The Internet and mobile communications in Finland are of great importance for Russian tourists who decide to visit this country. Almost everyone takes a smartphone or tablet with them on a trip for continuous communication with family and friends, determining their location on the map, using an online translator and other purposes. In addition, while traveling, many people like to constantly post their photos on social networks. All this requires uninterrupted communication services at affordable prices.
Cellular services in Finland
When traveling in Finland, you can use one of two options to optimize costs:
- Connect the most suitable tariff of one of the Russian mobile operators, each of which has its own advantageous offer for travelers.
- Upon arrival in the country, purchase a SIM card from a local telecom operator and use its services during your stay in Finland.
When choosing options, you should decide what is more important for you: constant telephone communication with subscribers from Russia or profitable calls to Finnish numbers. It should be borne in mind that when buying a local SIM card, you will have to communicate with those who stayed at home at the rates for international communication services.
Finnish mobile operators
Most of the tariff plans of Russian operators are prepaid, that is, you first need to replenish your account, and then use the services until it is reset. In Finland, local residents use postpaid tariffs, so they receive a bill for communication services in the current month within the next 45 days. Such service can only be afforded by those who have lived in the country for at least a year or two (requirements differ depending on the chosen company), and also have a permanent mailing address.
For visitors, only prepaid SIM cards are available, but communication services over them are significantly more expensive.
After purchasing a local SIM card, you need to do the following to make a call:
- To call a subscriber from Finland, dial +358 and then the mobile phone number. To call a stationary device, you must add the area code before the subscriber's number.
- In order to contact a Russian subscriber, dial +7 and then his phone number.
If you need to call from a landline phone, you must adhere to the following order:
- To call Finland from Russia, dial 8, then 10, then country code 358, area code and subscriber number.
- To call from Finland to Russia, dial 00, then country code 7, then area code and subscriber number.
You do not need to enter the area code for calls to 10-digit mobile numbers.
Sonera Operator
Today the largest mobile operator operating in Finland is Sonera. Thanks to the merger with the Swedish operator Telia, the company is also represented in Sweden. Sonera covers the entire territory of the country, so mobile interruptions are unlikely to affect you.
Easy Prepaid is only available at retail outlets. Its cost will amount to 9.90 euros, of which 7 euros is credited to the subscriber's account. In the future, the account can be topped up with 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 euros. Ordering a SIM card via the Internet is available only for permanent residents of the country with a postal address.
A call to Russia is charged as an international connection and will cost € 0.08 per minute. An additional connection fee is charged - 0.2 euros. It is mandatory for all Finnish operators.
Operator Saunalahti
Saunalahti is the second largest mobile phone company in Finland and is a retail sub-brand of Elisa. The purchase of a SIM card from this operator is available without a passport and registration for 5.90 euros. In Russia, this approach to customers is not practiced in order to prevent fraud using mobile communications.
For those who prefer online top-ups, the company can provide additional benefits and privileges.
The Saunalahti operator's prepaid starter package remains active for 3 or 12 months from the date of the last top-up. A call to a Russian number will cost 0.06 euros / minute, in addition, 2 cents will be charged from your account for the connection.
DNA operator
SIM-cards of the third most important Finnish mobile operator DNA, as in the previous case, can be purchased without registration. On a prepaid basis, DNA offers a Smart Prepaid package, which includes calls, SMS, MMS and mobile Internet services.
The SIM card will cost 7.90 euros, of which 7 euros are credited to the subscriber's account. It already includes unlimited calls and SMS throughout Finland for 0.99 euros per day. A call to Russia will cost € 0.06 / minute, a connection fee - € 0.02.
Various denominations of top-up vouchers are available on the market. If you have a local bank card, you can top up your account through an ATM.
Roaming from Russian operators
If, while traveling in Finland, profitable communication with subscribers from Russia is of great importance to you, then the best option is to use a SIM card from one of the Russian operators, since currently roaming is no longer too expensive a pleasure.
Before going abroad, you do not need to change your usual tariff plan - you just need to connect a special option for travelers to it, and you will be provided with profitable calls with mobile Internet.
Immediately after returning, it can be turned off until the next trip.
Roaming from MegaFon
One of the most popular Russian operators, MegaFon, offers its subscribers the following options for profitable roaming:
- “Roaming, goodbye” - calls to subscribers from Moscow and other cities of Russia, SMS and mobile Internet at home tariff. This option is connected free of charge, and the cost of using it is 299 rubles per day. However, calls within the host country are not so cheap - 89 rubles per minute;
- “Whole World” - up to 40 minutes of free incoming calls for 99 rubles per day;
- "Europe and CIS" minute packages - a fixed amount of prepaid time for calls in roaming:
- 25 minutes - 329 rubles;
- 50 minutes - 495 rubles.
- “World Online” - unlimited internet for 600 rubles per day; Calls and SMS are not provided;
- "Vacation online" - 15 rubles per 1 MB of data. Designed for mobile internet use only. The cost of connecting the option is 30 rubles.
Roaming from MTS
Before traveling to the European Union, MTS subscribers are advised to activate the "Zabugorishche" option. According to the MTS classifier, Finland is included in the category of popular countries, therefore, outgoing calls to Russia and the Internet will be charged at the home rate.
The cost of the option itself is 320 rubles per day. The fee is charged only during the roaming period. All incoming calls are free.
Roaming from Beeline
The third member of the “Big Three” of Russian mobile operators, Beeline, offers its subscribers traveling abroad the following options for comfortable roaming:
- “The most advantageous roaming” - packaged tariffication of calls and the Internet.
- 20 minutes a day - 200 rubles;
- Internet 40 MB per day - 200 rubles;
- SMS - 30 rubles;
- 10 rubles per minute and 5 rubles per 1 MB of Internet in case of exceeding the limit;
- Unlimited Internet roaming - unlimited mobile traffic for 350 rubles per day. You can profitably communicate through instant messengers, including video communication.
- Per-minute tariffication in international roaming - outgoing and incoming calls at 30 rubles per minute.
Roaming from Tele2
Subscribers of the Tele2 operator on trips to Europe and the world can only afford profitable Internet. When the option "Unlimited Internet Abroad" is activated, unlimited traffic will be provided for 350 rubles per day.
Internet access in Finland
If you constantly need the Internet while staying in Finland, in addition to Russian operators, you can use the services of local companies.
The cost of mobile Internet traffic from Finnish operators
As in Russia, mobile Internet service providers in Finland are mobile operators. In our case, these are all the same Sonera, Saunalahti and DNA. Tariffication is based on the volume of received and transmitted data, but for visitors - on a prepayment basis.
To access the global network, you must have a mobile device compatible with 3G / 4G technologies. If you have a laptop, you can purchase a USB modem for it, the average cost of which is 40-50 euros.
Finnish mobile operator Saunalahti provides unlimited access to mobile Internet, however, the amount of the monthly subscription fee will depend on the selected value of the maximum speed:
| Maximum speed | Period | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 384 kbps | Month / half a year | 6.8 / 29.8 euros |
| 1 Mbps | Month | € 12.8 |
| 4 Mbps | Month | EUR 17.8 |
| 21 Mbps | Month | 22.8 euros |
DNA provides access to the global network in fixed packages:
| The amount of data transmitted and received | Price |
|---|---|
| 100 MB | 4.9 euros |
| 1 GB | 9.9 euros |
| 10 GB | EUR 24.9 |
Sonera offers tourists traveling in Finland an unlimited Good Internet tariff with a fixed time value:
| Price | Period of use |
|---|---|
| 7.5 euros | 24 hours |
| 25 euros | a week |
| 39 euros | 2 weeks |
| 49 euros | 1 month |
Home Internet Providers
Finland is one of the most comfortable countries in Europe, so there is a widespread fiber-optic digital wired Internet network from providers such as Finnet, Sonera, Elisa, Welho, Saunalahti and DNA Oy.
The country's Ministry of Communications has established a requirement for a minimum connection speed of 1 Mbps, but local providers operate in the range from 10 to 100 Mbps.
The average monthly subscription fee is 50 euros. However, it should be borne in mind that it is impossible to lead the cable to a rented apartment without the consent of the owner.
Cost of mobile internet
The price for mobile Internet services in Finland depends on the chosen provider and its conditions, as well as on the connection speed that the subscriber wants to receive.
FAQ
Is there free Wi-Fi in Finland?
When traveling in Finland, you don't have to connect the international roaming option to your home rate or buy a local SIM card. There are enough places in the country where you can access the Internet via wireless local area networks Wi-Fi. They can be used free of charge at Helsinki and Lappeenranta airports, some hotels, railway stations, shopping malls, cafes and domestic trains.
In many hotels, to access Wi-Fi, you need to get a password from the administrator for a fee. In Finnish state libraries, anyone can use not only the Wi-Fi network, but also a stationary computer that is connected to the Internet, but does not have a Cyrillic keyboard.
In addition, the inconvenience of this method is that free use of a stationary PC is possible only for 30 minutes, moreover, the library works only on weekdays.
Where is the best place to buy a SIM card?
If you decide to purchase a local SIM card, you can do this:
- in the company salons of telecom operators;
- in the R-kioski network;
- in large supermarket chains;
- at gas stations.
Finally
Cellular communications and mobile Internet are essential things for any modern tourist. They allow you to keep in touch with family and friends and make travel easier (for example, online maps and translators).
The services of which operator to use - local or domestic, each must choose for himself, depending on the direction of outgoing calls. In any case, before traveling on mobile devices, it is better to turn off the automatic software update service in order to avoid unnecessary expenses.
