Has there ever been a better time to look at your broadband?
Simon Moynihan
Staff Writer


You might not have thought much about your broadband lately. And who’d blame you. Once it’s working ok and the speed is decent, it’s the kind-of thing that doesn’t need much attention.

Broadband and telly are a bit like that really. Sure, you use them and you watch them, but they are not like mobile phones – you’re not always thinking that you need to get the new model or the cool upgrade.

The thing is that while we’ve all been gorging on Netflix box-sets, companies like UPC, Eircom and Sky have been seriously upgrading their networks and launching newer and shinier versions of their wares. And they are furiously going after punters with signup offers, discounts and freebies. The net result is that their deals are now miles better than they were just a few years ago, and the prices are miles better too.

Speed

Remember grinding and temperamental old broadband? Well, for many households, it’s now just a memory. In just two years, we’ve seen Eircom launch eFibre and quadruple broadband speeds up to 100Mb. Vodafone customers also got the 100Mb upgrade, and now Sky has jumped on the broadband speed train too. Then this year UPC cranked the go-faster handle all the way to 240Mb.

Unlimited

The upgrades weren’t all about speed though. Nearly every supplier is now offering unlimited broadband as standard. And what's unlimited broadband good for? Yup, on-demand streaming services - and it's not just about Netflix. Sky has Sky Go and UPC launched My Prime this year too. And staying with the unlimited theme, UPC now offers unlimited landline calls to mobiles. Oh, and did I mention that Eircom does TV now too?

Discounts

Of course you’re probably thinking that all this comes at a price. And it does… usually the discounted kind.  Suppliers are offering lower prices, discounts and freebies – and we’ll take a look at some of the best right here, starting with a couple of the top bundles.

 

UPC - 120Mb and Anytime Mobile – with free TV for six months

€25 introductory price for six months
UPC is offering broadband, phone and Horizon TV for €25 for six months. After six months, the price goes up to €75. If you just go for the broadband and phone, the price goes from €25 to €45 after six months.

What you get

Broadband – 120Mb unlimited broadband
Phone – Unlimited calls to Irish mobiles and landlines, and 400 international minutes
TV – 50 channels with 14 in HD
UPC’s Horizon box
An app that let’s you use your home phone minutes on your mobile
My Prime streaming service
Free setup

Take a closer look at this UPC package here

 

Eircom - 100Mb eFibre Unlimited broadband, Talk Anytime and eVision Essential TV

€25 introductory price for six months
Eircom is offering unlimited broadband, eVision TV and anytime talk for €25 for six months. After six months, the price goes up to €73.

What you get

Broadband – 100Mb eFibre unlimited broadband
Phone – Anytime calls to Irish landlines
TV – 50 channels
Free setup

Take a closer look at this Eircom package here

 

But what if you don’t need the bells or whistles?

Broadband and TV companies have been upping their offers to triple-play (and even quad-play) deals recently and they are generally very good value - but they are not for everyone. Sometimes simple is good too. There some are households that just need broadband without anything else, and some providers are starting to recognise that now too. Here are a couple that are proving to be very popular.

 

Pure Telecom – 100Mb Purely Broadband

€36 per month
Pure Telecom offers unlimited 100Mb Fibre broadband over a phone line for the all-in price of €36 per month. There are no additional costs, no call packages and no additional line rental charges.

What you get

100Mb unlimited broadband
Free setup

Take a closer look at Purely Broadband from Pure Telecom

 

Vodafone – 100Mb Simply Broadband

€38 per month
Vodafone were the original “simply” broadband provider and they have maintained their immensely popular product at a very good price. With Vodafone, the service is unlimited, there are no call packages, additional costs or extra line rental charges.

What you get

100Mb unlimited broadband
Free setup

Take a closer look at Vodafone Simply Broadband here

 

So is it really a good time for broadband deals?

Sometimes it’s interesting to take a look back at what was on offer just a few years ago to see how far we’ve come. And here’s a good example… in 2010 the fastest phone line based broadband was 24Mb Next Generation Broadband. If you wanted it, you’d have paid Eircom €70 per month. For that money, you'd also get off-peak calls, but you'd be restricted to a usage allowance of 75GB a month – which is pretty puny by today’s standards.

With Eircom today, you can get 100Mb speeds with unlimited data and off-peak calls for €53 per month. That’s 25% cheaper, four times faster, and comes with infinitely more data.

So some things do improve with age!