If you’ve been keeping an eye on your phone bill or wondering whether it’s time to switch providers, you’re in for some good news. Every month, benchmarking sites like Ariase and Zone ADSL&Fibre publish price barometers tracking the cost of fixed-line and mobile subscriptions in France. Even though we braced ourselves for price hikes earlier this year, telecom operators have completely rewritten the script by cranking up promotions and rolling out fresh pricing strategies. The result? Average mobile plan costs are plunging, and home internet boxes are getting smarter about how they compete—without forcing you to break the bank.
Telecom Price Barometers Show Unprecedented Dips
Back in early 2025, most analysts expected tariffs to keep creeping up across the board. Instead, both Ariase and Zone ADSL&Fibre have reported surprising downward trends. On the mobile side, Ariase’s barometer for plans offering at least 20 GB of data has dropped to an average of €9.84 per month. That’s a hefty 27.1% decrease compared to May 2024 and a jaw-dropping 42.7% plunge versus the same month in 2023. If you thought prices couldn’t go any lower, think again—this is the first time Ariase’s mobile index has dipped below that symbolic €10 mark.
Zone ADSL&Fibre’s methodology is a bit different—it calculates the average monthly cost for plans with over 100 GB of data, smoothed out across 36 months. There, the average stakes in at around €13.30, down 10.7% year-over-year. While that drop isn’t as dramatic as Ariase’s, it still highlights how competitive the market has become. And in case you’re wondering what’s driving all this, it turns out most operators are shoving their entry-level offerings into the spotlight, slashing prices to lure you in.
Mobile Plans Fall Below the Symbolic €10 Threshold
Remember when paying under €15 for a plan with decent data felt like a steal? Those days might soon be history. With the average dipping to €9.84 for 20 GB or more, and many entry-level plans hovering around just €6 per month, there’s never been a better time to reevaluate your mobile contract. Almost every major carrier, except for Orange and SFR—who are more focused on bundled deals with smartphones—now offers solid data packages at rock-bottom prices.
You’ll see a lot of promotional tie-ins right now: limited-time discounts, free months when you port your number, and extra gigabytes thrown into the mix. That intense competition is great news for consumers but a real headache for carriers trying to protect their margins. Expect more creative bundles, loyalty perks, and surprise price drops in the coming months as everyone fights for your subscription.
Home Internet Boxes Steady with Entry-Level Perks
On the fixed-line side, things are a bit calmer—but don’t mistake stability for stagnation. Ariase reports an average cost of €26.36 per month for internet boxes, while Zone ADSL&Fibre places it at €37.94. Those numbers haven’t budged much, but the real action is happening at the entry-level segment. Recent launches like Freebox Pop S and SFR Starter, which strip out TV services to focus on fast broadband, have reshaped the lower end of the market.
Even established providers have jumped on the bandwagon. RED by SFR knocked down its box price, and Bouygues keeps its Pure Fibre deal at the same rate while swapping its Wi-Fi 6E router for a shiny new Wi-Fi 7 model. If you’re okay skipping premium TV channels or advanced set-top features, you can lock in gigabit speeds without paying a premium. And for many users—think remote workers, binge-watchers, and casual gamers—that’s all the horsepower you really need.
What to Watch Next
So where do prices go from here? With operators already pushing promotions left and right, there’s only so much room for discounts before profit margins start to squeal. Some analysts predict a plateau in the summer months, as carriers regroup and adjust tactics. But given how unpredictable telecom competition has been lately, don’t be surprised if another wave of surprise deals hits your inbox by fall.
If you’re hunting for the best bargain, now’s a prime moment to shop around, read the fine print on contract lengths, and consider whether those extra perks—like international roaming data or premium Wi-Fi routers—are worth the slight uptick in cost. With the barometers pointing downward, your wallet will thank you for doing a little research and maybe even switching providers. Who knows? In another few months, we might see these averages crash even further—making today’s deals look like ancient history.
