List of mobile network operators in Europe

Mobile phone penetration in Europe based on available data between 2009 and 2012:
  > 140%
  120–140%
  100–120%
  < 100%
  No data

A mobile network operator, also known as a wireless service provider, wireless carrier, cellular company, or mobile network carrier is a provider of wireless communication services.

The main mobile network operators in Europe are listed below.

Albania

Albania as per has 3.66 million subscribers, of whom 2.49 million are active users (101% penetration rate) (Q1 2021).

Active users are considered those who have communicated in the last three months.

The regulatory authority for telecommunication in Albania is the AKEP.

In 2022 4iG group, owning ONE Telecommunications, acquired a majority stake of ALBtelecom Mobile, 80.27%, to a network merger in 2023.

Andorra

Andorra has 88,109 mobile subscribers or about 113.63% mobile penetration.

Armenia

Armenia has 3.5 million subscribers in total, and a 120% penetration rate.

Austria

Austria has 13.0 million assigned numbers (i.e. 2.0 2G, 10.8 3G and 0.1 4G SIM cards), or a 151.0% penetration rate (Q4 2014).

The regulatory authority for telecommunication in Austria is the Austrian Regulatory Authority for Broadcasting and Telecommunications (RTR).

Azerbaijan

In December 2005, Azerbaijan had 2 million subscribers in total, a 25% penetration rate. In 2014, Azerbaijan had over 10 million subscribers in total, or a 130% penetration rate.

Belarus

Belarus has 12.0 million subscribers in total, or a 126% penetration rate in Q4 of 2020.

The regulatory authority for telecommunication in Belarus is the Ministry of Communications and Informatization.

Belgium

Belgium has 13.89 million subscribers in total, or a 124% penetration rate (Q4 2014).

The regulatory authority for telecommunication in Belgium is the Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications (BIPT).

Bosnia and Herzegovina

In December 2022, Bosnia and Herzegovina had 3.811 million subscribers in total, or a 115% penetration rate.

The regulatory authority for telecommunication in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the Communications Regulatory Agency (Regulatorna agencija za komunikacije, RAK).

Bulgaria

Bulgaria has 8 014 473 subscribers in total, or a 124.3% penetration rate according to the CRC annual report for 2023.

The regulatory authority for Telecommunication in Bulgaria is the Communications Regulation Commission (CRC).

Croatia

Croatia has 4,404,652 subscribers in total, or a 102.8% penetration rate. (Q4 2019)

The regulatory authority for telecommunication in Croatia is the Hrvatska agencija za poštu i elektronicke komunikacije (website available in Croatian and English language).

Cyprus

Cyprus has 1,392,480 subscribers in total, or a 151.7% penetration rate (excludes Northern Cyprus) (Q4 2022).

The regulatory authority for telecommunication in Cyprus (excluding Northern Cyprus) is OCECPR (Office of the Commissioner of Electronic Communications and Postal Regulation).

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic has 16.121 million subscribers in total, or a 151% penetration rate (December 2019).

Denmark

Denmark has 8.208 million subscribers in total, or a 146% penetration rate (Q1 2014)

In 2011, Denmark liquidated IT- og Telestyrelsen, it's telecommunications regulator.

Former regulator's tasks are divided among four institutions:

Estonia

Estonia has 2.524 million subscribers in total, or a 188% penetration rate (December 2008).

Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands have 61,388 subscribers, or a 126% penetration rate (population 48,652) (2020).

Finland

Finland has 7.700 million subscribers in total, or a 144.59% penetration rate (December 2009).

France

France has 75.5 million subscribers in total, or a 115.2% penetration rate (September 2015).

The regulatory authority for telecommunication in France is ARCEP.

Georgia

As of November 2024, Georgia has 5,623,128 subscribers in total.

The regulatory authority for telecommunication in Georgia is the Georgian National Communications Commission.

Germany

Germany has 114.1 million subscribers in total, or a 140% penetration rate (December 2011).

The regulatory authority for telecommunication in Germany is the Bundesnetzagentur (BNetzA).

Gibraltar

Gibraltar, the British overseas territory, has 0.028 million subscribers in total, or a 92.12% penetration rate (December 2009).

Greece

In 2022, Greece had 11.326 million subscribers in total, or a 109% penetration rate. The regulatory authority for telecommunications in Greece is the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT).

Guernsey

The British Crown dependency Guernsey has 0.055 million subscribers in total, or a 95% penetration rate (December 2005).

Hungary

Hungary has 11.8 million subscribers in total (December 2017).

The regulatory authority for telecommunication in Hungary is NMHH – Nemzeti Média-, és Hírközlési Hatóság.

*900 MHz Hungarian 3G services have been suspended since July 2022.

Iceland

Iceland has 0.470 million subscribers in total, or a 129.19% penetration rate (July 2019).

Ireland

As the end of March 2022 Ireland had 8.117 million mobile subscribers in total, representing a 158.4% penetration rate.

If mobile broadband and M2M subscriptions are excluded, the total number of mobile subscribers was 5.414 million, representing a 105.6% penetration rate.

The regulatory authority for telecommunication in Ireland is the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg).

Isle of Man

The British Crown dependency Isle of Man has an unknown number of subscribers in total and an unknown percentage penetration rate.

Italy

As of March 2022, Italy has 106.5 million active lines in total, or a 174% penetration rate. The country's telecom regulator is AGCOM.

In 2016 3 Italy and Wind agreed to complete a merger that was approved by European and national authorities, and since March 2020 all consumer and business offers are sold under the new brand Wind Tre.

A new operator, Iliad entered the Italian market in May 2018 as a consequence of this merger.

In 2024 Swisscom acquired Vodafone Italy from Vodafone Group with the aim of merging it with its subsidiary Fastweb.

Jersey

Kosovo

Kosovo has 1.88 million subscribers in total, or a 103.47% penetration rate (June 2018). As of February 2023, Vala and Ipko have been awarded with 5G licenses and are currently under deployment.

Latvia

Latvia has 2.243 million subscribers in total, or a 99.72% penetration rate (December 2009).

Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein has 0.039 million subscribers in total, or a 105% penetration rate (April 2015).

The Liechtenstein mobile phone system is attached to Switzerland, and customers of these three providers can roam on Swiss networks without additional fees.

Lithuania

Lithuania has 4.49 million subscribers in total, or a 161% penetration rate (Q4 2023).

Each of the three largest network operators have flanker brands – Pildyk (Tele2), Ežys (Telia) and Labas (Bite).

The regulator is Ryšių Reguliavimo Tarnyba (RRT).

Luxembourg

Luxembourg has 719,000 subscribers in total, or a 148% penetration rate (December 2009).

Malta

Malta has 0.702 million subscribers in total, or a 130.19% penetration rate (June 2023).

Moldova

Moldova has 4.263 million subscribers in total, or a 120% penetration rate (2012).

The country's telecommunications regulator is ANRCETI.

Monaco

Monaco has 0.023 million subscribers on the Monaco Telecom network, or a 70.1% penetration rate (December 2009).

The French networks are also widely available in Monaco, but they do not disclose subscriber figures for Monaco.

Montenegro

Montenegro has 1,097,574 subscribers in total, or a 177.02% penetration rate (October 2013).

The regulatory authority for telecommunication in Montenegro is (Agencija za elektronske komunikacije i poštansku djelatnost).

Netherlands

The Netherlands has 22.12 million subscribers in total, or a 125.7% penetration rate (Q1 2023).

The regulatory authorities for telecommunication in the Netherlands are the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM: Autoriteit Consument & Markt) and the Dutch Authority for Digital Infrastructure (RDI: Rijksdienst Digitale Infrastructuur).

North Macedonia

North Macedonia has 2.299 million subscribers in total, or a 105% penetration rate (Q3 2012).

The regulatory authority for telecommunication in North Macedonia is AEC.

Norway

Norway has 5.730 million subscribers in total, or a 108.97% penetration rate (December 2016).

The regulatory authority for telecommunication in Norway is the Norwegian Post and Telecommunications Authority.

Poland

Poland has 58.6 million subscribers in total (Q4 2020).

The country's telecom regulator is UKE (Urząd Komunikacji Elektronicznej).

Portugal

Portugal has 17.6 million subscribers in total, or a 170.5% penetration rate (13.1 million active subscribers or 127.4% penetration rate) (Q3 2017).

The country's telecom regulator is ANACOM.

Romania

Romania has 23.4 million active subscribers in total, or a 107% penetration rate (2023). The country's telcom regulator is ANCOM.

Russia

The country's telecom regulator is Roskomnadzor (RKN).

San Marino

San Marino has 0.037 million subscribers in total, or a 116.95% penetration rate (December 2013).

Serbia

Serbia has 9.1987 million subscribers based on the three-month customer activity, or a 128.09% penetration rate (December 2013).

Slovakia

Slovakia has 7.68 million subscribers in total, or a 132.79% penetration rate. All facts are based on the three-month customer activity base (October 2019).

The regulatory authority for electronic communications "telecommunication" in Slovakia is Úrad pre reguláciu elektronických komunikácií a poštových služieb (RÚ).

Slovenia

Slovenia has 2,772,546 subscribers in total, or a 130% penetration rate (Q4 2024).

Spain

Spain has 61.424 million subscribers in total, or a 123.80% penetration rate (Jan 2025).

The regulatory authority for telecommunication in Spain is CNMC (Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia).

Note: The number of subscribers of each operator includes the subscribers of the main brand and the rest of its brands and subsidiaries.

Sweden

Headquarters of Swedish Post and Telecom Authority

Sweden has 14.3 million subscribers in total, approximately 140% penetration rate (2020). The country's telcom regulator is Swedish Post and Telecom Authority.

There are four main network operators, and they share various 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G network infrastructure through co-ownership in separate network companies. Tele2 and Telenor share network infrastructure through their company Net4Mobility. Telia and Tele2 share network infrastructure through UMTS Nät AB. Tre and Telenor share network infrastructure through 3GIS.

Sweden also has a number of flanker brands and virtual operators, most notable are Halebop, Comviq, Fello, Hallon, Vimla, Mybeat, Tellusmobil and Chilimobil.

Some of world's largest producers of mobile network equipment have strong ties to Sweden. Ericsson is based in Sweden while Nokia, Siemens, Huawei and ZTE have major research centers in the country, often clustered around Kista and Lund.

Switzerland

Switzerland has 11.365 million mobile subscribers and a 138% penetration rate (December 2014).

The country's telecom regulator is BAKOM.

Turkey

Turkey has 94.5 million subscribers in total, or a 110.7% penetration rate (Q3 2024).

The telecom regulator in Turkey is Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK : Bilgi Teknolojileri ve İletişim Kurumu).

Ukraine

Ukraine has 55.860 million subscribers in total, or a 129.8% penetration rate (October 2018).

The country's telecom regulator is NKRZI.

*Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine the national roaming among other operators is free and it includes voice calls, SMS and mobile 2G / 3G Internet at speed up to 512 kbit/s.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has 92 million subscribers in total, or an approximate 139% penetration rate (Q3 2018).

The country's telecom regulator is Ofcom.

See also

References

Uses material from the Wikipedia article List of mobile network operators in Europe, released under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.