Unlimited data for 12,99 € per month! Lidl launches its own mobile operator, but Slovaks will have to wait

Lidl is gradually expanding its own mobile operator Lidl Connect to more European countries, but Slovakia won't be getting it anytime soon. Lidl spokesperson Tomáš Bezák told Živé.sk that launching the service in Slovakia is not a matter of the coming months, and the chain has not revealed an exact date yet.

However, Lidl hasn’t abandoned its plan. And back in April, it confirmed that Lidl Connect, which it is preparing with the company 1Global, wants to offer it eventually in all countries where it has stores—including here in Slovakia.

Unlimited data for 12,99 € per month

Most recently, Lidl Connect launched on 5 October in Ireland, where it works as a virtual operator on Eir’s network. It offers one plan with no contract commitment for €12.99 per month. You get unlimited data on 4G and 5G networks, unlimited calls and SMS in Ireland and to the UK, 50 GB of roaming data in the EU, and 100 minutes per month for calls abroad.

You pay via the Lidl Plus app, you can port your number, and you can choose between an eSIM that you activate online and a traditional SIM card that you pick up in-store for 99 cents. You can add up to three more SIM cards to one account, each for the same price. The operator also supports VoLTE and Wi‑Fi calling.

The first 100,000 customers got the plan for 8.99 € per month, and Lidl promised them that price permanently. According to the Irish Examiner, this offer sold out already within ten days, and Robert Ryan, Lidl’s boss for Ireland, described the interest as exceptional.

In Germany, Lidl Connect has 2 million customers

Lidl Connect isn’t new for the chain. In Germany, Lidl has been offering it for years on Vodafone’s network, and according to the RetailDetail portal, it has roughly two million customers there. Besides Germany, it also operates in Austria and Switzerland.

For its expansion into other countries, Schwarz Group—under which Lidl operates—chose the telecom company 1Global and in April agreed to buy its 10-percent stake for roughly 68 million euros. Thanks to 1Global, it will be able to choose in each country which network it connects to, and won’t be limited to just one operator.

What would Lidl Connect mean for Slovakia

In Slovakia, mobile plans with high data volumes are noticeably more expensive. For example, Orange—according to the web TOUCHIT—has been selling its cheapest plan for 21 € per month with 6 GB of data at full speed since April, and you get 400 GB in the XL plan for 47 € with a two-year commitment. After you use up the data bundle, your connection speeds will be slowed down in all plans.

Ireland’s price can’t simply be transferred to Slovakia, because it depends on the agreement with the operator whose network Lidl would use, as well as on local prices. However, if Lidl brings a similar offer here, Slovak operators would face real competition. When that will happen, we don’t know yet.

While Lidl Connect is coming to Slovakia, you can already buy at least a Tronic power bank with 20,000 mAh capacity from Lidl via Heureka, so it can charge your phone even a few times during a long day on mobile data. If you want to use unlimited data from your provider also at home, check out 5G routers with a SIM card, and if you’re looking for a cheap 5G phone with eSIM and a big battery, a great option is Motorola Moto G86 Power 5G with a 6,720 mAh battery.

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