In Brief (TL;DR)
Discover how the revolution by Iliad and low-cost operators has transformed the market, offering greater transparency to avoid price hikes and hidden fees.
Learn how to read your bills to avoid price hikes and extra charges.
Learn how to read your bills to avoid price hikes and extra charges.
The devil is in the details. 👇 Keep reading to discover the critical steps and practical tips to avoid mistakes.
The mobile phone market in Italy has undergone a radical transformation in recent years, shifting from a rigid and expensive system to one of the most competitive in Europe. While Italian consumers were once used to navigating fine print and unexpected costs, today the watchword has become transparency. This change didn’t happen by chance but is the result of a seismic shock that forced the historical giants to rethink their strategies.
Mediterranean culture, which considers communication and sociality a fundamental pillar, has found an unexpected ally in the “low-cost” model. Italians, a nation of great communicators, have welcomed the opportunity to have unlimited minutes and large amounts of data at affordable prices. However, the battle between the old guard and the new operators is far from over, now shifting to the territory of price adjustments and inflation-linked clauses.
The Iliad Effect: Breaking the Oligopoly
Iliad’s entry into the Italian market in 2018 marked a historic turning point, often referred to by experts as the “Iliad Effect.” Before its arrival, the market was dominated by an oligopoly that kept prices artificially high with complex offers and long contractual obligations. The new French operator’s strategy was simple but devastating: a single, clear plan with no hidden fees and a “forever” price promise.
The results speak for themselves: with over 12 million active users across fixed and mobile services reached between 2024 and 2025, Iliad has seen uninterrupted growth for over 28 consecutive quarters. This success has forced historical competitors (TIM, Vodafone, and WindTre) to take action, launching so-called “semi-virtual operators” or “fighter brands” like Kena Mobile, ho. Mobile, and Very Mobile to compete in the same price range without diluting their main brand’s value.
The revolution was not just in price, but in consumer psychology: for the first time, Italians stopped seeing their phone bill as an inevitable and variable tax, and started demanding stability.
Transparency vs. Hidden Fees: The Battle of the “Fine Print”
One of the most critical aspects of the old rate system was the presence of hidden costs that inflated the final bill. Services like voicemail, a basic pay-per-use data plan, or “missed call alert” services were often activated by default and billed separately. The low-cost revolution has almost entirely eliminated these practices, including these services in the monthly fee or making them free.
However, transparency isn’t just about ancillary services, but also about protection from unwanted charges. In the past, many users, attracted by rock-bottom rates, found their credit drained by subscriptions to horoscopes or ringtones activated unintentionally. Today, thanks in part to stricter regulations and tools provided by virtual operators, it’s easier to defend yourself. To learn more about how to block these charges, it’s helpful to consult guides on how to manage premium-rate numbers and paid services.
Virtual Operators (MVNOs): Innovation or Compromise?
Alongside Iliad, virtual operators (MVNOs) like PosteMobile, CoopVoce, and the aforementioned second brands play a crucial role. These operators do not own their own physical network (antennas) but rent infrastructure from the major carriers. This business model allows them to cut fixed costs and offer extremely aggressive rates, often under 7 or 8 euros per month.
While this guarantees significant savings, it can also lead to some technical limitations, such as “capped” browsing speeds (artificially limited, for example, to 30 or 60 Mbps) or lower network priority during cell congestion. Despite this, for the average user who uses their smartphone for social media, light streaming, and messaging, the trade-off is almost imperceptible. To see if this solution is right for you, it’s essential to analyze in detail whether an operator like PosteMobile is truly a good fit for your needs.
Reading the Bill: The Danger of Price Hikes and Inflation
The new battleground between consumers and phone companies involves inflation adjustment clauses. Recently, the political and commercial debate has heated up over the possibility for operators to automatically increase rates based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), without allowing the user to exercise their right to terminate the contract for free. This practice, attempted by some big players, has met with firm opposition from consumer associations and operators like Iliad, who have made “fixed price” their banner.
It is essential to carefully read the “Contract Summary” before signing any offer. You should look for wording that mentions “CPI adjustment” or “unilateral modification of conditions.” If your current operator informs you of an increase, remember that you almost always have 30 or 60 days to switch carriers without penalties. To navigate this jungle of clauses, a useful resource is the complete guide to mobile plans and security.
Italy and Europe: A Positive Anomaly
Analyzing the European context, Italy represents an extremely positive anomaly for consumers. According to recent international reports, the average cost per Gigabyte in Italy is among the lowest in the world (often under €0.20 per GB), significantly lower than in countries like Germany, France, or the United States, where rates are often double or triple for the same services offered.
This situation is the result of fierce competition that has eroded companies’ profit margins, transferring value directly into citizens’ pockets. While in other European countries a certain loyalty to traditional brands still prevails, the Italian user has proven to be extremely “disloyal” and ready to change, taking advantage of number portability to always get the best deal. To get a clear picture of the current options, we recommend consulting the definitive comparison of 2025 mobile plans.
Conclusions
The revolution started by Iliad and embraced by virtual operators has irreversibly transformed the Italian market. Today, consumers have bargaining power they never had before: the freedom to choose, to switch, and to demand clarity. Transparency is no longer an option, but a fundamental requirement to compete.
However, we must never let our guard down. The temptation to reintroduce constraints, such as inflation-linked clauses, is always present. The real challenge for the future will be to maintain this balance, ensuring that technological innovation (like 5G) does not become a pretext to return to old pricing logics, but remains a tool for connection accessible to all, respecting our tradition as great communicators.
Frequently Asked Questions
They manage to keep prices low by reducing operating costs, such as physical stores and traditional advertising, and by optimizing infrastructure. Furthermore, virtual operators do not have to maintain their own network but rent it.
Price hikes are unilateral increases in the plan’s price decided by the operator. To avoid them, it is advisable to choose operators that guarantee the price ‘forever’ in the contract or choose no-contract prepaid plans.
Often, yes. Many virtual operators (especially the second brands) limit 4G browsing speed to 30 or 60 Mbps to differentiate their offer from the parent company, although this speed is sufficient for everyday use.
You can contact your operator’s customer service or use the official app to activate barring (blocking) of premium-rate services. Many low-cost operators offer this protection activated by default.
Not always. The basic plans from virtual operators usually rely on 4G. However, operators like Iliad and some virtual ones (like Spusu or Fastweb) include 5G in specific plans, often at very competitive prices.
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