Telia, Elisa and Tele2 will raise the prices of some services beginning in the new year, citing the need for investment and increased input costs.
"In order to maintain competitive pricing, we are transitioning both private and commercial customers to modernized packages. The price increase will be about 15 percent for both individuals and businesses," Ines Estrin, the Tele2 marketing director, told ERR on Wednesday.
Estrin said that package changes are planned for the new year and urged Tele2 customers to keep an eye out for communication with personalized notifications of changes.
She also encouraged Tele2 customers to evaluate their current package deals so that when the limit is reached, they do not have to pay more for a higher tariff and can instead easily upgrade to a larger package in advance.
The Elisa representative also highlighted changes, particularly to older packages. "We are changing the connection speeds of our internet packages and in some instances there will be a price adjustment of one to three euros," Taavi Teder, Elisa's Head of Media Relations, told ERR on Wednesday.
A Telia spokesperson made reference to the October announcement of pricing increases. The rental fees for home equipment, such as set-top boxes and routers, will increase by around one euro per month.
Investment needs and rising input costs
The three telecom companies mentioned the need to invest and other price increases that bring up their costs.
Entertainment, IT and communications companies, Teder explained, are characterized by a significant amount of annual infrastructure investment, i.e. in the development of cable and mobile internet networks, in the production of original content and in the creation of artificial intelligence solutions.
Only the companies that can secure a sufficient level of investment will be able to sustain themselves in the industry, he said.
"Elisa's annual investments totals tens of millions of euros, and we will continue to offer our customers the best services and content without sacrificing quality in the coming year. As a result, the first months of the year will see changes to some of the older TV and home Internet services that have been phased out," Teder said.
All at the same, business environment volatility has hiked the company's input costs and rapid inflation has increased the prices of purchased goods and services, Teder added.
"We need to make a number of investments, including in technical developments, to meet customer expectations and changing usage patterns in the rapidly evolving telecom sector, while also providing customers with high-quality, secure and affordable internet," said the Tele2 marketing director.
Likewise, Estrin noted that the company faces both general price rises and greater input and operating costs, despite the fact that prices for their communications services have not yet risen relative to other commodity groups.
Telia cited the same reasons for price increases. "The rapidly changing business environment, the increase in equipment purchase prices and the rise in other input expenses have a direct influence on Telia's operations," the company said in a press release.
Source: https://news.err.ee/1608833116/estonian-telecom-companies-to-raise-prices-from-next-year