For some years now, the mobile telephony sector in Italy has witnessed the diffusion of so-called “operator attack” offers. These tariffs, which can only be activated with number portability by selected operators, have now ended up in the sights of the AGCM which has proposed a stop to these commercial practices. Pending further developments, operator attack offers continue to play an important role on the market, guaranteeing a lower price and many more Giga than “traditional” rates.
For several years, the mobile telephony market has seen the diffusion of “operator attack” offers. These are special rates, generally characterized by very advantageous conditions, which can only be activated with number portability from selected operators.
What prompted operators in the sector to propose this type of offer was, above all, the growing competition from Iliad and many MVNO virtual operators who today can count on an overall market share of 19.9% (Communication Observatory 1/2023 – AGCOM).
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The operator attack offers have ended up in the crosshairs of the AGCM (Authority for the Competition and the Market) which proposes the prohibition of this commercial practice with the introduction of a rule which imposes “the obligation of non-discrimination on the basis of the supplier of origin” as clarified in the recent Weekly Bulletin 26/2023. Waiting to understand what the regulatory developments in this regard will be, the new SOStariffe.it Observatory survey highlights the convenience of operator attack offers.
In fact, the data collected in July 2023 confirms that this type of tariff guarantees, on average, more Giga and a lower monthly fee than the offers accessible to all users, with or without number portability. The operator attack offers also have a price similar to the offers “for all” of the MVNO operators but offer a higher amount of Giga.
Operator attack offers: low costs and lots of Giga
The Observatory’s survey data confirm that, on average, one mobile phone tariff makes 2,777 minutes, 1,610 text messages and 129 GB available to new customers at a cost of 10.08 euros per month. By restricting the analysis to operator attack offers only, however, it is possible to access an average of 3,000 minutes, 1,922 SMS and 137 GB at a cost of 8.08 euros per month.
The operator attack offers are much cheaper than the “for everyone” offers which include 2,712 minutes, 1,518 SMS and 127 GB at a cost of 10.63 euros per month. Furthermore, the operator attacks also “beat” the offers “for all” of the MVNO virtual operators. On average, in fact, this category of tariffs includes 2,756 minutes, 1,334 SMS and 114 GB at a cost of 8.34 euros per month.
A lot of convenience but some compromises
Choosing an operator attack offer can therefore represent a very convenient choice, with the possibility of accessing a tariff with more Giga and with a lower cost. There are, however, some elements to consider. The main compromise, in fact, is represented by the connection speed, much lower than other tariffs.
The MNO operators (with proprietary network) that offer operator attack tariffs, in fact, do not include 5G in these offers, reserving the use of the new generation mobile network exclusively for those who activate tariffs “for all”, which are much more expensive. In addition, almost all MVNO operator attack tariffs (or semi-virtual brands owned by MNO operators) have 4G limited to 30 or 60 Mbps.
Furthermore, it must be considered that the operator attack offers are not for everyone and can only be activated with portability by selected operators. In general, the “target” operators of these offers are Iliad and the main virtual operators of the Italian market (PosteMobile, Fastweb, etc.).
The best mobile phone rates
However, there is no general rule. In fact, providers offering operator attack rates can update the list of “compatible” operators at any time. To activate these offers, it is possible to resort to the so-called “triangulation”, a practice which involves switching to a compatible operator and then activating the operator attack.
This solution provides for a double activation cost (that of the intermediate rate and then that of the operator attack offer). In any case, it is a low cost. On average, in fact, the activation of an intermediate tariff compatible with an operator attack involves a cost of 6.25 euros, while the activation of an operator attack involves a cost of 2.63 euros (many of these offers include activation free).
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