Cell phones

There are three nationwide mobile phone service providers in Russia:

Beeline - VimpelCom (in Russian: ВымпелКом) provides Beeline (in Russian: Билайн) mobile phone service, using 2G GSM technology, and has started 3G service, using W-CDMA technology. http://www.beeline.ru/ (in Russian)

MegaFon MegaFon (in Russian: МегаФон), invested by TeliaSonera, Telekominvest, Alpha Group, etc., provides mobile phone service, using 2G GSM technology, and began 3G service, using W-CDMA technology. http://english.megafon.ru/ (in English)

MTS Mobile TeleSystems (MTS, in Russian: Мобильные ТелеСистемы), a subsidiary of Sistema Group, provides mobile phone service, using 2G GSM technology, and initiated 3G service, using W-CDMA technology. http://www.mtsgsm.com/ (In English)

You can bring your own phone and use it, but be aware that roaming costs (especially data roaming) can be really high.

The cheapest way to have a mobile phone connection would be to bring your unlocked GSM phone and buy a prepaid plan (a SIM-card). If you do not have an unlocked phone you can buy one here (prices start at about USD 30 for simple models). You can buy a phone at one of the branded MTS, Beeline or Megaphone shops or at other specialized or big shops. You can also buy a sim-card for your Ipad or other tablet device there.

The biggest chains of cell-phone shops are Euroset:

and Svyaznoy:

You can buy a phone in a big electronics shops like M-Video or Media-Markt.

Please refrain from buying used phones on the street or at flea markets. Those phones are most likely stolen ones.