A friend of mine had a virgin media plan and the reception was absolutely
appalling and a terrible waste of money. I should point out that she lives in
Dublin so no real excuse. after one year she got out of the plan. I can't
understand why Vodafone don't offer a better deals in Ireland. In the UK you
get excellent deals especially on a 24 year contract. as I have broadband I
don't need a lot of data on my mobile phone.
On 6 Aug 2023, at 15:46, Tony Sweeney <tonymsweeney@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:===========================================================
How to save money by switching to a sim-only mobile deal
Daragh Cassidy
(One they didn't mention is from Three that is unlimited if you have a
broadband account with them you can opt for a 9.99 euro per month plan
which I am currently availing of and it's great.) TS.
Over the past two years Irish consumers have been hit with
ever-increasing costs. Energy prices are at record highs. Mortgage
repayments, especially for those on trackers, have shot up. And
according to the CSO, food inflation is still running at more than 10pc
a year while home insurance premiums are up more than 20pc.
In short, household budgets have taken a hammering.
But switching to a sim-only mobile plan is an easy way for consumers to
beat the rising cost of living and save some money each month.
What is a sim-only plan?
As the name suggests, a sim-only plan is when you just pay for a sim
card, which will give you access to a bundle of calls, texts and data
for a cheap price. Unlike a bill-pay plan, you don’t get a new phone as
part of the deal, hence why it is so much cheaper. Sim-only deals are
perfect for people who already have a phone, are not tied to a contract,
and who don’t want or require a new phone just yet.
Currently, mobile providers aren’t obliged to let customers know when
they’ve come to the end of their contract, which is two years for most
bill-pay plans. This means consumers can continue to pay €50 or €60 a
month, or even more, for their mobile costs.
But after two years you’ll have paid off the full cost of your handset,
so should only be paying for calls, texts and data, unless you decide to
upgrade, of course.
This is where sim-only plans come in handy. If you’re moving to a
sim-only deal, either with your current provider or a new operator, you
can keep your existing number – you don’t have to get a new one and the
switching process is quick and easy.
Here’s a look at five of the best deals on offer right now.
1 GoMo €14.99 a month
Since entering the market a few years ago, GoMo has gone from strength
to strength, and the mobile network now has well over a quarter of a
million customers, which is a testament to just how popular it is.
With this deal, you get “unlimited” calls, texts and data for only
€14.99 per month.
This plan comes on a rolling, monthly contract, meaning you can cancel
at any time, for free.
What’s more, this deal has a “for life” guarantee, so the price you pay
each month won’t go up – ever. Or so it says, at least.
GoMo uses the Eir network. And unlike all the other sim-only deals on
this list, it offers 5G data.
When it comes to the “unlimited” offer, it’s technically not unlimited,
as a fair usage policy applies. This is the same for most “unlimited”
plans, unless it’s stated otherwise. With GoMo, its fair usage cap is
120GB of data per month, which is among the highest from any provider,
and 45,000 minutes of calls and 10,000 texts.
Should you use more data than the fair usage policy allows, GoMo
reserves the right to reduce your speed, but some customers have said
their speeds have remained sufficient at 3Mbps to 5Mbps.
GoMo customers can also use their full allowance of calls and texts
while roaming in the EU, along with a data allowance of 14GB per month.
However, this 14GB isn’t in addition to your 120GB monthly allowance,
it’s part of it, so it’s important to bear this in mind if you consume a
lot of data each month and plan on travelling abroad. The same goes for
all the other offers on our list.
GoMo also offers its customers wi-fi calling for free.
Wi-fi calling is handy as it allows your phone to make and receive calls
and texts using your broadband wi-fi instead of the mobile network. So,
even if you’ve got some sneaky mobile black spots in your home, wi-fi
calling will help ensure you never miss a call.
To use wi-fi calling, simply ensure it’s enabled on your phone and that
your phone is connected to your home wi-fi. Although GoMo is ultimately
owned by Eir and uses its network, they are very much separate entities
from a customer service point of view.
GoMo has no shop network or high-street presence. You’ll have to order
your new sim online and if you have an issue with your service, you’ll
need to contact GoMo online or via social media.
One of Eir’s top bill-pay plans is €69.99 a month and it will increase
in price by the rate of inflation and an additional 3pc every April.
If you moved to GoMo you’d save a staggering €55 a month, or €660 the
first year.
You would have to do without the 600 minutes of international calls and
texts that come with the Eir plan – but you can always just Skype or
WhatsApp instead, or incur a small fee with GoMo.
2 Virgin Mobile €20 a month
Virgin Mobile offers customers “unlimited” calls, texts and 4G data for
€20 a month for the first year, after which the price rises to €25 a month.
If you’re already a broadband customer with Virgin Media then the price
is just €20 a month indefinitely. This plan is also on a rolling,
monthly contract so you can cancel at any time without being charged.
Virgin’s “unlimited” calls and texts are subject to a fair usage policy
of 10,000 minutes and 10,000 texts per month, which can be made to any
number in the Republic of Ireland or while roaming within the EU.
However, customers will likely be more interested in its data allowance,
which includes a fair usage cap of 80GB per month. While this isn’t
quite as high as GoMo, it should still be more than enough for the
average sim-only customer. If you go over this, Virgin says it won’t
charge you but reserves the right to limit your speeds.
Virgin Mobile uses the Three network which offers 99pc 4G population
coverage so customers more familiar with that network might feel more
comfortable with this plan.
Unlike GoMo, this plan doesn’t offer 5G data. While the benefits of 5G
data are still debatable, if you want to be able to download data-heavy
content quickly, then this plan may not be for you.
When it comes to data roaming in the EU, out of the 80GB, customers have
an allowance of 23GB per month, so lots more than GoMo.
You can also add a call pack for €5 a month which will give you 500
minutes to the UK. Or one which gives you 350 international minutes to
countries like the US, Canada and most of Europe.
Like GoMo, you order your new sim online, and Virgin promises that if
you order before 8pm it’ll be delivered to you the very next day, if you
want.
3 48 €6.50 a month for three months, then €12.99 a month
Certainly one for those who like a bargain, this ultra-cheap sim-only
plan from 48, which also uses the Three network, is offering “unlimited”
calls, texts and 4G data for only €6.50 a month for the first three
months, and then €12.99 a month thereafter.
A one-time activation fee of €6.50 also applies. The fair usage policy
is 200GB per month.
48 originally launched back in 2012 as Ireland’s “first youth-focused,
digital mobile brand” and in 2020 revamped its look and re-launched into
the wider sim-only market.
With 48 you have the ability to “try before you buy”, unavailable with
any other mobile offering. All sims from 48 come with a free 1GB so you
can try out the network in full before signing up.
Like GoMo, 48 promises that this deal is for life. Mind you, it recently
tried to change its bill cycle from every month to every 28 days which
would have equated to an annual price rise of around 8pc. But it backed
off when telecoms regulator ComReg and the Advertising Standards
Authority of Ireland (ASAI) launched investigations into the move on the
back of numerous complaints. Still, it shows how fast and loose
providers play with words like “for life” pricing and “unlimited” data.
When it comes to roaming, 48 isn’t quite as generous as some of the
other plans, offering a maximum of 12GB a month.
4 Clear Mobile €14.99 a month
For those who may not be too familiar with the name, Clear Mobile is the
new, low-cost, online-only mobile brand from Vodafone which launched at
the beginning of 2021.
Customers who sign up can get their hands on “unlimited” calls, texts
and data for €14.99 per month on a rolling, monthly contract.
At the moment, the first month is free. However, a €14.99 joining fee
also applies if joining from other networks or on a new connection –
which will be most people.
Clear Mobile uses Vodafone’s network which offers 99pc 4G population
coverage across the country.
However, there is one big difference between this plan and the others in
this list.
Clear Mobile hasn’t implemented a fair usage policy for data use, which
means data truly is unlimited in every sense of the word. Customers also
have an allowance of 15GB of data while roaming in the EU.
However (there’s always a catch!), customers’ speeds are restricted to a
maximum of 5Mbps, so your connection won’t be nearly as fast as it
potentially would be with other 4G plans out there. And definitely not
as fast as GoMo’s 5G service.
This information will be of particular importance to customers hoping to
use their phone as a hotspot, as the max speed will apply when using
apps or browsing the web on your computer.
When it comes to calls and texts, the fair usage threshold is 45,000
minutes and 10,000 texts per month, which will also apply when roaming.
Although owned by Vodafone and using its network, Clear Mobile is being
operated as a separate entity. So you won’t be able to pop into a
Vodafone retail outlet or call its customer care centre. All customer
service with Clear Mobile is carried out online.
There’s also no allowance for international calls and texts with this
plan, unlike with many of Vodafone’s plans.
5 Tesco Mobile €20 a month
Last but not least in our list is Tesco Mobile, whose €20 a month
sim-only plan comes on a rolling, monthly contract. With this plan Tesco
Mobile is offering “unlimited” any network calls, texts and 4G data for
customers. Similar to Virgin and 48, Tesco Mobile uses the Three network
in Ireland.
What distinguishes this plan from the rest is that you also get 300
international minutes per month to select countries – perfect for expats
who want to phone home, whether that be Poland, the UK or the USA. Tesco
Mobile’s fair usage policy for data is capped at 100GB per month. That
being said, the average mobile user generally shouldn’t use more than
20GB to 25GB per month.
Unlike most plans, Tesco will actually charge you if you go over your
monthly limit: one cent per Mb. However, its fair usage policy should be
more than enough, with 10,000 any network texts and 10,000 any network
minutes to landlines and mobiles and while roaming in the EU.
For data roaming in the EU, you’ll get (a very specific!) 18.07GB per month.
And if you register your Clubcard with Tesco, you’ll receive two
Clubcard points for every €1 of your bill paid by direct debit.
As this sim-only deal is a bit more “pricey” compared to some of its
rivals, if you’re looking to get value for money each month you’d need
to be making good use of the international minutes available (with all
the other plans you’d be paying out-of-bundle rates which can be costly).
It’s not a bad plan as it combines a reliable network with all the data,
calls and texts you’ll realistically need, and a generous allocation of
international minutes.
The cons of sim-only deals
Sim-only deals are perfect for when you’re out of contract and have paid
off your phone and don’t need a new one just yet.
But if you need a new phone, paying fully for one yourself upfront is
easier said than done given the cost of some of the newer, high-end
phones these days.
This is where you have to weigh up the costs (literally) of a sim-only
deal versus bill pay. For example, if you want to buy the iPhone 14
(256GB) outright it would cost €1,159 with Apple. Not everyone has that
type of money.
This is obviously where bill pay phones have an advantage. While you
might pay a small charge upfront (or sometimes nothing, depending on the
phone) you can then spread the remaining cost of your new device over 12
to 24 months. However you’ll always pay for the privilege of doing this.
For example, Vodafone is offering the same phone on bill pay for €299.99
upfront and then €60 a month on a 24-month contract.
But the plan will increase by the rate of inflation plus 3pc every
April. So presuming you get one year at €60 a month and then next year
it costs €60+6pc, ie €63.60 a month, that’s more than €1,783 over the
two-year contract.
Paying for the phone upfront and then using GoMo for €14.99 a month
would cost just over €1,518 over the two years – or a saving of almost
€265. Switch to 48 and you’d save just over €325 over the two years.
Keep the same handset for another year and the savings are even greater.
Five things to consider before you pick a mobile provider
1. Data speed Does your provider offer 5G data? Although 4G data will be
more than sufficient for most, if you have a need for speed then this is
something to consider.
2. Network coverage If you live in one of the main towns or cities then
this isn’t really something to worry about. But if you live in a more
rural area, 4G and especially 5G coverage can be patchy in places.
ComReg has a network-coverage map, so check it out before choosing a
provider – and ask neighbours and locals about their experience with
certain networks.
3. Fair usage policy It seems unbelievable that mobile providers are
allowed to market “unlimited” deals, which clearly come with limits. So
check out the fair usage policy with your provider, especially when it
comes to data. Some providers will simply reduce your speed if you go
over a certain limit. Others will charge.
4. Customer service This isn’t usually as big an issue with mobile
providers as it is with broadband providers, for example. But it’s still
something to consider. If you sign up to a sim-only deal over a bill-pay
plan with one of the main providers like Eir, Three and Vodafone, then
all your customer service will have to be done online – there won’t be a
shop you can pop into for assistance.
5. International calls and texts Between Skype, Zoom, iMessage and
WhatsApp, there’s usually a way to get around paying extra for
international calls and texts as long as you have data.
However, if you’d like the convenience of being able to make a quick
call to a friend, relative or colleague abroad just by picking up your
phone, then you might want to consider deals that come with
international calls and texts.
Daragh Cassidy is head of communications at bonkers.ie
Sunday Independent
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