As the major operators continue to raise their monthly charges, MVNOs are filling the space with more straightforward, lower-cost tariffs. NRJ Mobile is the latest to do so, launching a 120 GB 5G plan for €7.49 a month. It is designed for people seeking substantial data without premium-level pricing or lengthy contractual ties.
What the NRJ Mobile plan includes
NRJ Mobile is a French mobile virtual network operator (MVNO): rather than operating its own masts, it buys capacity from a larger network provider. Its latest tariff focuses on a simple formula - ample data, few unnecessary extras and no commitment.
For €7.49 per month, NRJ Mobile includes 120 GB of 5G data in France, 22 GB in EU/overseas territories, and unlimited calls and texts.
The package has been kept intentionally simple:
- 120 GB of mobile data each month in mainland France, including 5G where coverage is available
- 22 GB a month for roaming across the EU and French overseas departments (DOM)
- Unlimited calls, SMS and MMS from France
- No minimum contract term or commitment
- A SIM card activation charge of only €1
Whereas many so-called flash deals quietly rise sharply after six or 12 months, this tariff is marketed as an ongoing offer rather than a temporary loss leader. With no commitment, customers who regularly change providers can do so without a major inconvenience.
Why 120 GB is a useful 5G allowance
Mobile providers often promote bundles of 150 GB, 200 GB or even unlimited data. Real-world requirements are usually lower, however, and 120 GB will already be more than generous for many customers.
With 120 GB a month, a typical user can stream HD video daily, tether occasionally, and still stay clear of overage.
For context, 120 GB could roughly cover the following over one month:
- Around 60 hours of HD video streamed through Netflix or YouTube
- Many hours of music streaming each week
- Daily social-media browsing, including photo and short-video uploads
- Routine app updates plus some game downloads
- Limited use of a laptop or tablet hotspot while commuting
The tariff is intended for everyday 5G activities, including rapid downloads, responsive web browsing and seamless video calls. NRJ Mobile uses a host network with 4G coverage for roughly 99% of France’s population, supplemented by 5G in more densely populated locations. This should help limit abrupt speed changes when travelling between city centres, suburban areas and transport interchanges.
What happens once 120 GB is used?
After the 120 GB allocation has been consumed, the connection is not fully disconnected. Instead, NRJ Mobile reduces the speed, allowing essential services to remain available without generating extra costs.
Beyond the 120 GB threshold, speeds are throttled rather than billed by the megabyte, limiting the risk of bill shock.
Video streaming and large file downloads will become slow at that stage, although messaging, mapping and email should still work. For customers watching their spending, that safeguard may be more valuable than an extra 20 GB or 30 GB in the advertised allowance.
Roaming: suitable for short breaks, not constant travel
This is not positioned as a plan for intensive roaming, although it provides a respectable data allocation for travel.
Customers receive 22 GB of monthly data in the EU and French overseas departments. That is less than the allowance available with more expensive contracts, but should be adequate for short holidays and business trips.
How much can 22 GB cover abroad?
During a one-week European trip, 22 GB can support:
- Daily route planning through Google Maps or Waze
- Regular WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram messaging and calls
- Frequent email access and document downloads
- Social-media browsing with photo uploads
- Occasional video streaming over hotel Wi-Fi, with mobile data available as a back-up
People who spend much of their time travelling through airports may find the limit restrictive. However, occasional flyers, Erasmus students moving between cities and professionals on short assignments should find it sufficient if they monitor their video-streaming use.
Who the NRJ Mobile 5G deal is for
NRJ Mobile’s approach is straightforward: it is targeting customers who place a much greater value on their monthly cost than on high-profile brand marketing.
This plan targets heavy data users on a budget, young professionals, and anyone allergic to 12‑ or 24‑month contracts.
The plan is especially relevant to the following types of user:
- Heavy streamers who regularly use YouTube, TikTok or Netflix on their phone and want a comfortable data buffer
- Young employees or students looking for one of the cheapest 5G choices without being limited to a very small data allowance
- Frequent switchers who change operator whenever a better tariff appears and want to avoid gradual price increases after the first year
The €1 SIM fee also has a psychological benefit. Certain competitors charge considerably more simply to issue a SIM card, which can make their offers feel less transparent. Here, the initial outlay remains low from the outset.
Why the €7.49 NRJ Mobile offer stands out in 2026
Mobile prices across Europe have gradually increased since 2024 as network costs rise and 5G deployment continues. In France, this has often appeared as monthly “adjustments” of one or two euros on standard mobile plans.
Against this background, a 120 GB 5G package costing under €8 a month appears almost to push in the opposite direction. MVNOs including NRJ Mobile are positioning themselves as a counterbalance on pricing, prioritising value rather than bundles of additional services.
A flat €7.49 for 120 GB has become a reference point when judging whether a mobile plan offers a fair data‑to‑price ratio.
Part of the attraction lies in the extras NRJ Mobile does not include. There is no compulsory security package, no cloud-storage bundle and no entertainment subscription that quietly raises the bill once a trial ends. The package is limited to data, calls and texts.
Understanding the small print: details for UK and US readers
For readers outside France, several conditions help place the offer in context:
| Aspect | What NRJ Mobile does |
|---|---|
| Commitment | Rolling monthly plan that can be cancelled at any time |
| Network | Uses a major host network with near-universal 4G and expanding 5G coverage |
| Fair use abroad | 22 GB each month in the EU/DOM, followed by possible restrictions |
| Speed after cap | Data is throttled rather than charged as an extra |
| Extras | No media or security add-ons included by default |
By comparison, numerous UK and US plans at this price offer considerably less data, particularly where 5G is included. Competition between French operators has traditionally been intense, helping to suppress prices. NRJ Mobile draws on that history while seeking to protect its margins through lower overheads and online-first customer support.
Practical examples: would 120 GB be enough?
To decide whether a package of this kind fits your routine, it is more useful to consider actual behaviour than the headline gigabyte figure.
A remote worker who is connected to Wi-Fi throughout the day and only relies on mobile data while travelling is unlikely to reach 120 GB. Even daily laptop tethering on a train can remain within the allowance if major system updates are saved for home broadband.
A teenager or student who watches TikTok, Twitch and Instagram Reels for several hours using 4G or 5G may come closer to the cap, yet will still have a substantial buffer before throttling applies. Infrequent gaming updates and cloud back-ups should be manageable when scheduled over Wi-Fi.
The users most likely to find 120 GB restrictive are those using mobile broadband as their primary home internet service, whether through tethering or a 5G router. The data can disappear rapidly in that situation, particularly with 4K video streaming or large downloads.
Additional considerations: advantages and minor drawbacks
The lack of a long-term commitment gives consumers more power. Should coverage or service quality deteriorate in a particular location, or if a competitor introduces a better tariff, changing provider is relatively frictionless. Throttling after 120 GB also creates a clear spending limit, which can be especially useful for families overseeing teenagers’ data usage.
On the other hand, plans of this sort depend heavily on online account management and self-service. Customers who prefer help in a physical shop may be less at ease with an MVNO arrangement. Service quality can also differ slightly from that experienced by the host network’s own subscribers during busy periods, as virtual operators can sometimes have lower priority when the network is congested.
For many people, though, exchanging a small reduction in peak performance for a substantial monthly saving is an acceptable compromise. As data-intensive apps keep expanding, offers such as NRJ Mobile’s €7.49 for 120 GB 5G are likely to reshape expectations of how much mobile internet a mid-range monthly price should provide.
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