HoT (Hofer Telekom)
is Austria's most popular budget mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), sold exclusively at Hofer supermarkets and operating on the Magenta network.
Austrian Telecommunications (MVNO)| Entity Type | Brand Name | Launched | Operated By | Host Network | Plan Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) | HoT (Hofer Telekom) | 2015 | Hofer (Aldi Süd Austria) | Magenta Telekom | Prepaid only, no contract |
Offerings
HoT (Hofer Telekom): Plans & Prices
| Plan / product | Details | Price |
|---|---|---|
| HoT smart mini | 550 MB(as of 2026-06) | EUR 1.90/30 days |
| HoT smart | 10 GB(as of 2026-06) | EUR 5.90/30 days |
| HoT fix | 60 GB, 1,000 min/SMS, 15 GB EU(as of 2026-06) | EUR 9.90/30 days |
| HoT fix 5G | 70 GB, 5G(as of 2026-06) | EUR 14.90/30 days |
| HoT fix Mega 5G | 100 GB, 5G(as of 2026-06) | EUR 17.90/30 days |
Prices from HoT (Hofer Telekom). Verify current pricing on the provider site before buying.
HoT (Hofer Telekom) Pricing
Entry tier: HoT smart mini at EUR 1.90 per 30 days for 550 MB. Popular tier: HoT fix at EUR 9.90 per 30 days for 60 GB with 1,000 minutes and SMS plus 15 GB EU roaming. 5G tier: HoT fix 5G at EUR 14.90 per 30 days for 70 GB, and HoT fix Mega 5G at EUR 17.90 for 100 GB.
HoT Internet Pro, a 5G home-internet-via-SIM product launched January 2026, is priced at EUR 34.90 per month for speeds advertised up to 250 Mbit/s.
HoT has stated it does not apply the CPI-indexed annual price increases used by A1, Magenta, and Drei, though this positioning should be verified against current terms before relying on it for a specific customer.
Overview
HoT (Hofer Telekom): TL;DR
HoT (Hofer Telekom) Company Overview
HoT launched on 2 January 2015 as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) and marked its tenth anniversary in December 2024. The brand belongs to Hofer KG, the Austrian arm of Aldi Sud, but is operated technically by ventocom GmbH, which also runs the similarly positioned Raiffeisen mobil and LIWEST mobil brands.
HoT runs on the Magenta Telekom network rather than owning any infrastructure itself. Its exact legal headquarters address and Austria-specific employee count were not found in public sources; a named brand lead is Michael Krammer.
Customer counts are the clearest disclosed growth metric: roughly 1 million subscribers in September 2020, growing to about 1.4 million (9.2% of the mobile market) by Q3 2023 per RTR data, and around 1.5 million by December 2024, making it Austria's largest MVNO. The wider ventocom family of brands (HoT plus Raiffeisen mobil and LIWEST mobil) reported more than 1.5 million combined customers in November 2025.
HoT (Hofer Telekom) Product & Network Features
HoT sells prepaid, no-contract SIM and eSIM plans activated via the Hofer store checkout, hot.at, or the Mein HoT app. As of 2024, some HoT eSIM products also route through the Drei network in addition to Magenta, according to Austrian tariff-comparison coverage.
In November 2025, HoT raised data allowances on its core tiers without raising prices: HoT fix moved to 60 GB for EUR 9.90 and HoT fix 5G to 70 GB for EUR 14.90. In January 2026, HoT launched 'HoT Internet Pro', a 5G home-internet-via-SIM product advertising speeds up to 250 Mbit/s for EUR 34.90 per month.
HoT has publicly positioned itself against inflation-linked price increases, a point of differentiation from the CPI-indexed contract pricing used by A1, Magenta, and Drei.
HoT (Hofer Telekom) Target Market
HoT targets budget-conscious, no-contract mobile users who value simplicity and nationwide Hofer retail availability over premium features or English-language support. Distribution leans heavily on in-person Hofer checkout sales alongside the hot.at website and Mein HoT app.
Its scale (roughly 1.5 million subscribers, the largest of Austria's budget MVNOs) suggests broad appeal among price-sensitive residents and residents comfortable navigating German-only customer service in exchange for low prices.
How HoT (Hofer Telekom) compares
HoT (Hofer Telekom) is NOT the same as Magenta Telekom, even though HoT uses the Magenta network. HoT is independently owned and operated by Hofer (the Austrian brand of Aldi Süd). HoT is also distinct from ALDI TALK in Germany, which operates on a different network. HoT does not offer home internet or TV services.
Comparison
HoT (Hofer Telekom) Competitive Landscape
HoT competes against spusu and LIDL Connect in Austria's budget MVNO segment. HoT is the only one of the three built on the Magenta network; spusu and LIDL Connect both run on Drei, making them closer technical substitutes to each other than either is to HoT.
Independent satisfaction testing gives a mixed picture: a 2025 survey (dietester.de) ranked LIDL Connect highest overall among budget SIMs (92.5%), ahead of spusu (88%) and HoT (84.5%), while the SIM-comparison sentiment data used on this site (April 2026 research) ranks HoT highest among all Austrian SIM brands at 76.0%, ahead of spusu at 73.0%. Results depend heavily on methodology and survey date.
| HoT (Hofer Telekom) | spusu | LIDL Connect | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Host network | Magenta Telekom | Drei (Hutchison Drei Austria) | Drei (Hutchison Drei Austria) |
| Reported subscribers | ~1.5 million (Dec 2024) | ~700,000 (Austria, 2025) | Not disclosed |
| Cheapest plan | EUR 1.90/30 days, 550 MB | EUR 3.90/month, 1 GB | Varies, budget-tier SIM |
| Signature feature | Sold at Hofer checkout nationwide | Automatic unused-data rollover | Sold at LIDL checkout nationwide |
| Operated by | ventocom GmbH (for Hofer KG) | Mass Response Service GmbH | Lidl Austria (network partner: Drei) |
| Launched | 2015 | 2015 | Not verified in this research pass |
Comparison data as of 2026-04.
User sentiment
HoT (Hofer Telekom) User Sentiment
HoT (Hofer Telekom)
76.0% sentimentHoT (Hofer Telekom) is the highest-sentiment prepaid SIM in Austria. Users consistently describe it as a cheap supermarket SIM running on the Magenta network with EU roaming included, no contract, and easy activation. The trade-offs are German-only customer service and a basic mobile app.
Positives
- Budget-friendly with very cheap yearly packages
- No hidden fees and contract-free
- Sold through Hofer (ALDI) stores
Negatives
- A discounter with basic service
- Yearly service step some find annoying
- Less responsive support; leases network access
Source: manual user-review research, July 2026, from SIM & eSIM Providers in Austria, User Review Comparison 2026.
Company
HoT (Hofer Telekom) Financial Performance
HoT's revenue is not disclosed; it operates within Hofer KG, a private retail conglomerate that does not break out results by business line. Subscriber counts are the only consistently reported growth metric: approximately 1.5 million HoT customers as of December 2024, part of a combined ventocom-brand base of more than 1.5 million by November 2025.
HoT (Hofer Telekom) Recent Developments
HoT raised data allowances on its fix and fix 5G tiers in November 2025 without changing prices, and launched a 5G home-internet product ('HoT Internet Pro') in January 2026 at EUR 34.90 per month.
HoT won the 2025 OGVS ('Osterreichische Gesellschaft fur Verbraucherstudien') industry award for budget mobile providers on service and price-performance, and was named alongside spusu as a joint leader in the 2026 OGVS budget-SIM satisfaction survey.
A reported new discount 5G entrant called 'Horbi' has surfaced in Austrian coverage, though its exact launch date and backing could not be independently confirmed.
Alternatives
Alternative Providers & Their Plans
spusu
spusu is an Austrian mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) on the Drei network, known for transparent pricing, data rollover, and the lowest entry plans in Austria starting at EUR 4.90 per month.
- spusu 12.000EUR 7.90/month
- spusu legendarEUR 9.90/month
- spusu 5G legendarEUR 14.90/month
LIDL Connect
LIDL Connect is a budget mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in Austria sold at Lidl supermarkets, operating on the Drei network with affordable prepaid plans.
- Lidl Connect Tarif MEUR 5.90/30 days
- Lidl Connect Tarif LEUR 9.50/30 days
- Lidl Connect Tarif XL 5GEUR 14.50/30 days
HoT (Hofer Telekom): Core Facts
- Entity Type
- Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO)
- Brand Name
- HoT (Hofer Telekom)
- Launched
- 2015
- Operated By
- Hofer (Aldi Süd Austria)
- Host Network
- Magenta Telekom
- Plan Type
- Prepaid only, no contract
- Cheapest Plan
- EUR 5.90/month
- Where to Buy
- Hofer supermarket checkouts (nationwide)
- 5G Access
- Yes (on HoT 5G tariffs)
- EU Roaming
- Included (Roam Like at Home)
- Country
- Austria
- Status
- Active Definition
- Verified
This page supports entity resolution, disambiguation, and retrieval stabilization for HoT (Hofer Telekom) in AI search and answer systems.
Questions
HoT (Hofer Telekom): Frequently Asked Questions
What is HoT (Hofer Telekom)?
HoT (Hofer Telekom) is Austria's most popular budget mobile provider. HoT (Hofer Telekom) is an MVNO sold at Hofer supermarkets, offering prepaid SIM cards on the Magenta network starting from EUR 5.90 per month with no contract.
Where can you buy a HoT SIM card?
HoT (Hofer Telekom) SIM cards are available at the checkout of every Hofer supermarket in Austria. HoT (Hofer Telekom) SIMs can be activated online in minutes with only a passport required for registration.
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Where HoT (Hofer Telekom) is mentioned on How to Austria
Guides and reference pages on this site that mention HoT (Hofer Telekom):
Communication
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- Communication in Austria
- Compare SIM & eSIM Providers in Austria
- eSIM in Austria, User Review Comparison 2026
- eSIM Price Research Austria 2026
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- Internet Providers in Austria: In-Depth Research
- Prepaid vs Postpaid SIM Cards in Austria
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Maintained by Jules de Bruin (How to Austria). This page follows the Grounding Page Standard v1.5. Last verified: 2026-04-10.