# Alternatives to UPC.



## horusd (7 Jan 2015)

So UPC are upping their  charges but it seems they offer a good BB package, particularly with fibre connections.  Looking around I've got Vodafone & Eircom offering "up to 100 MB"  for €35 & €33 (increasing to €53 after six months), with contract periods of 18 months.   Anyone got an opinion on Vodafone or Eircom BB vis a vis service?  The 'up to 100 MB'  has me wary, it  mightn't be realised in practice, I also don't like long contracts.   I currently have 60 MB BB and off-peak calls ( which I don't use) with UPC for €37.00. There isn't a lot in it cost-wise but I think these companies trade on an element of inertia in the market - a notion I like to disprove from time to time. ;0)


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## gipimann (7 Jan 2015)

If it's of any use, I was told by Vodafone I could avail of 'up to 100Mb'....I don't even get 1Mb


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## flowerman (7 Jan 2015)

horusd said:


> So UPC are upping their  charges but it seems they offer a good BB package, particularly with fibre connections.  Looking around I've got Vodafone & Eircom offering "up to 100 MB"  for €35 & €33 (increasing to €53 after six months), with contract periods of 18 months.   Anyone got an opinion on Vodafone or Eircom BB vis a vis service?  The 'up to 100 MB'  has me wary, it  mightn't be realised in practice, I also don't like long contracts.   I currently have 60 MB BB and off-peak calls ( which I don't use) with UPC for €37.00. There isn't a lot in it cost-wise but I think these companies trade on an element of inertia in the market - a notion I like to disprove from time to time. ;0)



Do what I did and ring UPC customer loyalty on 061 272190..

Heres my post from another thread about UPC prices.


I decided to ring the customer loyalty number this afternoon and I got a nice lady on the phone.
I said I wasnt happy at only joining UPC last month and now being hit with a price increase of 7 euro a month.I said that I was told by the original sales agent that my price would be fixed for the 12 months and I wouldnt get any price increases.
After a bit of talking on the phone she offered me 120mb broadband with free anytime local,national and worldwide calls for 30 euro a month.

I was currently on 60mb broadband and free offpeak calls only for 37 euro a month,so Im happy with this new better deal now.

I just tested my BB speeds and it seems that Im only getting 93mb bb and not the full 120mb bb.This coulkd also be down to an aging home PC and a heap of stuff on it and also outdated software.But I cant complain after the disaster of a time I had with Eircom and all their lies.

Download Speed: *93509* kbps (11688.6 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: *12015* kbps (1501.9 KB/sec transfer rate)


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## Leo (8 Jan 2015)

horusd said:


> Anyone got an opinion on Vodafone or Eircom BB vis a vis service?



Both (and now Sky also), use the same equipment, so the broadband service provided will be the same. I'm with Vodafone and have found their customer service better to deal with than Eircom on the rare occasions I've used it.



horusd said:


> The 'up to 100 MB'  has me wary, it  mightn't be realised in practice, I also don't like long contracts.



The max speed will depend on the quality of the final cable coming to your house from the cabinet, and the connection within your master socket. Either Eircom or Vodafone will be able to remotely test your line and let you know what speed you're likely to see.


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## Delboy (8 Jan 2015)

flowerman said:


> I was currently on 60mb broadband and free offpeak calls only for 37 euro a month,so Im happy with this new better deal now


Do you get TV also for that €37 pm currently?


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## flowerman (8 Jan 2015)

Delboy said:


> Do you get TV also for that €37 pm currently?


Nope,didnt ask for TV as I allready have hundreds of UK,European and Worldwide TV channels via a large satelite system in the back garden and IPTV boxes too.


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## monagt (9 Jan 2015)

flowerman said:


> Nope,didnt ask for TV as I allready have hundreds of UK,European and Worldwide TV channels via a large satelite system in the back garden and IPTV boxes too.



Any chance of more info on "hundreds of tv channels & "large satellite system"? 

I want to dump UPC as well but do not want to spend €€ and end up with a poor replacement so experienced comment would be good.
Foe example, What Sat Box do you use? Best place to get it, etc.


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## michaelm (9 Jan 2015)

Delboy said:


> Do you get TV also for that €37 pm currently?


You can split the signal and tune in 17 analogue channels.



monagt said:


> What Sat Box do you use? Best place to get it, etc.


I have on old Sky dish to which I have connected a Walker satellite receiver (Powercity) to tune in free-to-air channels; many newer TVs have a built-in satellite tuner so no need for a box.  I've no interest in most of the channels bar the UK channels, Film4 and a couple of kids channels.


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## flowerman (9 Jan 2015)

monagt said:


> Any chance of more info on "hundreds of tv channels & "large satellite system"?
> 
> I want to dump UPC as well but do not want to spend €€ and end up with a poor replacement so experienced comment would be good.
> Foe example, What Sat Box do you use? Best place to get it, etc.



100cm Technomate dish set up in the back garden,2 octo LNBs attached to the dish,one is for Uk and other is for European channels.Amiko set top boxes at each TV location around the house and also an IPTV box at each TV location too.So I can watch one thing,my wife can watch her soaps and my daughter can watch her kids channels or music channels.We are all happy this way and no fights over whats on TV.

House is wired with alot of CT100 co-ax and Cat6 cable and I have a small 12U comms cabinet installed in the attic which houses the likes or BB router,and the 1U patch panels for the co-ax and cat 6 cable.Diseqc switches are then used to recieve,send and split the signals at every TV location around the house.
I watch my live motorsport for free on Australian,Asian and UAE Free To Air TV via my IPTV boxes.All english speaking channels too so I get nice live commentary for my motorsport.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127582733@N07/15886202592/in/photostream/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127582733@N07/15886202762/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127582733@N07/15805342171/


I buy my equipment from Dave in TV Trade and also from Sam in Satworld.
Dave from TV Trade has a Youtube channel with hundreads of "how to" videos on satelite systems,cctv kits and also computer equipment.

Both are Irish companies with online shops and you can also buy from them in person in their shops too.

www.satworld.ie

www.tvtrade.ie

https://www.youtube.com/user/tvtradedave

I also buy some stuff from Poland too,as you can get good deals if you know exactly what you are looking for.




You can also pick up some good 2nd hand stuff on www.adverts.ie if you are on a tight budget and want it as cheap as possible.

But as with everything in life "you get what you pay for".

http://www.adverts.ie/for-sale/q_satelite dish/

http://www.adverts.ie/for-sale/q_set top box/


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## monagt (9 Jan 2015)

Thx Flowerman for the detailed reply. Wondering, is your wiring hidden?


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## flowerman (9 Jan 2015)

monagt said:


> Thx Flowerman for the detailed reply. Wondering, *is your wiring hidden?*



Yes its all hidden and the co-ax and Cat6 is kept well away from electrical wiring to reduce any possible interference issues to a minimum.


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## horusd (10 Jan 2015)

Thanks for all the replies.  Given what Leo said re Vodafone, I'll give UPC a call, say I'm leaving for Vodafone for lower price, see if they'll match it or even up the BB speed, it is all to play for!  Flowerman you  back garden must look like NASA on Google earth what with all the dishes !


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## flowerman (12 Jan 2015)

horusd said:


> Thanks for all the replies.  Given what Leo said re Vodafone, I'll give UPC a call, say I'm leaving for Vodafone for lower price, see if they'll match it or even up the BB speed, it is all to play for!  *Flowerman you  back garden must look like NASA on Google earth what with all the dishes* !




Theres only 1 dish and its a 100cm Technomate dish.But it has 2 octo LNBs on a quick release LNB bracket pointed at different angles to recieve UK and also European Channels.That gives me over 400 TV channels and then I have well over 1000 TV channels from around the world to select from through the IPTV boxes.


I would play Vodafone and UPC off of each other and see who gives you the best deal for the least money.UPC are quite willing to do a deal with you if you are willing to haggle with them.
Make them jump through hoops for your money and your business.


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## flowerman (12 Jan 2015)

Forgot to say that a cheap 12 euro Philex 48 Element aerial from Aldi placed up in the attic space provides the Saorview channels to each TV aswell.This signal is fed in via the diseqc switches so the 400 odd channels from the satalite dish and the saorview channels come in on the 1 co-ax and are then split out at the TV points.The 2nd co-ax at each TV point is for record function.The Cat6 cables are there to supply a hard wired broadband connection for the IPTV box and theres also a spare Cat6,just incase and for future proofing.


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## Bronco Lane (13 Jan 2015)

flowerman said:


> Forgot to say that a cheap 12 euro Philex 48 Element aerial from Aldi placed up in the attic space provides the Saorview channels to each TV aswell.This signal is fed in via the diseqc switches so the 400 odd channels from the satalite dish and the saorview channels come in on the 1 co-ax and are then split out at the TV points.The 2nd co-ax at each TV point is for record function.The Cat6 cables are there to supply a hard wired broadband connection for the IPTV box and theres also a spare Cat6,just incase and for future proofing.


Crikey. Will you come up to my house and put one in place?


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## flowerman (13 Jan 2015)

Bronco Lane said:


> Crikey. Will you come up to my house and put one in place?



If you can access the space between your ceiling and floors then  you could easily do it yourself.Its simple to do once you get the hang of it and have access to the likes of a screwgun,some drill bits,a 20mm auger bit and holesaw set.
Allways keep the co-ax and the Cat6 away from electrical cabling,as this will greatly reduce any chance of interference.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127582733@N07/16269637191/


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## horusd (14 Jan 2015)

Bronco Lane, FLowerman couldn't possibly come to set-up yer telly, too much TV to catch-up on!


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## horusd (14 Jan 2015)

Just an update on this.  Rang UPC, told em I was leaving for €35 100 MB Vodafone package, they offered me €20 discount (nett €12)  for 4 months and then €32  for phone and 60 MB BB, 1 yr contract.  Happy enough with that.


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## flowerman (15 Jan 2015)

horusd said:


> Just an update on this.  Rang UPC, told em I was leaving for €35 100 MB Vodafone package, they offered me €20 discount (nett €12)  for 4 months and then €32  for phone and 60 MB BB, 1 yr contract.  Happy enough with that.




Well done.Its amazing what a phone call and the threat of leaving for another provider can do.


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## Grizzly (16 Jan 2015)

I am on the basic UPC analogue package for TV only. Phone and internet with Eircom. I pay UPC annually. I got my invoice to pay in early January. No mention anywhere of a coming price increase. My bill was the same as last years. I paid my annual bill early January. Today I get a letter stating that as from February my service will go up by €4.50 per month.
It looks to me that they waited until I paid my annual bill before writing to me to advise of a price increase. Why?  Because most people after paying might not be inclined to shop around or cancel but might have done so if UPC had included a notification with their annual invoice that a price increase was due in February.Satellite here I come.


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## foggylad (16 Jan 2015)

As a matter of interest, did your invoice in Jan specify the billing period (e.g. Jan-Dec)?


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## flowerman (16 Jan 2015)

People need to shop around more to get the best deal.
A simple phone call or a look at bonkers.ie and be very worthwhile.


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## Grizzly (17 Jan 2015)

Update. I decided to ring UPC. I was 25 minutes on the phone before I got to speak to a person. I explained that I was not happy to receive an undated letter advising me that my annual premium was increasing just a week after I had paid my premium. I suggested that there was some form of trickery going on because the price increase announcement could easily have been communicated to me when I got my invoice rather than after I had paid it. UPC now have my money and I have to now try and get this back. I noticed also that I have to pay for my service while waiting for UPC to disconnect me whereas if I had known beforehand I could have decided not to renew and it would have been up to UPC to disconnect on their time.
The lady said that she would put me through to one of her colleagues to see if there was anything he could do for me. I was then disconnected!
I rang back. This time it took 10 minutes to get through. Different customer service rep. This guy said that he would look after me. He put me through to presumably the same colleague that the first lady said she was going to do.  25 minutes later and the phone was never answered. So an hour on the phone.
So. Not everyone is being told of the price increase until AFTER they have paid their premium. Then you have to go through two levels of customer service to ask for your money back. In my case I tried for an hour and never got to speak to anyone.


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## Bachelor Boy (17 Jan 2015)

*Hi I was wondering if anyone could advise me an alternative to UPC as well. * 

I have the basic tv broadband and Phone bundle with UPC, .  
Obviously no one told them about the recession because every year the costs have risen since I joined in 2010 
I used to pay €55 a month for my service.  Which when broken down was: Broadband 20, phone 5 and I think the TV service was roughly 15. I spend roughly €10 on calls.  
Now my average bill is €75  - Broadband is 34, phone 10.50 TV service 23.49 and I reckon overall my cost will rise to €80 - €85 per month.  I am also annoyed that they have got rid of UTV and replaced it with UTV Ireland and yet still increased the price.  
I know I get 30mbps broadband with UPC, but I'm not convinced I need it.  I wouldn't be using video steaming very often.  I thnk 10Mbps might do me.  
As regards the options:
Unfortunately Evision is not an option as they are not in my area yet.  

I was thinking of switching to SKY.  Their equivalent basic package is €79 which is dearer, but if they gave me a 6 month deal it might be worth my while.  I would have to sign up with them for 12 months, and that is okay.  

I was also thinking of getting WI MAX bundle for €19 for 10Mbps BB and scrapping the Phone and broadband with UPC.  This would reduce the cost of my phone and broadband by over 50%.  

Does anyone know:
1. Would I have to pay Eircom Line rental on top of the €19 WI MAX and €79 Sky deals
2. Is the WiMax Broadband any use.  
3. Is there any other possible options I haven't considered.  

Long Term: I think getting sky for a year might be the best option and then getting a freeview+saorview tv combi box and getting rid of pay tv.


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## flowerman (17 Jan 2015)

Theres some great information on page 1 of this thread.
Did you ring UPC customer loyalty on 061 272190?
Did you complain to them and threaten to leave?

In the time it took you to post all that here you would most likely have got a better deal from UPC by calling customer loyalty.

People will complain about utility companies and their bills but yet they wont do anything about it.
Its up to the customer to shop around or ring said utility company and demand a better deal.Its also up to the customer to make sure he or she has or gets a good deal again when its coming to the end of their contract.


Sky lease out and also buy the lines off Eircom and BT so Sky wont give you any better than what Eircoms actual line can handle.So if you cant get Eircom E-Fibre then you wont be able to get Sky Fibre.

If Eircom do a line test and say that your phone line can only handle say 10mb bb then thats all Sky will be able to give you too.


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## Bachelor Boy (17 Jan 2015)

Thank you for your reply.    
To answer your questions.  
1. Did you read this thread fully yet? _*Yes, I didn't see anything that was applicable to my situation.*_ 
2. Did you  ring UPC customer loyalty on 061 272190? *No as I am considering leaving upc and would like to know what my alternatives are.  That is why I reviewed the various deals and posted up here.  At the very minimum it will give me ammunition to drive a good with UPC in the unlikely event I choose to stay with UPC.
* 
3. See Answer 2.  

People will complain about utility companies and their bills but yet they wont do anything about it. *Completely agree.  That is why I am doing investigation of the various bundle deals now so I know which is the best value and the most suitable for me.  *

Its up to the customer to shop around or ring said utility company and demand a better deal.  *Agree.  *

Sky lease out and also buy the lines off Eircom so Sky wont give you any better than what Eircoms actual line can handle.So if you cant get Eircom E-Fibre then you wont be able to get Sky Fibre.  *Thanks I didn't know that and that is why I posted up here.  I did get something in the post on Wednesday saying SKY Fiber is here.  But I'll bear what you said in mind and ask relevant questions when I ring up SKY.  *


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## flowerman (17 Jan 2015)

http://www.bonkers.ie/

[broken link removed]

In some cases you will get a better deal by actually ringing said utility companies and demanding the best deal by playing one company off another company.

If you do go with Sky then be prepared for alot of congestion as you will be sharing with alot of other Sky customers,as Sky just dont have the network capacity to handle their customers.


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## flowerman (23 Jan 2015)

Just a heads up for anyone thinking of switching to Eircom or any existing Eircom customers.



Eircom are ramping up their prices from April 15th this year.New customers and also customers with existing contracts will be hit for the new increased charges.

Broadband bundles are going up by 5 euro a month.

Certain phone call rate packages will be increased too.


And from June Eircom will remove SMS text alerts from all Eircom land lines,this will affect people with Eircom landlines connected to their alarm systems.


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## Silica (23 Jan 2015)

Many thanks for the details of the UPC Loyalty team direct dial! 
Just successfully negotiated a satisfactory deal with them.

We were paying €55pm for 30mB broadband, unlimited Irishlandline calls & 400 international minutes.

Now, we've got 240 mB, free upgrade modem (their sales team initially wanted me to pay €60 for this), unlimite Irish landline AND mobile calls, and for €35 for 6 months, rising to €45 after that, for a 12mo contract.  That's more, better and cheaper. #Happy



flowerman said:


> http://www.bonkers.ie/
> 
> [broken link removed]
> 
> ...


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## Bachelor Boy (23 Jan 2015)

flowerman thanks for your tips on this.  I managed to get a discount deal off the UPC loyalty team for 6 months as long as I signed a 12 month contract.  As it turned out I couldn't get SKY BB and phone.  Eircom keep telling me I don't have broadband in my line.   Yet I know I had broadband there several year ago when I had an Eircom phone.  I said this to the Eircom customer support person and they told me I'd need someone to come out and test my line.  They should have all my area sorted out by end of 2015 she said.  I was told that last year as well when I asked about switching so I wouldn't be too sure.  Anyway thanks.


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## flowerman (23 Jan 2015)

Delighted for the both of you.


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## Mobella (23 Jan 2015)

I had 120mb broadband with free landlines for 54 euro. I rang the loyalty number. I just asked could they give me a better deal. 
They gave me 240mb broadband, free landlines, mobile phone and 400 international minutes all for 25 euro for  the first 4 months.Then 45 euro with a one year contract. I'm very happy. Thank you Flowerman


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