Mobile Operators Have, in Many Cases, Been Able to "Raise Prices" for 5G Service

Though many mobile operators seemingly have decided to price 5G access at the same rates as 4G, while others might price packages in ways that represent a 5G price premium, though indirect (bundle 5G with unlimited-usage plans, for example), at least some mobile operators have concluded they must price 5G at a premium. 

Generally speaking, mobile operators who have chosen to do so set 5G prices at a premium of about 20 percent above 4G prices. 

If you think about the way home broadband is priced, it is the same framework. Faster speeds cost more. 

Country	Mobile Service Provider	5G Pricing	4G Pricing	Pricing Difference
Australia	Telstra	5G plans start at AU$65/month	4G plans start at AU$45/month	20% difference
Canada	Bell	5G plans start at CA$75/month	4G plans start at CA$55/month	20% difference
France	Orange	5G plans start at €35/month	4G plans start at €25/month	20% difference
Germany	Telekom	5G plans start at €45/month	4G plans start at €35/month	17% difference
India	Reliance Jio	5G plans start at ₹599/month	4G plans start at ₹399/month	29% difference
Italy	TIM	5G plans start at €25/month	4G plans start at €15/month	40% difference
Japan	NTT Docomo	5G plans start at ¥4,980/month	4G plans start at ¥3,980/month	20% difference
Mexico	Telcel	5G plans start at MX$499/month	4G plans start at MX$399/month	20% difference
New Zealand	Spark	5G plans start at NZ$79/month	4G plans start at NZ$59/month	21% difference
Spain	Movistar	5G plans start at €30/month	4G plans start at €20/month	33% difference
South Korea	SK Telecom	5G plans start at ₩49,800/month	4G plans start at ₩39,800/month	20% difference
United Kingdom	EE	5G plans start at £35/month	4G plans start at £25/month	28% difference
United States	Verizon	5G plans start at US$70/month	4G plans start at US$55/month	20% difference

But there also are indirect ways of pricing 5G at higher levels, such as bundling 5G access only on premium-priced service plans.

Country	Mobile Service Provider	Indirect 5G Price Premium Strategy
Australia	Telstra	High-Tier Bundles: 5G access only available in top-tier bundles with significantly higher costs compared to 4G bundles.
Canada	Rogers	Limited 5G Availability: Lower-tier plans lack 5G access, pushing users to higher-priced plans for 5G.
France	Orange	Uncapped Data with 5G: Unlimited data plans only offered with 5G, making unlimited data significantly more expensive than on 4G.
Germany	Telekom	Speed Tiering: 5G offered across all tiers but only higher tiers include high data allowances comparable to 4G, effectively increasing cost for equivalent data.
India	Reliance Jio	Limited 4G Data: Lower-tier 4G plans have very limited data allowances, pushing users to 5G plans for adequate data, despite similar pricing.
Italy	TIM	Exclusive Features: 5G bundled with exclusive features like cloud storage or streaming subscriptions, justifying higher overall price compared to similar 4G bundles.
Japan	NTT Docomo	Priority Network Access: 5G plans include priority network access and faster speeds, making them more expensive than regular 4G plans with slower speeds.
Mexico	Telcel	Limited 4G Network Reach: Some regions only have 5G coverage, leaving users with no choice but to pay for 5G plans even if they prefer 4G pricing.
New Zealand	Spark	5G Speed Boosts: Limited-time 5G speed boosts offered on higher-priced plans, creating a temporary incentive to switch but eventually leading to higher costs for sustained 5G access.
Spain	Movistar	Entertainment Bundles: 5G bundled with TV and streaming subscriptions in higher-priced packages, potentially increasing costs for users who only need mobile data.
South Korea	SK Telecom	Premium Content Access: 5G plans include exclusive access to premium content or streaming services, making them more expensive than comparable 4G plans.
United Kingdom	EE	Limited High-Speed Data: Lower-tier 4G plans have significantly reduced data speeds, pushing users to 5G plans for comparable speeds, despite similar data allowances.
United States	Verizon	Unlimited Data Only with 5G: Unlimited data plans only available with 5G, significantly increasing the cost of unlimited data compared to 4G options.