Bulgaria
Mobile networks and carriers in Bulgaria use 2 GSM bands, 2 UMTS bands, and 1 LTE band. Find out if your unlocked phone or mobile device will work in Bulgaria. See the tables below for details.
Will your phone or mobile device work in Bulgaria?
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Check device compatibilityBulgaria's mobile network has undergone significant development since the early days of mobile communications. The country was one of the first to waive licensing and registration for Internet service providers (ISPs) in the late 1990s, which led to unprecedented growth in Internet penetration, affordability, and quality of service. This deregulation fostered a competitive market, driving smaller ISPs to establish themselves quickly and prompting larger operators to improve their services and reduce costs.
By 2022, Bulgaria had a high mobile penetration rate, with 7.96 million mobile phone connections, corresponding to an average of 1.2 mobile phones per person. This is comparable to the United States, where the average is 1.1 mobile phones per person.
In terms of performance, Bulgaria's mobile network excels, ranking 12th globally in download speed with an average of 120.35 Mbit/second. The upload speed, at around 20 Mbit, places Bulgaria 10th globally. The country's mobile network has also been recognized for its speed, with A1 Bulgaria winning the Ookla Speedtest Award for the Fastest Mobile Network at the 2024 Mobile World Congress.
The cost of mobile phone contracts in Bulgaria is relatively low, averaging $8.30 per month in 2022, a 31% decrease from the previous year. This cost includes 140 telephony minutes, 70 text messages, and 2 GBytes of data transfer, which is a significant amount of data for a 3G connection.
Overall, Bulgaria's mobile network has evolved into a robust and competitive environment, providing high-speed connectivity to its users.
Carriers
| Name | # of frequency bands in use |
|---|---|
| Max Telecom | 4 |
| Mtel | 3 |
| Telenor | 3 |
| Vivacom | 4 |
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Frequencies in use
GSM
| Name | Interface |
|---|---|
| 900 MHz (E-GSM) | GSM |
| 1800 MHz (DCS) | GSM |
UMTS
| Name | Interface |
|---|---|
| B1 (2100 MHz) | UMTS |
| B8 (900 MHz GSM) | UMTS |
LTE
| Name | Interface |
|---|---|
| B3 (1800 MHz +) | LTE |
Latest updates
- 2024/08/09 - Carrier Vivacom updated.
- 2024/08/09 - Carrier Telenor updated.
- 2024/08/09 - Carrier Mtel updated.
- 2024/08/09 - Carrier Max Telecom updated.
