Discounters generous

Cell phone tariffs will become more expensive – but not for everyone!

Mobile customers with tariffs with value protection or index adjustment clauses must be prepared for substantial price increases.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

In April, the index adjustment of mobile phone tariffs to annual inflation is due, which means that prices will rise by up to eight percent for many cell phone owners. The discount provider HoT is using this for a marketing campaign: From now on, all package tariffs will receive 7.8% more data volume for the same price, according to Michael Krammer from HoT owner Ventocom.

The Ventocom boss made the calculation for APA: Together with last year's price increases, the index adjustment would result in additional costs of around 100 euros per year for an average family. More than two thirds of mobile customers are affected by such an index adjustment clause in the contract, and there is often no extraordinary right of termination. HoT is countering this "with this reverse index adjustment in favor of all customers". Other discounters such as Spusu are also foregoing the price increase. However, not all of them offer additional data volume or other goodies.

Number portability is sacred
The telecoms regulator RTR has announced that keeping their existing cell phone number is "everything" for Austrians when switching providers. "A total of 113,731 porting processes took place in Q3 2023, which is almost 27% more than a year earlier. The figures are an indication that Austrians are very cost-conscious and willing to switch providers and keep or take their cell phone number with them when changing providers," the authority stated in a press release.

The consequence of the willingness to switch is that the market shares are shifting from the large to the smaller providers: "Hot is approaching the 10 percent mark," RTR calculates. The top three places are still occupied by A1 with a market share of 37.6%, Magenta with 25.4% and Drei with 21.3%.