Lidl Is Launching a Low-Cost Mobile Phone Service in Spain to Rival the Big Brands

Budget Mobile From Your Supermarket

With pretty much perfect timing — when everyone is worrying about rising costs — Lidl has announced it's moving into the telecommunications business in Spain.

The German supermarket giant has confirmed plans to launch a low-cost mobile phone service across 30 countries by the end of this year, and Spain is expected to be among the first to get it.

How Will It Work?

Rather than building its own network, Lidl will operate as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) — essentially piggybacking on existing infrastructure to offer phone services without the cost of building towers and cables.

To make it happen, Lidl's parent company the Schwarz Group has taken a 9.9% stake in 1GLOBAL, a communications provider that already operates in Spain using Orange's network.

The service will be offered through the Lidl Plus app, which already has more than 100 million users worldwide.

Already Running in Three Countries

Lidl has already been running mobile services in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The expansion to up to 30 new markets — including Spain, the UK, the US and France — would represent a significant step up.

Lidl International executive Julian Beer described the plan as offering "simple connectivity" to its existing customer base — a modest way of putting it given the potential scale.

Not the First to Try This

Lidl isn't alone in this approach. Fintech companies like Revolut, Klarna and N26 have already moved into mobile services in recent years, using the same logic: keep existing customers engaged while finding new revenue streams.

What This Could Mean for You

For expats and residents in Spain, a Lidl mobile service could mean another budget option to consider alongside existing low-cost providers. If the pricing follows the pattern from Germany — where Lidl Connect offers competitive prepaid plans — it could put real pressure on Spain's existing telecoms market and potentially drive prices down across the board.

No exact launch date for Spain has been confirmed yet, but keep an eye on the Lidl Plus app for updates.

This article is based on reporting from Spanish News Today, published April 14, 2026. This article is for informational purposes only.