Broadband Providers in Ireland

When you’re signing up as a customer for a new broadband package, you want to ensure you’re getting the best deal at the best value. At the time of writing, there are eight major broadband providers throughout all of Ireland. They are as follows:

• Digiweb
• Eir
• ure Telecom
• Regional Broadband
• Sky
• Virgin Media
• Vodafone

Opinions on which of the above broadband providers are the best in Ireland can differ. When you’re choosing an internet deal, you need to consider a few different criteria. For many people, prices are going to be the number one defining factor and we will look at the cheapest broadband options available, but don’t forget to consider the following factors, too:

• Broadband Speed: Whether or not providers offer just ADSL or high-speed fibre optic connections, as well as whether you’re using Wi-Fi or wired connections. Some providers can even offer up to one Gigabit per second speeds. Speed will also be determined by bandwidth usage, however.
• Additional fees: You may have to pay some providers for activation fees and wireless equipment such as your wireless modem or router.
• Landline requirement: Some packages require you to have a landline and pay line rental on it, while others do not.
• Availability: Some providers may not yet be in your area, this is especially true if you’re looking for super-fast fibre in certain rural parts of the country. You can check your coverage online using your eircode.
• Bundles and other services: From phone line rental and home phone bundle deals (like off-peak) to TV and mobile packages, there are plenty of bundles that might affect your choice. Other deals are broadband-only, meaning you don’t even have to pay for line rental.
• Contract length and flexibility: Some providers offer set contracts with a minimum length (usually around 12 months), while others offer rolling contracts from month to month.

The prices of deals from each provider in Ireland will be affected by which bundles you choose and what type of connection you’re getting, be it ASDL, part fibre, or fibre. However, here, we’re going to look at the cheapest deal from three of the broadband providers in the country.

• Vodafone: Their Simply Broadband package offers a 12 month discount for new customers, offering a Part Fibre broadband bundle with unlimited downloads with average speeds of 100 Mbps and upload speed at 20 Mb/Sat an initial monthly price of €20.
• Sky: Their new Sky Broadband Ultrafast WiFi package comes with an introductory offer, costing €20 for the first 12 months discount on a year-long minimum term contract. It offers unlimited downloads with speeds up to 1 Gigabit per second (depending on usage), and a max upload speed of 100 Mbps. Furthermore, it doesn’t require a landline.
• Digiweb: The Irish provider offers its Superfast Broadband Home packages at €24.95 for the first four months, before increasing to €42.95 for eight months and finally €49.95 per month. It offers unlimited broadband with download speeds up to 100 Mbps and max upload speeds of 20 Mb/s.
• Pure Telecom: With their Purely Broadband deal, Pure Telecom offers customers Part Fibre with average download speeds of 100 Mbps with unlimited downloads This 18-month contract comes in at a fixed price €44 per month.

If by the best Irish high-speed broadband deals, you’re looking solely at the cheapest, then there’s no competition for Vodafone’s Simply Broadband Packages at the time of writing. However, if you’re looking at other criteria as a customer, then the answer may change somewhat.

For instance, for the cheapest Broadband, Phone and Digital TV deals in Ireland, which are the most inclusive offers from any provider, then eir TV Plus & Broadband plus Off-Peak is most likely to suit your needs. This deal offers Part Fibre broadband with unlimited downloads at average speeds of 100mb. It also offers a 63 channel package and off-peak phonecalls for €39.98 for 12 months.

If by “best,” you’re looking solely at the fastest connection in Ireland, however, then Virgin Media is undoubtedly the fastest provider and network around at the moment. Again, this largely depends on what kind of broadband availability is in your area. However, for those who are able to access the Virgin Media broadband network, they offer average speeds of around 209 Mbps, which is over double that of most other internet providers.

To make sure that you’re getting a deal from a reputable provider, check to see if they’re approved by ComReg, the general communications regulator for Ireland.

If you have found the right Irish broadband deals for you and you’re switching broadband providers, then you want to start by having all the information you need at hand. Know the precise deal you want, what prices to expect, your Universal Account Number, your full address, and bank details at the ready to register as a customer.

Make sure that you check that you have cancelled your contract with your current provider in advance to avoid any surprise fees for having to switch mid-contract. From there, you simply need to call up your new provider of choice and tell them what deal you want.

If your chosen broadband package is available in your area (which is not always a guarantee in parts of rural Ireland which still lack coverage,) they will take it from there. If they need to install any devices in your home, they will arrange with you for a time when one of their engineers can come out. However, for most people who have already had a broadband connection, it is not likely they will need anyone to come out to make installations manually.