The Swiss market
The 3 main operators:
- Swisscom: historic leader, premium quality, ~51% state-owned
- Sunrise: 2nd player, Sunrise/UPC merger since 2021
- Salt: 3rd player, low-cost with quality
Low-cost and MVNO brands:
- M-Budget Mobile (on Sunrise): very cheap
- Wingo (Swisscom): online-only, flexible subscriptions
- Yallo (Sunrise): prepaid and subscription
- Coop Mobile (on Sunrise)
- Aldi Mobile (on Sunrise)
- Talktalk, Lebara: prepaid
Fixed internet (fibre, cable, DSL)
Standard speeds
- DSL: 50–100 Mbps (end-of-life, avoid)
- Cable: 100–1,000 Mbps (Sunrise/UPC)
- Fibre: 1–10 Gbps (coverage 80%+ in 2026)
Monthly prices (TV + Internet + landline)
- Swisscom blue Home (1 Gbps + TV + phone): CHF 99–150/month
- Sunrise Internet Box (1 Gbps + TV): CHF 80–130/month
- Salt Home (10 Gbps): CHF 49.95/month (aggressive offer)
- M-Budget, Wingo (300 Mbps – 1 Gbps): CHF 30–50/month
Installation fees
- Typically CHF 0–99 depending on operator and commitment
- Router provided free
Mobile (subscription)
Unlimited Switzerland + Europe
- Swisscom inOne mobile go/extra: CHF 70–110/month
- Sunrise mobile flex: CHF 60–100/month
- Salt unlimited: CHF 40–60/month
- M-Budget Mobile Maxi: CHF 30–40/month
- Wingo Swiss: CHF 30–50/month
- Yallo Talk: CHF 30–50/month
Worldwide roaming plans
- Swisscom inOne mobile premium: CHF 130–200/month (world roaming)
- Sunrise unlimited swiss: CHF 80–150/month (Europe + US)
- Salt premium: CHF 90–130/month
Prepaid
- M-Budget Mobile Prepaid: top-ups CHF 10–50, ideal moderate use
- Salt prepay: competitive rates
- Lebara, Lyca: for long-distance international calls
Network quality
- Swisscom: widest 4G/5G coverage, high quality everywhere
- Sunrise: very high quality, sometimes ahead on mobile speed
- Salt: solid quality, weaker rural coverage
Independent rankings (OpenSignal, P3): Swisscom and Sunrise neck-and-neck at the top.
Comparators and tips
- Comparis, Moneyland, Bonus.ch: effective comparators
- Promo windows: spring and autumn, operators run smartphone deals
- Youth plans: under-25 discounts at all operators
- Family plans: 4+ lines = -15–30% total
- Renegotiate every 12–24 months: call customer service to adjust or switch
Porting
Number porting is free and takes 1–3 business days. Cancellation is 30-day notice (at Swisscom, Sunrise, Salt), or flexible at MVNOs.
eSIM
All 3 operators offer eSIM: instant activation, possibility of 2 lines on 1 phone, great for travellers.
Tips
- For student or light user: M-Budget or Wingo prepaid (CHF 10–25/month)
- For a family: Sunrise or Swisscom multi-line
- For roaming expat: Swisscom inOne premium or Salt premium (worldwide)
- For heavy remote work: 1 Gbps fibre minimum recommended
