A1 hires “Bob”: What that means for customers

The changeover takes place automatically on weekends

A1 promises that the brand cleanup will not change anything for Bob customers who are automatically informed via email or SMS. The switch from Bob to A1 takes place automatically; the same conditions apply afterwards as before. “A lot of things are getting better and nothing is getting worse,” says A1 spokesman Jochen Ohnewas-Schützenauer. “From Monday, customers will have 5G for free, can go to A1 shops, have access to the My A1 app and the A1 service team as well as the advantages of the A1 advantage world.”

However, Bob customers must download the A1 app for the additional services.

Bobwas introduced almost 20 years ago as one of Austria’s first no-frills brands – cheaper rates, reduced service. In the past 20 years, however, the mobile communications landscape has changed fundamentally, explains A1. The company is now aligning its brand portfolio in a clearer and more focused manner.

“We have too many brands, it’s too complex for customers,” said Dvorjančanský during a background discussion in November last year. The company now has 27,000 different tariffs and 500 different IT solutions, “the complexity has to be eliminated.” In addition to Bob, there are also the discount brands Yesss and b.free. The manager left it open whether these will also disappear. However, the brand cleanup will take one to two years.

Increasing competition from discount brands

A1 has recently faced more competition in the discount market. The three-brand “Herbie” and the new postal service “Yelllow” recently aggressively advertised for customers. In the first quarter of 2026, A1 in Austria recorded a decline in sales of 2.9 percent to 657 million euros. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) fell by 2.3 percent to 222 million euros (excluding special effects). The entire group increased both sales and profits thanks to strong growth in Eastern and Southeastern Europe.