Mobile internet is popular, but fixed internet still reigns in homes
A 2025 study by the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH) shows that mobile internet continues to play a complementary role in the lives of Hungarian households and has not replaced fixed-line services. The survey also highlights that the exclusive use of mobile internet is not primarily prevalent among highly qualified, affluent “digital nomads” living a mobile lifestyle, but rather those who cannot afford internet access at home.
According to the NMHH survey, 85% of Hungarian households have some form of internet access. The vast majority of users, over 70%, use both technologies, i.e. fixed and mobile access, simultaneously, and only 8% use mobile internet only.
Although the share of fixed subscriptions had reached 75% by the early 2020s, mobile internet penetration grew at an even greater rate, with more people using this technology than home services by 2025. Nevertheless, in everyday life, mobile internet is more complementary to fixed access rather than an alternative as more than 90% of households using mobile internet combine their subscriptions with mobile voice services and smartphones; as a result, services are not tied to their homes, but specifically to individual users. Not bound to phones, so-called large-screen mobile internet access remains less widespread, with only 8% of households having such mobile internet subscriptions.
The enduring popularity of fixed internet is mainly due to its affordable price and the availability of unlimited data. In 2025, households spent HUF 5,700 on average on home internet access, while a mobile phone subscription that includes mobile internet would typically add HUF 7,100 forints to expenses. Different services are also mostly bundled together in subscriptions: 79% of households are subscribed to fixed internet access as part of a bundle and cancelling it would increase the cost of the other services included, such as TV or fixed phone. The limitations of mobile internet are also apparent from the figures: while fixed internet access is almost unlimited, only a third of mobile subscriptions provide unlimited domestic data. As a result, 35% of mobile internet users have run out of data during the three months surveyed.
Study results refute the assumption that mobile-only internet users are from the affluent parts of society, leading a modern lifestyle. This choice is much more influenced by household size and financial circumstances: 17% of single-person households use mobile internet only, while this share is a mere 1% for families of three or more. Livelihood is also a determining factor, with 16% of those in the lowest income quartile using mobile internet exclusively, compared to 3% in the highest quartile. Bandwidth-intensive services, such as the increasingly popular streaming, are also a strong argument in favour of fixed internet access as less than half a percent of such subscribers use mobile internet only.
One of the key findings of the study is that the exclusive use of mobile internet is not primarily prevalent among highly qualified, affluent “digital nomads” living a mobile lifestyle, but rather those who cannot afford internet access at home.
In the following video, which can be freely used and embedded, Gábor Sugatagi, Head of the NMHH’s Market Research and Market Monitoring Division, explains the results of the survey.