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Why are mobile plans in Norway so expensive?

Compared to those in neighbouring countries, the prices of mobile plans in Norway are pretty high. Here's why.

Published: 28 March 2023 11:58 CEST
Updated: 9 March 2024 15:26 CET

The price of mobile service plans in Norway is quite high – even compared to prices in other Scandinavian countries. Photo by ROBIN WORRALL on Unsplash

Once you move to Norway, getting a Norwegian phone number will likely be among the first items on your to-do list.

After some research and comparison of different plans, you’ll quickly realise that the price of mobile services in the country is quite high – even compared to prices in other Scandinavian countries.

READ MORE: What foreigners in Norway should know when choosing a mobile plan provider

The most recent study on the issue, carried out by the Norwegian Communications Authority (Nkom), stated that the price of mobile services is so high compared to neighbouring countries that there is a need to regulate the mobile market in Norway.

Key drivers of high mobile prices

The Norwegian mobile services market is characterised by what many describe as a duopoly – Telenor and Telia (which also own several other mobile providers) have a highly dominant position in the marketplace.

On top of that, mobile service customers in Norway are quite reluctant to change their providers.

According to the Communications Authority, Norwegian end users of mobile plans are generally most concerned with mobile coverage when choosing a mobile services company, and surveys show that Telenor’s customers have strong preferences for Telenor’s network, which means that many do not want to switch to other providers.

Furthermore, the cost of developing infrastructure in Norway is considerably more expensive than in neighbouring countries.

In 2021, Telia Norge stated that, according to European Union (EU) calculations, “it is between 30-60 per cent more expensive to build infrastructure in Norway than in Sweden.”

Lastly, as operators often point out, customers have to pay high prices because the network in Norway is characterised by high speeds.

What can be done?

The Norwegian Consumer Council believes that only increased competition in the market can reduce the price difference between Norway and the rest of the region.

As any new competitor would also need to deal with the high expenses of building new infrastructure – often in areas where the customer base doesn’t justify such investments – the consumer watchdog is calling for the dominant players to share some of their infrastructure with would-be challengers.

Unless competition increases, the situation is likely to stay the same.

“Telenor still has a strong market position in Norway, and no other mobile provider in Norway or our neighbouring countries has as good earnings per customer as Telenor in Norway,” Inger Vollstad, section head at Nkom, noted in a recent press release.

Need for regulation?

As the authority for the sector, Nkom is charged with ensuring that Norwegian consumers receive good and affordable mobile services.

The authority’s most important goal when it comes to regulating the mobile services market in Norway is to facilitate a third competitive mobile network that can challenge the two established network owners, Telenor and Telia.

“In order to facilitate choice and reasonable prices for mobile customers, Nkom has imposed obligations on Telenor to provide access to its network.

“In this way, challengers who do not have their own mobile network can offer mobile services and contribute to competition in the retail market,” Vollstad said.

In any case, as duopolies are very hard to dismantle once market domination is in place, even regulatory action could take quite some time before end consumers feel the results in the form of lower prices and better offers.

How to find a cheaper deal

Remember, the fact that the general price level of mobile plans is high does not mean you should just accept the first plan you see.

Compare prices between different providers before you commit, and make sure of comparison sites (such as Fornye) to get a good market overview. That way, you’ll be sure to get a better deal.

Negotiating with your current provider is also an option. If you’re unhappy with the price, call them up and ask them for a better deal. This works particularly well if you can point to a better deal from a competitor and threaten to leave them.

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How to negotiate a better mobile deal from your Norwegian provider

Moving to Norway brings with it a checklist of tasks you need to complete, and obtaining a Norwegian phone number often tops the list as it is required to access some of the country’s essential services.

Yet, for many newcomers, mobile plan prices in Norway may seem overly expensive. If you, too, share that impression, you should know that your gut feeling is justified.

The Norwegian mobile market is largely controlled by two major players, Telenor and Telia, with their subsidiaries exerting significant influence.

This virtual duopoly sets the stage for limited competition, resulting in higher prices and fewer incentives for mobile providers to offer competitive deals.

That doesn’t mean you just need to go with what you’re offered. On the contrary, while Norwegian mobile users tend to exhibit loyalty to their current providers and are reluctant to switch even in the face of better offers, you’ll often get a cheaper and superior deal if you’re willing to put in some work and switch providers in the process.

We’re about to get very concrete – I’ll share the simple tactics I have successfully used on two occasions, as well as scripts I used to get several superior offers.

The best part? It took me only one hour of my time – so it was definitely worth it.

Step 1: Familiarise yourself with the details of your current deal

In this process, you’ll be in touch with several mobile plan providers, so it’s important to know your numbers.

How much does your current mobile plan cost you monthly with and without VAT? How much data does it include (in gigabytes)? Have you signed a contract with your provider (for example, 24 and 36-month contracts are both pretty common)?

Write all of this down on a pad or in a Word document before you move to the next step – which is hunting for offers.

Step 2: Getting offers from other providers

Okay, so now that you know exactly what you’re working with, it’s time to collect offers from other mobile plan providers.

The method I have used on several occasions is to use the service offered by bytt.no, one of Norway’s largest online price comparison platforms for a number of products and services (from mobile plans and electricity to insurance – and more).

The first thing you’ll need to do is set up a profile on bytt.no. The process is simple and really user-friendly; it took me just a few minutes to complete.

Once you’re done and logged into your account, return to the bytt.no homepage, select “Mobilabonnement” (mobile plans) from the drop-down menu in the header bar, and click on “Sammenlign tilbud” (compare offers).

Then, select “Privat” (private), as you’re a private individual and not a company. You’ll need to answer a few short questions about mobile network preferences and fill out your contact information.

After you’re done, you’ll get offers from three mobile plan providers. The process works extremely fast. The last time I completed it, I received two calls from providers within 10 minutes of using the service.

Note: You can also follow the status of your request via bytt.no through your account on the website. There, you’ll see the providers processing your request and the status of your inquiry.

Step 3: Negotiation time

It’s game time. Once the providers start calling you (they’ll usually start with a call and follow up with an email), it’s important to stay cool-headed.

Don’t reveal too much; keep your cards close to your chest. My approach to these situations can boil down to a simple formula – being to the point and plain out asking for a better deal.

Here’s a rough script that has worked for me (once in 2023 and once in 2024):

Hello! Thanks for calling back so quickly.

Yes, I’m looking to change my mobile plan provider as I’m not happy with the current deal that I have.

I would be willing to consider switching to you if you can offer me a monthly price of (insert a price that is better than your current one, I usually go around 25 percent lower, which leaves some negotiating room open) and (insert desired number of GB per month).

Are you able to offer that?

Some providers won’t be able to offer the terms you need, but many will counter with an offer that is superior to the one you have (in my experience, two of three offers that I got through negotiations with providers were better than my current deal).

Step 4: Choosing a better deal

If you got the terms you requested (or if you’re happy with the offer you got despite it not being everything you wanted), you can often seal the deal while you’re on the phone with a representative (they will usually send you their offer via SMS, and you’ll need to accept it via SMS to initiate the switch).

The next part is often so painless that you’ll be left pleasantly surprised.

Your new provider will contact your old provider to organise the switch, and they will send a new SIM card to your address.

Once you get the new SIM card, all that will be left for you to do is to activate it – and enjoy the benefits of a better mobile plan.

…or using the better offer to have your provider improve your terms

Alternatively, you can use the new offers you received to negotiate better terms with your current provider.

Just call them, and feel free to use this script, which has worked for me in the past:

Hello!

I’m calling because I’m considering switching to a different mobile plan provider, as I got a really good offer from them.

However, I’ve been a customer of (insert your provider’s name) for (insert the number of months/years), and I have generally been satisfied with your services.

If we can find a way for you to match their offer, I would be willing to remain your customer.

At this point of the conversation, the provider agent you contacted will likely switch you over to a department/colleague dealing exclusively with customer retention.

In some cases, they will not be willing to match the offer you got from competitors. However, in many cases, they’ll be willing to match the terms. And that means you won’t have to bother switching SIM cards (a minor inconvenience, but still).

Closing note: Don’t bluff, prepare in advance

It’s important that you actually invest the 30-45 minutes it takes to create a profile on bytt.no, get offers, and negotiate deals before you reach out to your current provider and ask for a price cut (that is if you plan on staying with them).

This allows you to negotiate from a position of certainty – if they refuse to improve their terms, you can thank them and inform them that you’re putting your money where your mouth is and switching providers.

Bluffs can work some of the time, but by doing your homework, you get a solid overview of the options you can expect in the market, as well as a higher level of confidence, which ensures that you’re well-positioned to succeed in negotiating your way into paying less to mobile plan providers.

You can also follow this same process to secure a better electricity, insurance, or loan deal – start by building up your negotiation skills on a mobile plan and work your way up to the big-ticket items once you’ve found some success.

And that’s it!

While there’s no guarantee that your negotiations will work out how you hope, my story is proof that sometimes, with a bit of patience and savvy negotiation tactics, you can actually get somewhere.

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