# Broadband & Internet Telephone Overview (for beginners)



## Betsy Og (21 Jan 2008)

Having spent half the morning sussing this out I'm making use of the research to save some of you some "shoe leather" in researching yourself.

Note I'm not a techie so this is a consumers overview. The starting point is someone who is can only possible get broadband by getting an eircom line installed (though the internet telephone stuff is relevant (or even more relevant) to those lucky people who can get internet some other way).  



*Step 1 Broadband*

-Need broadband before you can do anything. Only option at the moment is to get Eircom phone line installed costing €121. No guarantee that it’ll work. 
-You get a wireless modem so, although you need the phoneline to get broadband, you don’t need to be plugged into the phone socket and should be able to move around the house with laptop – so its “wireless” to that extent though not a true wireless broadband.
-As its eircom you need to pay line rental approx €25p.m. regardless of whatever else you do.
-You then have to pay for eircom broadband which is about €30p.m. for 2mb (maybe €25 for 1mb). Probably worth getting 2Mb assuming the line supports it.  

*Step 2 Phone Calls*

-So, to get broadband you have to pay eircom about €50 - €55 p.m. so you’re better off “bundling” it for €56 for unlimited evening and weekend calls to local & national (€61 for unlimited anytime). This means that your phone calls are pretty much free.
-Given that your phone calls are looked after there isn’t any point in getting *Blueface*. Blueface is cheap for calls but it doesn’t give you internet, you’re already paying eircom €55 for that so might as well take the free calls. Blueface is €5p.m. for the pay as you go option. Calls are v v cheap thereafter. You can get on 076 number as well that give local call rates to people ringing you from anywhere in Ireland, or a foreign number to give local rates to someone abroad ringing you. Also could bring Blueface abroad with you as use it to make “local” Irish calls.
-With broadband *Skype* should work, so this can be used to make any international calls for very cheap. Also free to other Skype users – including video calls (need 384 kbps – haven’t a clue if the line will support this!!). About €200 for the best quality hardware they offer.

*Possibilities for the Future*

-If a wireless provider came into the area, and say they charge €35p.m. for internet, then you could switch to them, save €20 Vs your eircom €55, then you have €25 to look after phonecalls. For €10 on Blueface you get 300 minutes which should be plenty, and you could transfer across your old eircom number.
-You would probably need to buy an internet handset (looks like a normal cordless phone) to make it practical to use as the main phone, about €99 at the moment for this.
-There might also be possibilities with Skype as opposed to Blueface but not sure if/as yet, ringing a number for a “normal” phone will get through to Skype. I don’t think the charges are much different so you could probably take it that use Blueface for phonecalls and Skype for free call to other Skype and video calls for free to other Skype.


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## Brendan Burgess (21 Jan 2008)

Betsy Og

Thanks for a great post. Hopefully, you will get some replies with additional suggestions. You can edit your original post and I will later delete the replies. 

Brendan


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## bleary (21 Jan 2008)

If you can get an eircom line with broadband you should be able to change provider to any one of a number of cheaper providers 
UTV http://u.tv/UTV_Internet/Residential/ClicksilverBroadband/index.asp?Zone=South
Smart [broken link removed]


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## Protocol (21 Jan 2008)

UTV 1mb = 16.50 pm
2mb = 21 pm


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## Betsy Og (22 Jan 2008)

The other options to consider are the mobile operators:

Vodafone
O2
3
(Metor dont do it)

& specific internet providers - Irish Broadband, Clearwire, Digiweb. Eircom, in a wireless sense, seems to only have "hotspots", which isnt much good unless you want to live in or over a McDonalds or certain random phoneboxes!!

Most of the above are ruled out 100% due to coverage issues, of the mobile networks only 3 holds out any prospect, so thinking of going for 14 day free trial (Vodafone have the same deal) and giving it a go before incurring eircom fees (have to dig trenches, lay cables etc - could be talking €1K). 3 costs €89 for modem but "no quibble" return within 14 days.

In terms of ongoing fees the mobile operators seem competitive €25p.m. approx for always on - so if you could save on eircom line rental you'd be well ahead.


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## OneQuestion (20 Feb 2008)

UTV 2MB has been reduced to 16.99 as part of a bundle with UTV talk anytime, for existing customers you need to contact UTV and request to be switched to this new price. 

Other BB offerings reduced also, I just don't have the figures to hand


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## ClubMan (20 Feb 2008)

OneQuestion said:


> UTV 2MB has been reduced to 16.99 as part of a bundle with UTV talk anytime, for existing customers you need to contact UTV and request to be switched to this new price.


Has any existing customer managed to avail of this? I can't get through by phone and have emailed them but generally find them slow to answer emails (if they bother at all!).


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## OneQuestion (20 Feb 2008)

I called them this morning and was told to email them at admin@u.tv asking to be switched to the  new price and stating I accepted terms & conditions which is effectively starting a new 6 month contract. Was told on the phone this would be effective from 1st March for billing


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## car (20 Feb 2008)

Check [broken link removed] offerings for this area.  For their 1mb package, which is enough for basic home users, you can get a 1mb line _plus_ the phone rental for 39e which no other providor can seem to match.  

However, if youre doing this, you may as well sign up for the [broken link removed] package which is also 39e and lets you call anywhere in ireland for price of a local call.


The one problem I can see with BT is their (very) flaky billing system, but all problems seem to eventually get sorted out so that notwithstanding Id recommend them on price alone.


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## f9710145 (3 Mar 2008)

OneQuestion said:


> I called them this morning and was told to email them at admin@u.tv asking to be switched to the  new price and stating I accepted terms & conditions which is effectively starting a new 6 month contract. Was told on the phone this would be effective from 1st March for billing



I mailed them about this too.  Are they allowed do that?  ie, they offer a service at one price, you sign up.  They then reduce the price (and say that existing customers can avail), but 1, don't automatically charge you the lower price, and 2, you have to sign up for a new contract!  The only thing that's holding me back is the fact that Eircom are going to be rolling out speed increases over the next while.  I'd hate to sign up for a 6 month contract only to have either further reductions, or speed increases come in that required *another* contract change!


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## ClubMan (3 Mar 2008)

OneQuestion said:


> I called them this morning and was told to email them at admin@u.tv asking to be switched to the  new price and stating I accepted terms & conditions which is effectively starting a new 6 month contract. Was told on the phone this would be effective from 1st March for billing


Did they say anything about being charged a month's subscription fee for cancellation of the original contract even if you are outside of any minimum period? I tried clarifying that but as ever I cannot get a straight answer out of them!


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## bankrupt (3 Mar 2008)

Eircom also now offer VoIP to their broadband customers: http://business.eircom.net/SME/products/broadband/10494446
There's an equivalent one for home users too but it's not on their website.


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## fme (3 Mar 2008)

ClubMan,
I called UTV earlier today and was advised that I could switch to the lower rate online, however when I informed them that there was no option for that on the website, they said to just email the request. There was no mention of stating acceptance of T&Cs or of paying for cancellation of existing contract.


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## Brendan Burgess (28 Jan 2009)

This might be worth updating as a Key Post


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## PyritePete (10 Feb 2009)

help needed...

currently we are have no broadband, only analog TV with NTL/UPC and pay Eircom for phone only. With the March date for digital TV switchover & looking to get broadband what are our options ? Should we "bundle" with UPC for all 3 - BB, digital TV and phone ? I am aware that we are getting fleeced with Eircom, its just that I am concerned about the marketing calls other providers make ? Anything else to be aware of ?


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