by Katherine Easi

Created on: June 20, 2008   Last Updated: April 15, 2012

This guide is to help get broadband in Ireland.

• Fixed wireless:

Nationwide

  • IBB Breeze has great speeds and coverage across Ireland. Speeds up to 3mb symmetrical are available. Great prices too.

  • Digiweb have a load of products. DSL, satellite, metro fixed wireless and mobile 4G. Digiweb have speeds upto 10MB/2MB on thier metro service. Their mobile service has speeds upto 5.3Mbps. Their satellite has speeds upto 1Mbps.

  • Ice Communications are running a fixed wireless service in parts of Ireland. Customers have complained that the service is steadily getting worse.

  • Permanet provide a fixed wireless service in south Ireland. Residental speeds upto 1792Kbps are available.

• Satellite:

Satellite broadband is usually used in parts of rural Ireland where no other option is available. Satellite is usually the most expensive option.

Digiweb and National Broadband are the two flagship satellite providers in the Republic of Ireland. National Broadband uses the Astra2Connect service, so prices and speeds are the same. Digiweb have their own network. Their prices are much more expensive than National Broadband.

• Mobile:

In Ireland, we have 3 mobile broadband providers. O2, Vodafone and 3 are the providers. All three offer HSPDA, 3G and GPRS. O2 are the only network to offer EDGE. The speed factor depends on contention. The 3.6 Mbps is shared between all users in the cell.

• Cable:

UPC Ireland are Ireland's main cable provider. They provide TV, broadband and phone services. Their broadband speed is upto 12Mbps. They have more than 100 TV channels. They also have phone services.

Smart Telecom have their own fibre network. They have speeds up to 15Mbps. They also offer an IPTV service, Smart Vision.

Magnet also offer symmetrical broadband on their fibre-to-the-home project.

• DSL

Ireland's main DSL provider is Eircom. A lot of providers resell Eircom's broadband. DSL penetration in Ireland is estimated at around 17%. DSL speeds for residental buildings are available upto 3Mbps.

Providers include:

 • Perlico
 • BT
 • Imagine
 • UTV
 • Digiweb
 • Irish Broadband Internet Services Limited.

The most widely available are in order:

 • Satellite
 • Mobile
 • Fixed Wireless
 • DSL
 • Wireless
 • Cable

The best speeds are usually available on cable. Mobile speeds depend on the amount of users on the cell. Wireless, Fixed wirelesss and Satellite usually have better speeds in dry weather.

Learn more about this author, Katherine Easi.
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