The broadband provider has committed to not increasing its prices until 2030.
Irish broadband provider Imagine is bucking the trend in the wider telecoms sector by announcing that it won’t increase its prices for the next five years — a welcome move for households weary of annual price hikes.
A few years back, many of the main broadband and TV providers such as Vodafone, Eir, and Three started introducing automatic yearly price increases every April.
This move has been somewhat controversial, as by flagging in advance that they’re going to increase their prices, it appears to amount to price signalling, which the CCPC itself defines as anti-competitive. And of course it leads to bigger bills each year for households…
And while Sky hasn't officially followed suit, it has also upped its prices every April for the past three years.
But Imagine, which offers both fixed fibre and 5G mobile broadband across much of Ireland, is taking a very different approach. It’s committing to no price increases until 2030.
What is Imagine offering?
If you switch to Imagine, you can get:
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500Mb fixed fibre broadband for €55 a month
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1Gb fixed fibre broadband for €65 a month
There’s also free installation, and for a limited time, new customers can enjoy their first 55 days for free on the €55 plan and first 65 days free on the €65 plan.
All customers get a Wi-Fi 7 compatible router. Wi-Fi 7 is the next generation of wireless technology and offers much faster speeds (up to 4× faster than Wi-Fi 6 in ideal conditions), lower latency and more stable connections — even when multiple devices are connected.
And if fibre isn't available in your area, you can choose 5G mobile broadband for €50 a month instead, which offers speeds of up to 300Mb and comes with a three-year price freeze guarantee.
Imagine also offers what it calls “leave anytime flexibility”, meaning you’re not tied into any long-term contracts and can leave whenever you like. Even within the first year!
A downside is that Imagine doesn't offer any TV service so you can't bundle your broadband and TV. And Eir, Vodafone and Virgin's TV services are now only available to customers who also have broadband with them. So you'll have to be happy to go with Sky or Saorview. Of course, you can always skip traditional TV and just make do with streaming services instead...
Better longer-term value
At first glance, Imagine’s prices might look higher than many of its rivals.
For example, Virgin Media currently offers 500Mb broadband for just €35 a month, while Eir offers the same speed for €29.99.
However, these prices only last 12 months. After that, Virgin jumps to €70 a month and Eir to €75.99 a month — and Eir's will rise further each April under its annual price increase clause.
By contrast, Imagine’s price will stay at €55 a month until 2030. So it presents much better value over the longer term and is great for those who don’t want to switch every year or so.
Compare the market
In a market where mid-contract hikes have become the norm, Imagine’s five-year price freeze offers a refreshing change and certainty for hard-pressed households and should appeal to those who want peace of mind when it comes to their bills.
But there may be better options out there for you.
If you want to see how Imagine stacks up against other deals, you can compare broadband offers easily on bonkers.ie.
