Over the past two years, we’ve seen a 457% increase in the amount of people choosing a broadband only deal over a Dualplay or Tripleplay bundle here at bonkers.ie. And it isn’t hard to see why, when you consider the many advantages of these flexible, affordable plans.
Here are the 5 main advantages of broadband only deals.
1 – Speed
Thanks to the fibre rollout across Ireland, broadband speeds of at least 100 Mbps are available in most urban areas and, thanks to the likes of SIRO and eir, in a growing number of rural areas too.
With connection speeds this fast, people can now rely on big bandwidth apps like Netflix for their home entertainment and Skype or Facetime for calling friends at home and abroad.
With the improved performance of these hyper-convenient apps, more and more people are seeing their TV and landline surplus to requirements.
2 – Price
As you would expect, broadband only deals are generally much cheaper than a broadband plan that also includes a landline or a TV plan.
Most broadband only plans are available for between €44 and €50 a month, which in some cases is less than half the price of a Tripleplay package.
Downgrading from Tripleplay to broadband only could potentially save you €500 or even €600 a year.
3 – Unlimited data
Previously, you might have been worried about using your home broadband connection for everything from streaming to emailing, due to the penalty fees associated with breaching data limits.
But now, unlimited data comes as standard with almost all broadband only deals, meaning you can stream away without worrying too much about a surprise charge on your bill.
Unlimited data plans are usually are subject to ‘fair usage policies’, which are important to be aware of, but in most cases you’d really have to do massive amount of downloading to reach them. Plus, your provider will give you a warning when you’re approaching your limit.
4 – Convenience
‘On-demand’ is the big buzzword when it comes to home entertainment these days.
Many TV stations now have huge iPlayer libraries, which means you can watch what you want, when you want, so long as you have access to a good broadband connection. On-demand sports apps are growing in popularity too.
So, all you need to enjoy the full convenience of on-demand entertainment is a reliable broadband only plan.
And since iPlayer apps run off your home WiFi connection, you can also watch on whatever device is most handy, be it your smartphone, laptop or TV.
5 – Contract lengths
Broadband contract lengths have been softening over the past year or so, as Irish providers realise that flexibility is what most customers want.
Many suppliers are now offering 12-month broadband contracts as standard, with some even offering rolling 30-day contracts.
These new levels of flexibility make broadband only plans all the more appealing, particularly to people who live in a rented property and may have an annual lease.
Existing offers
Here’s a quick list of some of the best broadband only deals currently available, all of them are available for sign up now on bonkers.ie.
|
Provider |
Speed |
Contract length |
Avg monthly price |
Details |
|
Eir |
100 Mbps |
12 months |
€50 |
|
|
Pure Telecom |
100 Mbps |
18 months |
€44 |
|
|
Virgin Media |
240 Mbps |
30 days |
€50 |
|
|
Virgin Media |
360 Mbps |
12 months |
€53.33 |
|
|
Vodafone |
100 Mbps |
18 months |
€43.33 |
If you already do most of your box-set viewing on Netflix, YouTube or through various iPlayers, you maybe don’t need to be paying for a TV subscription as well. The same goes for a landline.
Broadband only deals offer simplicity, speed and savings and I fully expect to see them continue to be the preferred broadband choice for Irish people in 2017.
