After energy and transport, communication costs are also increasing. Several telephone and internet operators are planning to raise their prices in 2023, in a general context of inflation, we learned on Thursday.
Up to two euros more at Orange
At Orange, the plans will increase by one euro per month if they are exclusively for mobiles, and by two euros monthly if the contract includes an Internet box and a mobile plan, tells us a spokesperson for the company, confirming information from BFMTV. An increase that is justified by an explosion in operating costs, energy, or materials used by the group.
Orange customers have already been warned of this upcoming package increase between March and April 2023, according to BFMTV. In principle, users of the Orange, Orange Internet fiber, Sosh mobile and Sosh Internet plans, as well as Open and Orange Internet xDSL customers will be respectively affected by the increases of one and two euros per month. That is more than 15 million people with fixed prices between 2.99 euros and 71.99 euros monthly, and who will be notified at least one month in advance.
Customers who have subscribed to offers with a 24-month commitment, those benefiting from the Let’s Go offer or social offers like Helping Hand, as well as recent subscribers, will not be affected by these increases.
Increases to be expected also at Bouygues
With regard to Bouygues Télécom, it will be necessary to expect an increase in mobile and fixed plans of between 1 and 3 euros per month depending on the offers. The Bbox Fit lines will therefore increase by two euros, while the B&You packages of 4.99 euros will increase by three euros. These increases will be implemented from the end of January.
Less than a euro increase at SFR
On the SFR side, most fixed, Internet and mobile offers (ranging from 3 to 65 euros per month) will be affected by an increase of between 0.69 and 0.99 euros, from January. An increase here again explained by “the general increase in the costs making up the price of your service (electronic components, raw materials, logistics)”.
No increase at Free
Free customers will be able to breathe in 2023: the operator does not plan to increase its prices anytime soon. “We have made a commitment not to touch the price of these packages for the next five years and we are the only operator not to increase the price of our packages”, assures a spokesperson for the group.
The two historical mobile plans therefore do not vary, with a first plan at 2 euros, a Free plan at €19.99/month or €15.99/month for Freebox subscribers, and another at €9.99/month for Freebox Pop subscribers.
As a reminder, the Consumer Code specifies that the customers of an operator can terminate their contract free of charge, and without payment of the remaining months due, in the event of a change in the conditions of their contract. Article L224-3 of this Code also provides that the customer has four months to terminate his contract, from receipt of the letter or e-mail informing him of the increase in his subscription prices. Also find out about the specifics of your contracts: some operators give their customers the possibility of refusing the evolution of an offer.