Brussels (Brussels Morning) – Over five years, Belgian mobile subscription prices dropped, especially for high-data users, due to increased competition from secondary brands. However, low-data users saw stagnant prices. Discrepancies persist compared to neighbouring countries.
According to a study by the Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications (BIPT), most consumers have seen the mobile telecom subscription market become cheaper over the past five years.
How Have Mobile Subscription Prices Changed Over Five Years?
The Belgium-based regulator examined the price of the cheapest mobile subscription on the market in January 2019, 2021 and 2024 for ten consumer profiles depending on the need for mobile data. All profiles have a calling requirement of at least one thousand minutes and a text messaging requirement of at least two hundred messages per month.
Are Low-Data Users Benefiting from Lower Prices?
The market has developed favourably for most consumers, with the exception of those who need very little data. Prices have not evolved for consumers with a limited need for data (1, 2 or 5 GB). Between 2021 and 2024, the price of the cheapest subscription remained stable at 15 euros per month.
The minimum price for a subscription with at least 10 GB, on the other hand, has fallen significantly: from 27 euros in 2019 to 15 euros in 2024. In addition, the difference between the cheapest offer and the more expensive brands decreased, which, according to BIPT, may indicate more competitive pressure. A consumer with medium data needs (more than 10 GB) also saw the minimum amount he has to pay drop significantly. For example, to have 20 GB per month, consumers had to pay at least 39 euros five years ago, while the cheapest subscription in January 2024 only cost 15 euros.
Have High-Data Users Seen Significant Price Reductions?
Over the past five years, subscriptions with data volumes of more than 20 GB have also come onto the market. Almost all brands now offer such subscriptions with noticeably more mobile data. “However, prices still vary widely between the different brands, with a clear gap between secondary brands and premium brands,” BIPT said.
Since 2021, there have also been subscriptions on the market for consumers with very high data needs (from 100 GB), the prices of which have fallen in recent years. For a data requirement of 100 GB and 200 GB, the minimum price dropped from 50 euros per month in 2021 to 39 euros and 47 euros respectively in 2024. In January this year, only two brands offered such an offer.
How Competitive is the Belgian Mobile Subscription Market?
According to BIPT, the fact that the mobile data market has developed favourably is due to the introduction of secondary brands by the major operators. Just think of Scarlet, Mobile Vikings and hey!
The study also comes with a but. After all, there remains room for improvement. An international price study by BIPT showed that although Belgium is in the middle bracket for medium data needs, it remains more expensive than its neighbouring countries for limited and very high data needs.
