In February 2025, telecom prices, as measured by the relevant Consumer Price Index https://www.ine.pt/xportal/xmain?xpid=INE&xpgid=ine_destaques&DESTAQUESdest_boui=698329760&DESTAQUESmodo=2&xlang=en(CPI) group, increased by 0.3% compared to last month due to changes in bundled offers and mobile telephone service offers.

Compared with the same month last year, telecom prices rose by 1.0%, while the average rate of change for telecom prices over the last twelve months was 6.4%. It should be recalled that ANACOM recommended operators to restrain possible price increases in 2024https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1773318, both for new customers and in the contracts in force, in order to ensure effective access to these service by end-users, in a context of inflationary pressure and increased cost of living1.

In terms of type of service, the average rate of change over the last twelve months in Portugal was 4.9% for bundled services and 8.3% for mobile telephone services, according to Eurostat data.

As subscription contracts of the three companies with the highest market shares in the electronic communications sector provide for the possibility of an annual update of prices linked to the previous year's CPI, providers have increased the prices of electronic communications services on their own initiative after the period of high inflation observed in 2022 and 2023. There was therefore a time lag between the increase in the rate of change of the CPI and the increase in the rate of change of telecom prices.

At international level, the average rate of change of telecom prices in Portugal over the last twelve months was 7.1 p.p. higher than in the European Union, where the rate was -0.7%. Portugal recorded the 3rd highest price change among the EU27 countries. The highest price increase was observed in Hungary (+13.1%), while the largest decrease was recorded in France (-10.9%).

On a sub-group basis, the average rates of change over the last twelve months for "bundled services" and "mobile telephone services" in Portugal were 4.6 p.p. and 10.8 p.p. respectively above the EU average.

In terms of minimum monthly charges for offers available on operators' websites, DIGI offers were launched on the telecom market in November 2024 and represent the lowest minimum monthly charge for seven types of offers in February, out of a range of 11 services/offers analysed.

On an operator basis, and looking only at the four main operators, the lowest monthly charges available on the websites of the main operators were offered by NOWO for six of the 11 types of services/offers analysed, while MEO and Vodafone each had the lowest monthly charges for four types of services/offers. NOS had the lowest monthly charge for two types of services/offers.

NOWO had the lowest minimum monthly charge for standalone mobile services (EUR 4) and for triple-play (EUR 29) and quadruple-play (EUR 33) bundles, while Vodafone had the lowest minimum monthly charge for quintuple-play bundles (EUR 61.10).

Consult the statistical report:

• Trends in telecommunications prices - February 2025 https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1807854