Digi has landed in Portugal with ruthlessly cutthroat pricing. While this will make a big splash with consumers at launch, keeping them on-side while mooring itself to a cut-price marketing anchor will hinder Digi’s future competitive manoeuvrability.

Digi is staying faithful to its tried-and-tested operating model for new markets, complementing a low-cost, zero-frills, “try before you buy” launch showcase with low-barrier customer contract commitments, a clear and simple lineup of both standalone and bundled fixed and mobile product options, and affordable and transparent pricing assurances. The operator’s entry-level combination of 1Gbps fibre with TV and a 50GB mobile line costs a mere €26; while side-by-side comparisons are impossible, competing entry-level fibre+TV+mobile options easily double that, generally starting above the €60 mark (non-promotional).

Related Company Profiles

View all

Significantly, Digi is marking its start in Portugal with a free, no-obligation mobile trial until the end of the year and a pledge of no annual inflation-linked rate increases, as well as consistent pricing with no promotions that favour new customers to the exclusion of existing clientele. Further gilding the lily is the absence of contracted lock-in periods for products other than fibre broadband (which requires only an initial three-month customer commitment) and unused monthly mobile data rollover, features which will seem like exotic novelties to many Portuguese consumers. 5G is free to access for those with compatible devices within the range of Digi’s active coverage areas (currently equivalent to around 40% of population reach), and 2G and 4G are more widely supported, although the operator is yet to install infrastructure in the Lisbon metro.

Value-adds are minimal, and “freedom” is the branding watchword: freedom in “best price,” “top speed,” “no tricks or strings attached,” no-penalty service changes, and the ability to select completely unbundled services, a rarity in Portugal’s residential telco service market, where bundling is all but unavoidable for customers wanting fixed-based connectivity. As well as a scarcity of value-added extras beyond bare-bones access, other limitations to Digi’s initial offering in comparison to incumbent competitors are a lack of TV sports and other selected channels, and anything other than DVB-C and Android-equipped set-top boxes.

Digi has already invested €400m in the country and is committed to further investment to broaden its reach and enhance its service capabilities, with WiFi 7, mesh WiFi, cloud storage, and a multi-device TV app cited as imminent portfolio additions. As well as redressing service gaps, access inequalities will be tempered with the addition of spectrum held by the acquired Nowo since 2021, pending permissions, complementing ongoing fibre expansion with extended 5G reach.

At launch, Digi’s services comprise fibre-based internet access at up to 1Gbps for €10 per month, with €15 per month up to 10Gbps available shortly; an inclusive WiFi 6 router; unlimited home telephony (€2 per month) or per-minute landline billing (€1 per month) with inclusive Digi-to-Digi calls; TV with 60+ inclusive channels (€12 per month); and multiple mobile lines with unlimited national calling, optional inclusive international minutes, and 50GB, 100GB, 150GB, 200GB, or unlimited mobile data, ranging in price from €4 per month to €9 per month depending on parameters and the number of mobile lines taken together. Products can be taken separately (except for TV, which requires a fixed broadband connection), in pre-configured packages, or in configurable bundles.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.