Telenor Bulgaria started offering its customers a BGN 100.00 (US $61.98) discount on over 30 5G smartphones as part of its Buyback program. The offer is valid until 15 July for private and business customers with a new contract or renewal of Total Max or Total+ plans priced above BGN 31.99 (US $19.83) per months.

All Telenor customers will be able to take advantage of the operator’s 5G network with a new 5G device. The promotion is available to all customers who return an old phone in the operator stores under the Buyback program’s conditions.

When ordering a 5G smartphone from Telenor’s online store, the operator’s private customers will also be able to take advantage of a BGN 100.00 discount without returning an old device. It will be valid for cash orders and can be used by adding the promo code 5G to the cart.

Tarifica’s Take

Deployment of 5G networks is taking place all over the world, at increasing rates. The high-speed technology is no longer in the “beta” phase, and operators are now dealing with the question of how to make sure to get return on their very substantial investments. Getting sufficient subscriber uptake of 5G services is key, and without compatible devices, it will not happen.

For this reason, operators should do whatever they can to make it as easy as possible, financially and logistically, for their customers and prospective customers to obtain 5G phones so that they can subscribe to the new plans and get their full benefit at full speeds. Telenor Bulgaria’s buyback program is an effort in that direction.

Although a US $61.98 buyback credit on an old phone may not go far enough toward the price of a new 5G phone to please every customer, it seems significant enough to be the deciding factor for a good number of them. In the current market climate, any incentive to purchase a 5G device is worthwhile, but beyond buyback deals, operators should subsidize devices so as to keep the prices low and get 5G devices into as many hands as possible.

Telenor’s offer is certainly well-timed, as it launched its 5G network only this week, demonstrating its network’s functionalities in a real-time speed test during a special event in Burgas. Telenor customers attending the event experienced speeds of up to 1.5 Gbps for download and 113 Mbps for upload in a live network environment with multiple use cases running simultaneously. 5G is now available in more than 60 locations across Bulgaria, including the capital Sofia, Burgas, Varna and Plovdiv, major cities and seaside resorts.