subscription prices are collapsing in France

Mobile plan: subscription prices are falling

In May 2024, a study by the Zone ADSL comparator revealed a “sudden drop” in the prices of mobile plans with a drop of 8% between May 13 and June 17. This decline is mainly attributed to intense competition between traditional operators and MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators).

It is not surprising, however, that prices are changing. Operators like Bouygues, Orange, and SFR as well as MVNOs like Prixtel and NRJ Mobile, regularly adjust their offers to remain competitive. Free, for its part, is maintaining its historic low prices at 2 euros and 19.99 euros per month.

SFR in difficulty sells off its packages

The intensification of competition has pushed groups like Altice (including SFR, RED by SFR and Prixtel) to reduce their prices. The operators of the Altice group, the Luxembourg holding company of Patrick Drahi, which is experiencing major debt problems and is even the subject of investigations against it, have carried out an average reduction of 13% in its prices. At Bouygues Telecom, NRJ Mobile plans fell by 20%, those of B&You by 14% and Bouygues by 2%.

Free, by keeping its prices stable, continues to attract new subscribers. Conversely, the historic operator’s packages (Orange and Sosh) saw a slight increase of 2% in their prices.

A price drop because of Free mobile?

Financial results for the first quarter of 2024 show that SFR lost around 470,000 customers, prompting the group to lower its prices to curb the exodus of its subscribersBouygues Telecom is under increasing pressure from Free, which continues to gain subscribers thanks to its attractive offers.

The transition to 5G also plays a role in this drop in mobile plan prices in France. Many operators now include 5G in their plans at no additional cost. At the same time, very low-cost packages such as those for 2 euros are becoming more and more popular. They can be found in particular at Prixtel, Cdiscount, NRJ Mobile, Syma and RED by SFR.

Consumers: still the big winners in the telephony price war

The drop in prices for mobile plans in France offers advantages to consumers. Enhanced offers and reduced rates allow more users to benefit from high-quality mobile services at affordable prices.

Consumers thus have access to a varied range of packages adapted to their specific needs. Offers ranging from economical plans at 2 euros to complete plans with 5G included are available.

How much does a subscription cost on average in France?

An analysis by Zone ADSL shows that the average prices of mobile plans vary considerably between operators. In June 2024, the average price of a 140 GB plan over 12 months was less than 14 euros per month for most operators, with offers from Prixtel and NRJ Mobile even falling below 10 euros per month.

Orange remains more expensive than the majority of its competitors, with an average price of 27.07 euros for a 140 GB package. Orange, which came from the former France Telecom, cannot be as competitive as the other operators for competition reasons because it already benefits from a dominant position that comes from the old copper network. Bouygues Telecom follows closely with an average price of 21.53 euros.