Sinn Fein in actual policy shocker!

joe_dunne

Hi all

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/mhkfeyauidsn/rss2/

Sinn Fein are xalling for an all-ireland mobile plan

Joe

AlmightyCushion

joe_dunne wrote:

Hi all

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/mhkfeyauidsn/rss2/

Sinn Fein are xalling for an all-ireland mobile plan

Joe

Sounds like a good idea. I think o2 already have something like this as an add-on on their post pay. But it should be something that everyone gets.

chrislad

Meteor have it for both PaYG and Bill Pay. For Bill Pay it's automatic. For PaYG, text 'TRAVEL' to 50104 to set up. Then you just choose T-Mobile when in NI. Rates are 20c a min (plus 25c connection fee), 20c per text and free to receive calls.

culabula

joe_dunne wrote:

Hi all

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/mhkfeyauidsn/rss2/

Sinn Fein are xalling for an all-ireland mobile plan

Joe

Haven't we had one for at least three years? Vodafone, O2 and Meteor have all had one in place and if 3 Like Home ain't one then I don't know what is.

culabula

No doubt all they want is for their supporters in West Belfast to be able to go up to the Donegal Gaeltacht, shout for free even louder into their phones and continue their systematic destruction of what vestige of culture we have left in this country.

Phew! Rant over.......

amby666

culabula wrote:

Haven't we had one for at least three years? Vodafone, O2 and Meteor have all had one in place and if 3 Like Home ain't one then I don't know what is.

Suppose it depends where you start from. Pretty sure if you live in the north you have no such offers if you roam south.

ardmacha

All you need a no nonsense All Ireland plan, it is ridiculous that this wasn't a regulatory requirement from the beginning. By no nonsense I mean that all calls cost the same wherever you are, that GPRS etc is the same price and that all calls to any part of Ireland cost the same, whereever you are. Recent developments are positive, but there are still many gotchas, we need a scheme with no small print.

MichaelR

chrislad wrote:

Meteor have it for both PaYG and Bill Pay. For Bill Pay it's automatic. For PaYG, text 'TRAVEL' to 50104 to set up. Then you just choose T-Mobile when in NI. Rates are 20c a min (plus 25c connection fee), 20c per text and free to receive calls.

Do they also include Britain, or just NI?
Another question - do they market in NI as Meteor or Orange?

culabula

amby666 wrote:

Suppose it depends where you start from. Pretty sure if you live in the north you have no such offers if you roam south.

That's tough titty; why should the north, if it wants to be part of the UK be classed as anywhere different? It's typical of northern spongers, who want to be part of the so-called UK, then start whining for a separate parliament and separate mobile deals. These are the sort who talk constantly about "087" as your "Dublin" number and think that "their" +44 numbers are "northern" numbers.

Arse: they aren't.

How could the British mobile networks differentiate between "northern" +44s and UK ones? What would happen if some guy from geordie-land was visiting Sth Armagh? How would that work?

On the other hand all the Irish networks have offered a solution for several years, which, apart from a few teething problems, has worked well.

Those northerners travelling south have now got a solution: 3UK and their "3 Like Home" solution. Of course, if they continue to use such fossilised phrases as "duin suith" for everywhere outside the 6-county statelet and "your Dublin number, so it is" for all national numbers, then too bad -if they (or Sinn Fein) fail to realise that the solution is staring them in the face.

andy0

The EU wants to cut roaming charges throughout all the countries.

As pointed out above, Irish networks already have cheap or free roaming in the north or even the whole UK.

So Sinn Fein's pose seems only aimed at an audience in the north, and seems a lot less ambitious than the people who want roaming everywhere to be cheaper.

3 of the UK networks already have cheaper options in Ireland, though not at zero cost margin except 3 Like Home

Terrontress

culabula wrote:

That's tough titty; why should the north, if it wants to be part of the UK be classed as anywhere different? It's typical of northern spongers, who want to be part of the so-called UK, then start whining for a separate parliament and separate mobile deals. These are the sort who talk constantly about "087" as your "Dublin" number and think that "their" +44 numbers are "northern" numbers.

Arse: they aren't.

How could the British mobile networks differentiate between "northern" +44s and UK ones? What would happen if some guy from geordie-land was visiting Sth Armagh? How would that work?

On the other hand all the Irish networks have offered a solution for several years, which, apart from a few teething problems, has worked well.

Those northerners travelling south have now got a solution: 3UK and their "3 Like Home" solution. Of course, if they continue to use such fossilised phrases as "duin suith" for everywhere outside the 6-county statelet and "your Dublin number, so it is" for all national numbers, then too bad -if they (or Sinn Fein) fail to realise that the solution is staring them in the face.

Good on ya man. You've really summed up the Northern Ireland situation in three paragraphs, while relating it to mobile phones.

Obviously all those people up there choose to be British phone users and have little desire to have any link to the evil phone networks of the Republic of Ireland.

That is why they have been blowing the legs off each other for decades.

Sam Vimes

culabula wrote:

That's tough titty; why should the north, if it wants to be part of the UK be classed as anywhere different?

well, sinn fein don't want to be part of the UK

culabula wrote:

How could the British mobile networks differentiate between "northern" +44s and UK ones? What would happen if some guy from geordie-land was visiting Sth Armagh? How would that work?

they could make it an add-on that's only available at the time of purchase in a north irish phone shop or better yet make it available to all uk customers

chrislad

MichaelR wrote:

Do they also include Britain, or just NI?
Another question - do they market in NI as Meteor or Orange?

Yup, it also includes Scotland, England and Wales.

Orange and Meteor are completely seperate entities. Nothing to do with each other. Meteor don't have any stores in the North as they only exist in Ireland as an operator.

Sam Vimes

chrislad wrote:

Yup, it also includes Scotland, England and Wales.

Orange and Meteor are completely seperate entities. Nothing to do with each other. Meteor don't have any stores in the North as they only exist in Ireland as an operator.

orange was founded by the same people as 3 but i think they've sold it off now

flodis79

Commander Vimes wrote:

orange was founded by the same people as 3 but i think they've sold it off now

True From wikipedia: "Microtel Communications Ltd was formed in April 1990 as a consortium comprising Pactel Corporation, British Aerospace, BOC and Hutchison Whampoa (British Aerospace soon acquired full control of the company)."

culabula

Commander Vimes wrote:

well, sinn fein don't want to be part of the UK



they could make it an add-on that's only available at the time of purchase in a north irish phone shop or better yet make it available to all uk customers

Of course, but they also think that the sun rises in West Belfast and sets "down south" in Donegal.

Then they'd gripe anout the add-on because a) they're free "down south" and b) just because 'everything's awful dear so it is'.

magpie

Probably the closest they're going to get to a United Ireland.

Sinn Fein - say no to roaming charges.

1huge1

MichaelR wrote:

Do they also include Britain, or just NI?
Another question - do they market in NI as Meteor or Orange?

I would of thought since it was sinn fein that it would be just northern ireland but reading further down it does include the rest of the UK
this plan is already in effect for a lot of networks so big deal

culabula

MichaelR wrote:

Do they also include Britain, or just NI?
Another question - do they market in NI as Meteor or Orange?

Do who market what?

Are you referring to Meteor? If so, that name goes when roaming in the north and the network you choose or is chosen for you appears.

But as the poster says, to enjoy near-'free' roaming, you need to choose manually T-Mobile, if with Meteor.

chrislad

1huge1 wrote:

I would of thought since it was sinn fein that it would be just northern ireland but reading further down it does include the rest of the UK
this plan is already in effect for a lot of networks so big deal

I think you're a tad confused! Sinn Fein are pushing to get a One Ireland, One Rate thing going for themselves. What I was talking about is pretty much that same thing already in force, albeit a bit limited and with some Ts+Cs.

Pythia

Try and keep this thread about mobile charges and not politics please.

Solair

'All-Ireland roaming' is possible already on Meteor!

I think the deals for NI people roaming in the Republic are a little less transparent though.

The main thing is that mobile accounts registered to Northern Irish people should have an All Ireland add-on by default. Likewise, all accounts in the Republic should have the same add-on by default, to allow roaming in NI (Or the entire UK)

I think we're going to see much tighter integration of calling plans within European countries anyway. i.e. I we're already seeing bundled mins that include UK landlines on Irish landlines.

You should be able to use your phone in your neighbouring countries at no major charge, particularly on networks that have presence in both places. e.g. Vodafone.

Once one network goes that route, they'll all have to follow.

Meteor's rates in NI / UK are excellent though, even on prepay.
Vodafone passport's only "a start"

O2 UK also offers an Ireland bolt-on. Not sure how that works out.

culabula

ALL four networks offer free roaming within the six counties.

O2 were first, several years ago followed by Voodoo with Meteor trailing in recently. 3 launched 3 Like Home at the beginning of this year.

lawhec

Off the top of my head...

O2 - Have a bolt-on for PAYG users that costs £1.99 per month, also available for Pay monthly customers (not sure how much). When enabled, call costs are the same as in the UK and receiving calls are free.

Vodafone - Passport for PAYG - roaming reciprent pays a 75p connection fee for receiving or making a call and is then charged at their normal rates, whichcan include any free bundles.

T-Mobile - there is a special deal for Pay-Monthly users, nothing for PAYG.

Orange - nothing for Pay Monthly or PAYG that I know.

3 - not that familiar with.

culabula

lawhec wrote:

Off the top of my head...

O2 - Have a bolt-on for PAYG users that costs £1.99 per month, also available for Pay monthly customers (not sure how much). When enabled, call costs are the same as in the UK and receiving calls are free.

Vodafone - Passport for PAYG - roaming reciprent pays a 75p connection fee for receiving or making a call and is then charged at their normal rates, whichcan include any free bundles.

T-Mobile - there is a special deal for Pay-Monthly users, nothing for PAYG.

Orange - nothing for Pay Monthly or PAYG that I know.

3 - not that familiar with.

3 offer 3 Like Home. It's no-nonsense -no add-ons, bolt-ons, no deals, no cost.

ardmacha

3 offer 3 Like Home. It's no-nonsense -no add-ons, bolt-ons, no deals, no cost

Culabula, the people screwed by dodgy roaming arrangements are not those living in West Belfast but those living near the border (who never use the phrase "down south"!)

The 3 thing is good but is it not the case that while 3 Ireland users can use Vodafone, but if you come with a 3 UK phone it is free on 3, but 3 is not available everywhere by any means. And many of the places where it is not available are the border areas where roaming is a problem.

culabula

ardmacha wrote:

Culabula, the people screwed by dodgy roaming arrangements are not those living in West Belfast but those living near the border (who never use the phrase "down south"!)

The 3 thing is good but is it not the case that while 3 Ireland users can use Vodafone, but if you come with a 3 UK phone it is free on 3, but 3 is not available everywhere by any means. And many of the places where it is not available are the border areas where roaming is a problem.

It is the case that while 3 Ireland subs can piggyback on Vodafone Ireland, 3 UK subs may not benefit from that arrangement (as posted by me some time back).

3 is very strong between Portadown and Dundalk and environs in my experience.

But one thing that very definitely is the case is that roaming need not be a problem at all; if people would just switch to manual -permanently - on their phones, the phenomenon nor attendant bills would not arise.

lawhec

I find 3's (UK) PAYG offer a little confusing to understand, and comparing to the charges it makes to PAYG users on "3 like home" seems to me that it isn't the same charges, but still its the best deal going - provided that you're using a 3-IRL cell. Otherwise where you have to fall back on to 2.5G, the value of it all is negated.

I read a joint report from Ofcom/Comreg which stated that nearly 3/4 of mobile phone users in border areas of N.Ireland are on O2 UK, so that would appear to be an important area for them to focus on and work with. My guess is that somewhere down the line, like the Euro Bolt-On, it'll be abolished and it will be free to join via opt-in.

T-Mobile could easily do a PAYG deal with Meteor similar to what they have done in reverse. In fact the Meteor PAYG rates on T-Mobile are actually quite decent, it works out in some cases that using a Meteor Sim to call a UK phone number on the T-Mobile network can cost less than what some UK networks charge on their own. The main problem with the T-Mobile netowrk however is that its coverage is quite frankly ****e. A deal between Meteor and Orange would have been better.

Speaking of which, I wonder if Orange plan to pull any such strings as they are the only network in the UK that don't now have some cross-border deal.

culabula

Thanks to an earlier poster I discovered the existence of this `Ireland bolt-on' from O2 UK. Now this is what *I* call confusing.

According to their website this bolt-on is free -TOTALLY FREE. If you dig no further, that's what you are led to believe. If you pursue it and go into the FAQ, it now seems it costs 0,99GBP a month. Go figure.

For this, you are now entitled to call the UK for the princely sum of 25p a minute. It seems to have no other advantages whatsoever. SMS etc -all is excluded. It doesn't mention MT calls.