Ireland › Ireland Guide › Telephone & Internet › Internet access

Internet access

How to get internet at home

Getting connected to the Internet in Ireland is fairly easy. Options include: dial-up, DSL, Satellite, 3G mobile and cable. Broadband is largely available in Irish cities, but the countryside is not yet very well covered.

Broadband speeds in Ireland vary between providers and locations. First, you should check that your area is covered (especially if you live in the countryside).

Eircom is the major internet provider, as they provide the infrastructure for DS. Vodafone also provides phone and internet packages, and are considered to be the cheapest. Other mobile operators also provide broadband options: O2 , Meteor and 3 network .

Other broadband providers include UTV , Imagine , and Clearwire .

The easiest and most practical way of getting up-to-date information on the contract types is through their websites. Of course, you can also go to any shop and they will help you. Do not feel obligated to order immediately.

Broadband in Ireland is approximately 40 Euros a month. You can use www.callcosts.ie to compare the price of broadband and combined packages with telephone.

Dial-up

Dial-up connections in Ireland offer three different payment options:

Pay as you go, paying only the minutes that you were connected, at the rate of a normal voice call (this is good for occasional users)
Partial flat rate, for usage of only a set amount of hours or at set times
Full flat rate, for a connection any time, for as long as you want (this is better for regular users)

People who make an intense use of the internet should not be considering dial-up, which is not only excruciatingly slow but also expensive.

For a dial-up connection, ask your home line provider (Eircom or other) as they are the ones who set it up.