The answer is no. Mostly. There are, however, some instances in which you will need a landline before you can have high-speed broadband service. You also need to ask yourself if it makes sense to get rid of your landline if find you're not using it. And if you don't already have one, is there any reason why you might need what some view as legacy technology?
This under-8-minute read answers all these questions and more. When you're done, you'll have all the information you need to decide if you're ready to go landline free.
There are five main broadband options in Ireland if you want to go landline free:
If it's available in your area, this is a great option. It's the fastest option available in Ireland today and as long as it is full fibre all the way to your home or premises, you won't need to upgrade for years to come.
Speeds typically reach up to 1Gps with as much as 10Gps to come in the future. No copper wire landline-based service comes close.
The pros
The cons
How fast is it?
The range is typically from 100Mbps up to a potential 1Gps. Future speeds of up to 10Gbps are built into the main Irish fibre optic network.
Compare the best fibre broadband deals in Ireland.
This is a great option if you are on the road a lot and don't need a landline or broadband service to your home. It uses the existing mobile network that will tend to only get faster over time as the country shifts to full 5G and ultimately faster generations of mobile technology.
As long as you have a reliable mobile signal, this is a great option. It's not cheap however and can add up to significant additional costs over time.
4G networks reach up to 10Mbps while 5G networks can be as high as 50Gps.
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This solution is excellent for remote areas where there may be no landline currently installed or available. The broadband provider delivers the service directly to a receiver on the property via radio wave transmission.
Typical speeds range from 10Mbps up to 1Gbps.
Part fibre uses the fibre optic network to deliver broadband to the local ‘cabinet' serving your area. The last step to your home or premises is bridged using coaxial cable or standard phone line copper wire.
Download speeds typically reach up to 100Mbps.
Your broadband service is beamed directly to your satellite dish from the sky. This is a great option for remote and rural areas but isn't available everywhere.
Speeds typically range between 20Mbps and 75Mbps.
Your provider may only have landline-based service in your area. This typically means ADSL or ADSL2+ broadband. This is an older technology that uses your copper wire phone line to deliver digital information in addition to the analogue signal of your telephone.
As the national fibre optic network rolls out across the country this technology will eventually become obsolete.
Cons
This technology typically provides speeds of between 6Mbps and 40Mbps in Ireland.
Check out the full range of broadband options in Ireland.
It's free to cancel your landline but you should make sure you are out of contract or you will be billed all of your monthly charges for the remaining term of the contract. You can have the connection physically removed, but there is a fee for this. It also means that if you change your mind you will have to pay to have the line reconnected.
Ultimately this is a personal decision. If you haven't used your landline in years then yes, you could save money on your monthly line rental. It's as easy as calling up your provider and telling them you no longer need the service.
Again, it's personal, but some of the benefits of having a landline include:
Compare the full range of landline-free and ADSL broadband deals in Ireland. Check out our handy FAQ page if you've still got more questions or drop us a line on our contact page.
