Mobile Plans: Operators (very) Discreet about the Drop in Prices

After a year of price wars, prices seem to be stabilizing. But the communication of telecom operators remains discreet. This decline opens the way to virtual operators and their slashed prices.

During the back-to-school period, telephone operators are used to surfing this commercial highlight to orchestrate their advertising hype with “back to school” type promotions. This year they remained in silent mode. We only have to compare with the previous year when the trio SFR, Orange and Bouygues Télécoms carried out their major communications, Orange in the lead since it was one of the premium partners of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The year 2024 will have especially marked people’s minds for its unprecedented price war. According to the Ariase barometer, the mobile plan price index recorded record declines last spring, before returning above the threshold of 11€ in August this year. This war will have continued until the beginning of 2025, then nothing. For a return to school, it’s quite calm, there are no announcements about offers or promotions , observes Jean Redon, head of the France telecoms division at Selectra.

At least not on their mobile plans. Indeed, Bouygues broadcast a back-to-school campaign on its internet box as for its rival Orange, it carried out communication in the middle of the year to support families on digital abuses. Unlike SFR which has not released anything new since last year. They are in financial difficulty with a lot of redemption rumors, it is a period of instability for them , recalls the specialist in telecoms subjects.

Revenge of the little ones?

At the same time, smaller operators took advantage of this lull to make their voices heard. These virtual mobile operators (MVNO) like Lebara, Lycra Mobile and Youprice offer mobile plans with a wide range of internet data for a price range of between 4 and 10 €. The fall and then stabilization of prices, allowing the population living in France to benefit from some of the lowest prices in the European Union, is the result of several combined regulatory actions. The emergence of MVNOs is one of them , advance arcep. But the regulatory authority it is still important to qualify: their market share has changed little since the end of 2024, going from only 5.0% to 5.1% in June 2025.

READ MORE: Cost of Living in France: A realistic breakdown for families on a budget

In France, three brands stand out: La Poste Mobile, NRJ Mobile and Prixtel. These operators are popular because they are inexpensive and without commitment. In return, they are virtual and do not have their own network, they go through those of the best known in France. Another disadvantage for them is that they do not allocate a budget to customer service, often creating frustration among customers and therefore a fairly high turnover , explains Jean Redon.

The main French operators also have their own low-cost offer: Red by SFR at SFR, Sosh at Orange and B & You at Bouygues Telecom. All offer packages between 7€ and 12€ with unequal gigabyte offerings, ranging from 20 to 120. We are increasingly seeing smaller operators launching trends. This year, they created packages for 2€, the big ones copied. The same goes for plans offering access to artificial intelligence applications. The little ones set the tempo while the older ones are one step behind , warns Jean Redon.

How to find your way?

Consumers are often lost among all the offers. Among virtual operators, remember to look closely at the network behind them. For example, the Lebara operator uses the SFR network, Lyca Mobile the Bouygues network… Depending on where you live, this can make a difference.

Also watch out for hidden fees. In fact, some charge SIM card activation fees, and depending on the brand, they can range from 1 to 5€. There are also cancellation fees if you do not respect the duration of the package commitment. More generally, there are disguised commitments, if you take advantage of a purchase offer including a SIM card and a smartphone then the commitment will automatically last 24 months. The same goes for packages that are discounted. Operators lure customers with slashed prices but which increase after 6 months or 1 year.

Another point that requires special attention concerns 5G compatible plans. Even though this network has existed since 2020 and has grown significantly since then, there are different types of 5G, from low performance to best (5G+ or 5G SA).

Finally, it seems important to point out that unlimited plans technically do not exist. There is always a countdown with a gigabyte, call or text limit but it is such a large envelope that you can be sure not to go out of package.