Denmark

Basics

Denmark has 3 physical network operators

• TDC (youSee)
• Telenor/Telia (almost complete network sharing)
• 3 (spoken: Tre, 3G and 4G only)

and some MVNOs operating of these networks.

2G/GSM is on 900 MHz, 3G/UMTS on 900 and 2100 MHz and 4G/LTE has been started on the 800, 1800, 2100 and 2600 MHz (Bands 1, 3, 7 and 20) frequencies on all networks like in most of Europe.

In 2012 Telenor and Telia established a common infrastructure company called TT-Netvaerket to operate their shared 2G/3G/4G mobile networks. The partnership only covers the RAN (i.e. the antennas, towers and transmission equipment and spectrum) and doesn't involve the two companies’ core networks, enabling the two firms to continue to offer different services to mobile users while having the same footprint and roughly the same speeds.

Another provider sold under the brand of Net1 run by Access Industries offers mobile broadband based on LTE on 450 MHz with a pretty large footprint all over the country. But it's limited to contract subscribers and not offered for prepaid. That's why it's not mentioned any further.

Coverage

All 4 networks have a nationwide 2G coverage, but Tre is a 3G/4G network only with national roaming on Telia for roaming for 2G and 3G with data too, where it doesn't have own coverage.

The combined Telenor/Telia network covers 99.9% with 2G and 3G and more than 95% with 4G/LTE. The sharing leads to identical coverage and virtually identical speeds.

To check out a certain place, it's best to take a look on the coverage maps:

• TDC coverage ,
• 3 Coverage,
• Telia Coverage = Telenor coverage.

Availability

While 3 or 4 networks and over 50 operators sound like a lot of competition, prepaid offers have become rare, as nearly all providers are geared to contract customers now. All the main network operators have stopped their prepaid activities altogether and sell only contracts, which require a Danish personal number (CPR) are only available to Danish residents. TDC is the last operator that closed its prepaid operations as of February 2020. The Danish prepaid SIM market is now an exclusive MVNO business.

So unlike other countries, it's no use anymore to go to any network operator store for a Danish prepaid card. While MVNOs still offer prepaid, some of them have no offline outlets to buy a SIM card or to top-up.

Although you can buy the starter packs in their stores, the following SIM cards require a Danish personal number (CPR) to get the card activated. Doing so can be done online only. These following prepaid offers are therefore not accessible to visitors:

• Nettalk by Netto supermarket chain,
• OK Mobil available in OK gas stations

If you don't have a Danish CPR, don't purchase them as you won't be able to activate them. As such, they are not featured in the article. This also means that with 3 MVNO's left to offer pre-paid products, the choice in Denmark is rather limited for visitors. Nonetheless, the prices are still very low.

Denmark is part of the EU, where from June 2017 new international roaming rules are enforced. In most European countries you can now 'roam like at home' at domestic rates rather than excessive roaming rates. Unfortunately, most Danish prepaid providers have blocked international roaming, need a special registration and/or capped the data. For specifics about the new regulation check European Union chapter and every provider below.

Lebara

new logo

The British Lebara Group sells its products in Denmark too. They used to be called Lebara mobile, now only Lebara. They remain the only prepaid MVNO on the Telenor network (with network sharing on Telia) giving good coverage in 2G, 3G and now on 4G/LTE too.

In contrast to Lycamobile they are using the original Telenor IP backbone which has better routing, that leads to better pings and a smoother experience.

Availability

The starter pack (with 10 DKK credit) is sold for free in their outlets or to be sent to any Danish postal adress https://mobile.lebara.com/dk/en/checkout/select-number or you can buy it for 49 DKK (with 10 DKK credit) at different gas stations and supermarkets.

Online top-ups can be made online by credit card or using top-up vouchers available in the shops shown above. To check your balance, text 'Balance' to 5010.

90 days from the last charged event (any event that adds or removes credit from the balance), the SIM will become dormant and only incoming services allowed. A dormant SIM can only be reactivated by adding credit. 90 days after becoming dormant, the SIM will expire completely and can't be reactivated.

Data feature packs

Default data rate is 0.09 DKK per MB.

Their data packages come now in two different product lines. One is activated online through the personal account or app and must be paid by credit card or PayPal extra. The other is activated offline by a SMS code to 5010. It gives less data, but voice too and comes from the general prepaid balance. Some packages contain voice allowance, that can be used to call from Denmark to 50 countries without additional cost.

online packages (by app or through online profile):
Data	Voice	EU	Price
2 GB	2 hours	1 GB	19 DKK
10 GB	10 hours	2 GB	49 DKK
20 GB	20 hours	3 GB	69 DKK
60 GB	60 hours	4 GB	89 DKK
100 GB	100 hours	5 GB	99 DKK
200 GB	200 hours	6 GB	119 DKK
300 GB	none	none	199 DKK
500 GB	none	none	299 DKK
offline packages (in store or by SMS code):
Data		EU cap	Price	Activation
3 GB		no cap	49 DKK	DATAM
60 GB		5 GB	99 DKK	DATAXL
100 GB		7 GB	199 DKK	DATA2XL
200 GB		10 GB	299 DKK	DATA3XL

Online packages must be paid by Mastercard, VISA, AmEx or PayPal. Bundles are valid for 30 days, will renew automatically, if there is enough credit (plus 5 DKK) or linked to a credit card or PayPal. They can be stopped by texting <activation code>*stop to 5010 e.g. 'GETALL*stop' or online. Overuse is charged by the default rate.

Note that the data-only bundles will also automatically renew if you run out of data, not just when 30 days are up.

EU roaming (online transactions required)

To use your phone abroad for roaming, you need to do an online transaction, such as ordering a new SIM-card, signing up for MyLebara or top-online. As soon as you have made one of the above transactions, Lebara will activate the roaming service on your number within Minute for free. While they follow "roam like at home" rules, data volumes are capped for every package as indicated in the table above.

In addition to the EU/EEA countries, Lebara also includes usage in the UK (including Gibraltar), the Faroe Islands, Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro as part of the EU roaming allowance.

In 2019 the Danish regulator DNA has approved a request by Lebara to apply a roaming surcharge to its customers in order to cover any potential losses when its customers roam in the EU. The watchdog cites ‘special and exceptional circumstances’, namely the fact that the MVNO has documented a ‘negative retail roaming profit of more than 3%’ since the rule change.

At the moment, the surcharge for going beyond the included EU roaming allowance is 20 DKK per GB.

More info

• Tethering is allowed
• APN: Internet
• Website in English: https://mobile.lebara.com/dk/en/

Lycamobile

Lycamobile from Britain is the leading MVNO on the ethno market. In Denmark they are operating a MVNO on the good Telia network in 2G, 3G, and 4G/LTE with roaming on Telenor. They are using their own IP backbone which is infamous for its poor routing and effective blocking of tethering.

Availability

Their SIM card is given out for free online for free to be sent to a Danish postal address or offline at many outlets (store locator) or you can buy it for 29 DKK (with 10 DKK credit) at different gas stations and supermarkets. Top-ups of 50-500 DKK can be made online with MasterCard and VISA.

If you don't make any calls or SMS within a 3 month period your credit will be frozen. If your credit has been frozen you have one month in which to top up again, in which case your old credit will be reinstated. If you do not top up within this period your number will be frozen permanently and you will not be able to use your SIM.

Data feature packs

0.09 DKK per MB are charged, if no data bundle has been activated or all data is used up.

These monthly data bundles for Denmark and limited EU roaming are available all valid for 30 days:

Package	DK Data	EU cap	Price	Activation
Data XS	1 GB	1 GB	25 DKK	4510
Data S	2 GB	2 GB	35 DKK	4520
Data M	5 GB	3.5 GB	49 DKK	4530
Data L	7 GB	4.5 GB	69 DKK	4535
Data XL	80 GB	6.5 GB	99 DKK	4540

Furthermore they offer these combo bundles:

Package	DK Data	EU Cap	Voice & SMS	Price
Hello Denmark S	5 GB	3.5 GB	500 mins, 500 SMS	49 DKK
Hello Denmark M	110 GB	6.5 GB	unlimited	99 DKK
Hello Denmark L	250 GB	9 GB	unlimited	149 DKK

All packages includes tethering. For activation dial *139*CODE# or text code to 3535. Directly paying by Mastercard or VISA is possible online. They will auto-renew, if not stopped by calling customer service 3332 from Lycamobile or online. All excess data will be charged in the default rate or you can add one of these data bold-ons for the remainder of the running time of the base package (no EU cap):

• 500 MB: 25 DKK, activation: 601
• 1 GB: 45 DKK, activation: 602

For activation of the add-ons, text code to 3535. They will not auto-renew. 

EU roaming

Roam like at home has been finally implemented by Lycamobile. This means that you can use the standard rate and the packages mentioned above up to the EU cap without surcharges in all EU/EEA countries. Note that the SIM card must be first activated in the home country in order to take advantage of roaming.

More information

• Tethering (hot-spot use) works only in Denmark, but not in roaming!
• APN: data.lycamobile.dk
• Username: lmdk (that's lowcase L, not capital I)
• Password: plus
• Website in English: https://www.lycamobile.dk/en/

Oister

Oister is a MVNO on the Tre network. After 3 has ceased all prepaid activities in 2011, it's your only option for a prepaid SIM card on this network. It has the best 3G coverage in the country and 4G/LTE of Tre is supported too: coverage map

In 2019 3 Denmark has signed a roaming agreement with TDC, replacing a similar deal with Telia Denmark, which was inked back in December 2015. The new 2G/3G/4G roaming deal will enable 3 (and its low-cost MVNO OiSTER) to roam over TDC’s networks in areas where 3’s own network does not reach. 

Their new prepaid line is called Oister Go! To keep the SIM alive, you need to make a recharge once every year. The SIM card only works in Denmark; there is neither roaming possible nor can you make calls abroad with it.

Oister Go!

SIM Cards are sold at various outlets that can be found here: Oister resellers . That's in many post offices, Elgiganten, ComputerCity etc. But you may have to look around a bit more than in Germany or other parts of Europe. They have 2 different types of packages:

• OiSTER Go! Startpakke: 29 DKK with 50 DKK credit with voice, text and data
• OiSTER Go! Mobilt Bredbånd startpakke: 39 DKK with 300 MB preloaded and data only.

Default data rate outside packages is 0.50 DKK per MB. These packs can be loaded on the data SIM:

• 5 GB: 100 DKK
• 10 GB: 200 DKK
• 25 GB: 300 DKK

Reload packages are valid for 12 months and must be bought online on https://www.oister.dk/go/ giving your mobile number.

Data-only SIM

The starter pack "OiSTER Mobilt Bredbånd Tank Selv" as SIM card only is 99 DKK and with a 3G modem is 499 DKK is solod at the same places. Some users reported difficulties in finding it. Both come with a 7 days activation (and max. 50 GB data). At the end of this time, you can buy extra time/data. All their packs are time-based for 50 GB:

• for 1 day: 29 DKK
• for 7 days: 79 DKK
• for 30 days: 199 DKK
• for 90 days: 499 DKK

These packages must be bought online http://www.oister.dk/tankselv following this procedure:

Select your time period: 1, 7, 30 or 90 days, press "Gå til betaling", put in your credit card information, copy your activation code, go back to www.oister.dk/tankselv, put in your "Kundenummer" (= Customer ID) and paste your activation code into "Aktiveringskode", press "Aktivér Mobilt Bredbånd".

The activation process should take around 10 mins. Your SIM card is active for the purchased time. The volume limit is 50 GB per period. So each activation code represents a period, thus 1 day has the same 50 GB limit as 90 days have.

More info

• No international roaming offered
• APN: bredband.oister.dk
• Website in Danish: https://www.oister.dk/

Discontinued Prepaid Offers

Yousee (TDC)

TDC is the largest network in Denmark. Like other network operators in Denmark it's mostly geared to postpaid customers. They marketed their mobile network operations under the label youSee.

TDC stopped selling prepaid products as of February 2020, and after that date it was no longer possible to activate or to recharge a prepaid SIM. With that they are the last Danish mobile network operator to stop offering prepaid products under own brand. Existing SIM's and balance can be used until expiry date.

Vectone Mobile

Vectone Denmark has ended its activities on May 15th 2018, after filing bancruptcy.

Telia

From 28 February 2017 Telia has stopped selling prepaid products and from 30 April 2017 prepaid service has been closed and Telia prepaid SIMs stopped working.

Telenor

Telenor Denmark has discontinued the sales of prepaid cards and top-ups as of 31 March 2016, although any outstanding credit will remain valid until the normal expiry date. This discontinuation of selling of prepaid cards as well as of top-up vouchers is also affecting the MVNO's using the Telenor network: CBB Mobil, One Mobile and Colour Mobile.

One Mobile

Telenor Denmark announced from April 2016, kiosks and grocery shops will no longer sell One Mobile cards and recharges (see Telenor above) although any outstanding credit will remain valid until the normal expiry date.

CBB Mobile

Telenor Denmark announced from April 2016, kiosks and grocery shops will no longer sell CBB Mobile cards and recharges (see Telenor above) although any outstanding credit will remain valid until the normal expiry date.

Tre

Tre only operates an own network on 3G and 4G, but it offers national roaming on 2G. This roaming was changed in early 2016 from TDC to Telia . As Tre stopped providing all its prepaid activities back in 2011, your only option for prepaid is to get one from the MVNO's using Tre network. Oister (see above) is a MVNO operating on Tre network that is still offering prepaid cards available through shops.