The term mobile plan denotes a contract between a mobile device user and a telecom service provider. The contract defines the services which the telecom service provider must deliver and the fees which the mobile device user must pay for the promised services.
In a broader sense of the term, a mobile plan may also be used to describe an offer from a telecom services provider which is linked to a contract. The term is used to differentiate between subscriptions which are billed in arrears, and prepaid mobile services.
Typically, you pay a monthly base fee for your mobile plan. You may pay additional fees based on some or all of the services you use – such as phone calls, SMS messaging or mobile data. Many Swiss mobile plans include complimentary allowances, the cost of which is included in the base fee. These allowances may include a limited number of call minutes, SMS messages, mobile data bytes, call roaming minutes and data roaming bytes. There are also mobile plans which include unlimited allowances for a flat fee.
In Switzerland, mobile plans are offered by Swisscom, Sunrise, Salt, and by many smaller mobile service providers including Coop Mobile, Digital Republic, Digitec, Lebara, M-Budget, and Yallo.
Differences between the services and allowances provided by different mobile plans are huge, so comparing the services, allowances, prices and conditions of mobile plans before settling on one makes a lot of sense. You can easily compare all Swiss mobile plans using the unbiased mobile plan comparison on moneyland.ch.
Good to know: Swiss mobile plan contracts generally have notice periods of one, two or three months for contract termination. Many telecom service providers only offer mobile plans which have minimum contract terms. The mobile plan comparison clearly shows the minimum contract term applicable to each mobile plan.
If you terminate a mobile plan contract before the contract term has ended, you may be liable to pay penalty fees. Depending on the telecom service provider in question and the amount of time remaining until the end of the contract term, these penalty fees can amount to thousands of Swiss francs. Giving notice in written form – when possible – is generally recommended because by sending in a written notice you avoid having to deal with salespeople who may try to retain you as a customer.
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Swiss mobile plan comparison