Your Guide to Broadband Only Deals In Ireland Broadband only deals are an increasingly popular choice for Irish internet users who tend to watch less TV and make most of their calls from a mobile phone. Choosing a broadband only deal is a great way to simplify your digital life, but not all broadband services are created equal Download times, data limits, add-ons, and other factors can make dramatic differences in the service you receive. Terms like FTTC, FTTH, SIRO broadband, and ADSL can make it very confusing when trying to decide on the best service for your needs. If you're confused about how to pick your next broadband-only deal take a few short minutes to read through this guide and upgrade your knowledge to expert level before you make that call. What is a Broadband Only deal? Broadband bundles can include additional services such as landline rental, mobile phone service, and digital TV packages. While packages like these are becoming the norm, there are still many reasons why you might want to pay exclusively for broadband service. If you choose to go with broadband only, this will give you access to the internet, including popular streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, but no other service is included. If you want landline rental, mobile phone usage, or a TV bundle, you will need to arrange for these separately. Why choose a Broadband Only deal? There are many great reasons to go with broadband only. Here are the top 4 reasons why it could make sense for you too: Youre throwing money away on a TV bundle you never use. Youre fed up paying for line rental on a landline you havent made a call from in years. The mobile deal you have is awesome and no bundle can beat it. Your employer pays your mobile phone bill. How many kinds of broadband service are there in Ireland? There are currently seven categories of broadband service available in Ireland. The main difference between them is download speed. If you are a heavy internet user or a business customer, your upload speed could be an important factor as well. Here are the 7 types of broadband service in Ireland: ADSL Cable Fibre Optic Fixed Wireless Satellite SIM Only Static IP What's the difference between the 7 types of broadband service? ADSL This is the oldest technology currently in use. It uses the existing, traditional copper wire telephone lines to transmit digital information. Download speeds are typically between 6Mbps and 24Mbps, but may reach as high as 40Mbps. Fibre optic This is the latest and greatest version of broadband service. It runs on a network of fibre optic cables and is divided into FTTC (fibre-to-the-cabinet) and FTTH (fibre-to-the-home). FTTC broadband delivers ultrafast broadband to a cabinet outside your home or business. The last step is then bridged either by copper wire phone line or coaxial cable. This is also known as part fibre broadband or cable broadband if the final connection is via coaxial cable. Typical speeds range from 10Mbps to 50Mbps but may reach up to 500Mbps. FTTH brings ultra-fast broadband directly to your location and is the fastest option available in Ireland today. A popular version is SIRO broadband which uses a dedicated nationwide fibre optic network to provide wholesale broadband to providers who then pass the service onto customers. Typical speeds are 100Mbps to 2Gbps with up to 10Gbps for business customers. Cable This is a subcategory of FTTC (fibre-to-the-cabinet) broadband that uses coaxial cable for the last step between the external cabinet and your home. It is faster than a part fibre service that uses copper wire to bridge this last step. Download speeds typically range between 10Mbps and 50Mbps and may potentially reach up to 100Mbps. Fixed Wireless Broadband internet is transmitted via a line-of-sight radio wave connection from an antenna to a dish fixed to your home or business. This is excellent for remote or rural areas not on the national fibre optic or phone line network. Typical download speeds are 10MMbps to 500Mbps but may reach up to 1Gbps. Satellite Your satellite dish receives broadband via radio waves directly from a satellite in the same way a TV broadcast is received. It's an excellent solution for highly remote locations where even fixed wireless line-of-sight broadband may not be an option. Typical speeds range between 22Mbps and 75Mbps. SIM Only This kind of broadband relies on the mobile phone cellular network. The signal is broadcast to a SIM chip in a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer. The speed depends on which generation of the mobile network you are using and will range from 42Mbps to 200Mbps with theoretical speeds up to 10Gbps. Static IP An IP address is the numerical identifier assigned to your device when you use the internet. Most providers use dynamic IP which means your internet address is different every time you log on and can change even while you are browsing. Static IP means that your connection to the internet will always have the same address. This can provide a more stable and secure connection to the internet and is often chosen by business customers to ensure a safer and more consistent broadband service. The speed depends on the underlying technology and can range from as little as 20Mbps with ADSL up to 1Gbps + with fibre optic FTTH broadband. Typical Broadband Download Speeds in Ireland Broadband Type Theoretical Download Speed Typical Download Speeds ADSL 40Mbps 6Mbps to 24Mbps Part Fibre 100Mbps 10Mbps to 50Mbps Full Fibre Up to 10Gbps 100Mbps to 2Gbps Cable Up to 100Mbps 10Mbps to 50Mbps Fixed Wireless 1Gbps 10Mbps to 500Mbps Satellite Up to 100Mbps 22Mbps to 75Mbps Sim Only 3G 42Mbps 1Mbps to 5Mbps Sim Only 4G 150Mbps 10Mbps to 15Mbps Sim Only 4G LTE Up to 1Gbps 15Mbps to 50Mbps SIM Only 5G Up to 10Gbps 50Mbps to 200Mbps What to ask and what to out for The main things to keep in mind when looking for great SIM Only deals are: If its a fibre optic connection, find out if its full fibre (FTTH) or part fibre (FTTC). Make sure you know how long the discount period on your deal is and ask what the regular price will be after that. Find out what the real download speed is vs the theoretical upper limit. Check reviews online to make sure the service will deliver on its promise. Inform yourself about data usage limits. If the deal is unlimited, find out if this is true unlimited or if there is a fair usage clause. If there is a clause, make sure you know what that limit is and what happens if you exceed it. Get details about any installation, setup, and equipment fees. If installation is required, ask when it will happen, how long it will take, and how much downtime for your internet connection there will be. If you are signing up to a SIM Only package, find out what network generation you will be using and if there is fallback to earlier generations at times of high traffic. Who are the main Broadband Only providers in Ireland? These are the 8 main providers of broadband only services in Ireland: Sky Pure Virgin Media Vodafone Magnet Digiweb BigBlu Ivertec Who has the best deal on Broadband Only? There are many factors to consider when choosing the best deal for your needs. Where you live, how much download and upload capacity you need, and how secure you want your connection to be will all play a role. A great way to start is by comparing deals side by side on our dedicated Broadband Only page. If you still have questions, make sure to check out our FAQs page or use our contact page to get in touch and well do everything we can to help.
