, is sure that mobile operators will make every effort to ensure quality communication, not only because of the threat of sanctions, but also for the sake of their image and the loyalty of customers who may switch to competitors. However, ensuring energy independence requires colossal investments from operators, and without preferences from the state, the costs of supporting mobile communications can lead to a significant increase in the cost of services.
Requirements for mobile operators
Recently, the National Center for Operational and Technical Management of Telecommunications Networks (NTSU) made changes to the requirements for the operation of base stations of mobile operators under martial law. Now mobile operators must ensure the availability of mobile communication services for 10 hours during power outages, instead of 4 hours, as was the case before. The Ministry of Digital Transformation has said that mobile operators must provide 25% of networks with generators to operate without power for 72+ hours, while the rest of the network must operate for 10 hours on battery power.
The impact of tax increases
An increase in the tax burden affects telecommunications operators, reducing the financial resources for investments in restoring networks and providing them with backup power. The Kyivstar company notes that the tax burden limits financial resources for investments and may lead to an increase in prices for services.
"Kyivstar" reminds that on July 1 the law came into force, which increases the tax burden on the industry by almost UAH 700 million per year due to a specific tax - rent for frequencies. In addition, additional rent from radio spectrum licenses is expected, which is estimated at UAH 2.8 billion.
