1 Introduction
Point Topic tracks changes in the 4G LTE / LTE Advanced and 5G tariffs provided by mobile operators across Europe. This report presents the latest tariff benchmarks as of the end of September 2024. The data is collated within Point Topic’s Mobile Broadband Tariffs subscription service.
In addition to this report, we also provide access to the complete tariff dataset which our customers can use to perform their own analysis.
2 What we measure
This analysis is based on more than 1,000 tariffs from all major mobile broadband providers from the EU-28, Norway and Switzerland. In total, we provide data on 88 operators from 30 countries. We track a representative sample of tariffs offered by each operator, making sure we include the top end, the entry level and the medium level tariffs, which results in a broad range of prices and data allowances.
We use this data to report on pan-European trends in tariffs and bandwidths offered. The data can be used to track changes in the tariffs offered by individual operators as well.
Technologies
We track mobile broadband tariffs provided over 4G LTE / LTE-Advanced and 5G mobile broadband technologies.
Standalone and bundled
We record 4G and 5G tariffs which are offered as SIM only, some of which come with mobile calls / SMS and a device (a modem, router or equivalent). From Q2 2017 onwards we do not track tariffs bundled with tablets. We do record multi-play service bundles (mobile broadband plus TV, fixed broadband and/or voice) but they are not included in this analysis – they can be found in our mobile broadband tariff dataset. We track contract based monthly tariffs rather than daily, weekly or pay as you go (prepaid), and exclude tariffs offered as part of the smartphone purchase.
Residential and business
We record both business and residential mobile broadband tariffs.
Currency
To allow for comparison between countries with different living standards, this report refers to the tariffs in $ PPP (purchasing power parity). The data on PPP conversion rates is provided by the World Bank. The tariffs in our database are also available in local currencies, USD, EUR and GBP.
3 Notes on methodology
This analysis refers to the figures and charts that can be found in our mobile operator tariff benchmark spreadsheet. It is available to our subscribers – check our blog to access the relevant post with the spreadsheet attached to it.
If there is a particular element that you cannot find or have any questions please contact us on tariffs@point-topic.com.
Coverage and methodology
A full set of mobile broadband tariff data is available for download as part of Point Topic's Mobile Operator Tariffs Service. The dataset contains the most recent quarterly tariff information including such details as monthly rental, bandwidth, data allowance, equipment costs, service features and special offers.
Price comparison issues
This analysis is intended as a general indicator of the trends in 4G/5G service pricing across Europe. There are several additional variables that complicate the process of making a direct comparison of mobile broadband tariffs. They need to be taken into account when making a more in-depth analysis:
Device charges: Some 4G/5G monthly tariffs include all charges for devices, for example routers or dongles, whereas others come with additional monthly or one-off (upfront) costs which can be substantial. These additional charges are excluded from this analysis but can be found in the dataset.
Bundling: Increasingly, mobile operators are entering the multi-play arena by bundling their mobile broadband services with fixed voice services, fixed broadband and TV. The Mobile Broadband Tariffs dataset provides access to a sample of multi-play bundles from Europe but the analysis presented in the current report only refers to ‘standalone’ mobile broadband tariffs which include mobile data and sometimes calls/SMS. Note: although 4G/5G tariffs which come with a device may be regarded as bundles, we refer to them as standalone mobile broadband tariffs as the device such as a modem is regarded as ‘equipment’, in line with our fixed broadband tariff methodology.
Data allowances: Some operators offer entry level services with very low data caps. From Q1 2017, the minimum data allowance we include is 1 GB per month. In most cases, these limits are generous enough for a typical user and, in some cases, even comparable to those offered by fixed broadband providers. An increasing number of tariffs are offered with ‘unlimited’ data usage. To make it possible to include these tariffs in our calculations, we assigned 1000 GB per month to the unlimited data tariffs. Also, an increasing number of operators include in their tariffs data for roaming in Europe.
Downstream and upstream speeds: Some operators do not report mobile broadband speeds, not least because they are so variable. Others do, and where this is the case we record the theoretical maximum speed. In reality, the actual speed can be significantly lower depending on various factors. This should be taken into account when comparing 4G/5G services with fixed broadband, for example.
In other words, we are trying to be very clear about what we are measuring, analysing and reporting. One could raise questions with regards to any section of this analysis. Should we include all tariffs – those coming with smartphones, other devices and SIM only ones – in cross country comparisons? Do we look at the range of services on offer or do we pick the single entry level tariff from the most popular provider? As ever the answer is to pick whatever best suits your needs. Users are urged to be careful with all outputs and read the titles and descriptions to extract the best understanding.
4 Mobile broadband tariffs and bandwidths in Europe: an overview
We have compared the average monthly subscription charges, data caps and download speeds offered by mobile broadband providers across the EU-28, Norway and Switzerland. All prices are quoted in US dollars at PPP (purchasing power parity) rates to allow for easier comparison.
We are noticing a decreasing number of 4G only tariffs as most operators are approaching high 5G network coverage. In Q3 2024, our dataset included 421 4G tariffs and 672 5G tariffs. This meant that in some countries we found 1 or none 4G tariffs, which affected the country level the sample size.
Note: from Q2 2017 onwards, we only include SIM only tariffs which are sometimes bundled with a router and/or calls/SMS. No tariffs bundled with other devices such as tablets or smartphones are included. We made this decision to make the analysis more comparable with fixed broadband services.
Key points:
In Q3 2024, the average tariff for residential 4G based services varied from $70 PPP in Norway to $6 PPP in Romania. The average residential 5G tariff varied from $88 PPP in Malta to $8 PPP in Romania.
The average data cap on residential 4G tariffs varied from unlimited data (1,000 GB) in Finland, Switzerland and Greece[1] to 27 GB in Romania. On 5G tariffs it varied from 1,000 GB in Slovenia, Romania, Finland and Malta to 131 GB in Belgium.
The average downstream speed on residential 5G plans ranged from 2,000Mbps in Estonia to 63Mbps in Bulgaria. On 4G tariffs it varied between 400Mbps in Slovakia and 2Mbps in Switzerland.
The average European cost per GB was lower on residential 5G plans ($0.12 PPP) compared to 4G tariffs ($0.20 PPP).
The average 4G business tariff varied from $10 PPP in Romania to $84 PPP in Norway. Romania also had the lowest average monthly charge for 5G access at $10 PPP, with Malta being the most expensive with $102 PPP.
Finland, Romania and Latvia offered businesses the highest average 5G data (unlimited / 1,000 GB), while Hungary was at the bottom of the ranking with 50 GB average data cap.
[1] Note: for comparison purposes we assigned 1,000 GB data cap to ‘unlimited data’ tariffs.
4.1 Residential tariffs
Reflecting the increasing prevalence of 5G networks, our analysis this quarter includes more residential 5G tariffs than those based on the 4G technology – we recorded 388 residential 5G tariffs compared to 219 4G tariffs. (In some countries, we did not find any 4G-only tariffs). Having said that, many operators advertise 4G and 5G tariffs with the same price points, even though the availability of 5G connectivity is limited to certain locations.
In Q3 2024, the average monthly tariff for residential 4G based services varied from $70 PPP in Norway to $6 PPP in Romania (Figure 1). Such high disparity can be explained by very different data caps and bandwidth in the two markets – in Norway the average data cap was 155 GB and the average downstream bandwidth was 278Mbps, while in Romania the average data cap was 27 GB, with the average bandwidth at 142Mbps.
In 13 out of 30 countries in our sample, the average 4G tariff was higher than the European average of $38 PPP. The average itself has gone up from $36 PPP we recorded at end-2021. This is also true for the highest tariff, which was $59 PPP in Q4 2021 compared to $70 PPP in Q3 2024. This is partly the case because of increasing data allowances and bandwidth as well as inflation.
Figure 1. Average residential 4G and 5G tariffs, $PPP
At the end of Q3 2024, the average monthly residential 5G tariff in our sample varied from $88 PPP in Malta to $8 PPP in Romania. In Malta, the average 5G speed was 1.5Gbps (we did not find speed data for the Romanian 5G tariffs), and the tariffs included generous EU roaming allowances, which explains the high cost. In 12 out of the 30 countries, the average 5G tariff was higher than the European average of $52 PPP. In all countries except Sweden, the average 5G tariffs were higher than 4G tariffs, as one would expect given typically higher bandwidth and data caps, and lower latency on 5G networks. (In Sweden the difference was marginal).
Across Europe, the average data cap on residential 4G tariffs varied from unlimited data (1,000 GB) in Finland, Switzerland and Greece to 27 GB in Romania (Figure 2). The average 4G data cap in Europe was 371 GB. In 16 out of the 30 countries in our sample, the average data cap was lower than the European average.
The average data allowance on 5G tariffs varied from 1,000 GB / unlimited data in Slovenia, Romania, Finland and Malta to 131 GB in Belgium. In all but two countries, the average 5G data caps were higher than those on 4G plans. The contrast was especially high in Greece, where the average 4G data allowance was higher than that on 5G tariffs. This was because we only recorded one residential 4G tariff from Greece, and it came with unlimited data, while seventeen 5G tariffs had varied data caps. In 19 out of the 30 countries, the average 5G data cap was lower than the European average of 550 GB.
Figure 2. Average monthly data allowance in gigabytes, residential 4G and 5G tariffs
In some countries, high average data allowance came with a relatively low average monthly subscription, or vice versa. This resulted in varying average cost per GB across Europe. In the case of 5G, the average cost per GB varied from $0.01 PPP in Romania to $0.31 PPP in Belgium and France (Table 1). The differences were more pronounced for 4G tariffs – the average cost per GB on these plans ranged from $0.03 PPP in Finland to $0.96 PPP in France, where 4G data caps were in double figures. The average European cost per GB was lower on 5G plans ($0.12 PPP) compared to 4G tariffs ($0.20 PPP), suggesting that 5G tariffs offered better value for money.
Table 1. Average cost per GB of 4G and 5G data in $PPP, residential tariffs
One of the factors which complicates comparing mobile broadband tariffs among themselves and with fixed broadband services is the fact that some mobile operators do not report bandwidth on their tariffs. Even when they do, the difference between the theoretical maximum bandwidths and the actual ones tends to be higher for mobile broadband compared to fixed. In addition, mobile broadband speeds can fluctuate significantly from one minute to the next due to various environmental factors.
Where the data is available, the average downstream speed on residential 5G plans ranged from 2,000Mbps in Estonia to 63Mbps in Bulgaria. (A note of caution: there are a lot of gaps in the data at the country level, so the averages do not necessarily reflect the complete picture. Out of the 387 5G tariffs this was the case for 208 of them.)
The average downstream bandwidth on residential 4G tariffs varied between 400Mbps in Slovakia and 2Mbps in Switzerland (Figure 3). The average European 5G speed was 458Mbps, compared to 145Mbps on 4G tariffs.
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