German discount supermarket chain Lidl is entering the Irish mobile phone market, launching a new service called Lidl Connect from October 5, with an aggressive “price for life” offer aimed at undercutting existing providers.
The first 100,000 customers to sign up, or those who join before December 31, whichever comes first, will be locked into a monthly rate of €8.99 for as long as they remain a customer. The plan includes unlimited 5G data in Ireland, unlimited calls and texts to any Irish and UK number, 50GB of roaming data usable in the EU and UK, and 100 minutes for calls to international numbers. It is a single, rolling monthly plan with no long-term contract, and customers can cancel at any time.
Lidl Connect will only be available to customers signed up to the Lidl Plus app, the retailer’s existing loyalty and rewards app. Customers can either collect a physical SIM card from any Lidl store in Ireland for 99 cent, or set up an eSIM digitally by completing registration through the app. Those switching to Lidl Connect will have the option to either keep their existing mobile number or choose a new one.
Rather than building its own mobile infrastructure, Lidl is entering the market as a mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO, meaning it rents network capacity from an existing operator rather than owning its own masts. Lidl Connect will run on Eir’s network in Ireland, and the service itself is being delivered through a partnership with 1GLOBAL, a telecoms company that also powers Revolut’s eSIM offering. Lidl’s German parent company, the Schwarz Group, took a 9.9% stake in 1GLOBAL earlier this year as part of a wider partnership to roll out Lidl-branded mobile services across the retailer’s markets in Europe.
Robert Ryan, chief executive of Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland, said he was “particularly proud” that Ireland is the first market in which the new Lidl Connect concept is being launched. “It is an exciting new step for Lidl in Ireland,” he said.
The new offer significantly undercuts several existing rivals. Tesco Mobile’s comparable rolling monthly plan, which also includes unlimited 5G data, currently costs €20 a month, more than double Lidl’s introductory price. Eir’s own budget brand, Gomo, which also runs on Eir’s network, charges new customers €14.99 a month for a broadly similar unlimited plan, meaning Lidl Connect is roughly €6 cheaper for what is largely the same underlying network coverage.
Commenting on the launch, Daragh Cassidy of price comparison site bonkers.ie described the new Lidl offering as “really competitive.” However, he cautioned that “like most SIM-only providers, Lidl doesn’t have its own mobile network or infrastructure. Instead, it will piggyback off Eir’s network, so the strength of coverage with Lidl in your area will broadly match what’s available from Eir.”
Lidl Connect’s launch strategy echoes that used by Gomo itself when it first launched in the Irish market back in 2019, entering with a low headline price to build a customer base quickly. It also marks a significant diversification for Lidl in Ireland, where the retailer has built up a substantial store network since first entering the country in 2000. While Lidl has previously offered mobile services in other European markets, including Germany, this launch represents its first major move into the Irish telecommunications sector, adding a fourth well-known MVNO brand to an Irish market that already includes Gomo, 48, and Clear Mobile, alongside the three network-owning operators, Eir, Three Ireland and Vodafone Ireland.
With sign-ups opening on October 5 and the discounted price capped at the first 100,000 customers, those interested in the offer are likely to want to register early once the service goes live.
