O2 Mobile Broadband

whisht

Started up this thread as the original one seems to have disappeared for some reason!

Anyway, still no sign of any details on the website, so I called O2 Customer Care and they told me the modems and cards are in the shops from today available for sale, so I contacted my local shop who told me the products are physically in stock, but they cannot sell them as the tariffs are not setup on the system yet.

Just wondering if anybody else has any idea how soon they will be "available for sale"??

whisht

Just got some prices
Dunno how firm these are, but its all I got for now

Modem Cost €69
10GB Cap
Speed is launching at 3.6Mbit initially
Monthly cost - €15 per month for 1st 3 months and €30 per month after the first 3 months

AlmightyCushion

whisht wrote:

Just got some prices
Dunno how firm these are, but its all I got for now

Modem Cost €69
10GB Cap
Speed is launching at 3.6Mbit initially
Monthly cost - €15 per month for 1st 3 months and €30 per month after the first 3 months

So it's more expensive than the three offering. What would their coverage be like compared to three does anyone know?

Urban Weigl

Well, right now O2's 3G coverage isn't as good as 3 or Vodafone, but from what I have seen this will change over the next few months, with for example even the tiny town of Ballinlough, near where I live, set to be upgraded to 3G by O2.

By the way, the above pricing works out as €32 per month during the length of the 12 month contract. To compare, 3 works out at €30.74 over the first 12 months.

So that would seem competitive to me. Especially when you consider that O2 have much superior customer service that is based in Ireland. My mother recently had an issue while roaming with O2. She was able to call O2 in Ireland, get through to a very helpful lady straight away. She actually told me about this good experience afterwards. That to me shows me that O2 is doing something right as far as their customer service.

whisht

Well the modem costs about €50 or €60 less than 3 (cant remember if 3 is €119 or €129) and the first 3 months are €5 cheaper, so you are saving €65 initially. Then the remaining 9 months are €10 more expensive, so overall, you pay about €25 more for the O2 option (€15 if 3's modem costs €129)

Only thing is, I would imagine O2's coverage would be a lot better. Also, O2 are launching EDGE, so even if in an area where you lose HSDPA and 3G, you drop back to EDGE at about 240kb/s compared to GPRS at about 40!

Also, from what I understand, the sim card can be used for voice and sms also. As far as I am aware, 3 no longer allow this on the new 10GB plan.

One last thing, O2's will roam internationally, albeit at expensive roaming rates! With 3 you can only roam in countries where 3 is available.

whisht

I stand corrected then on the coverage issue, but with EDGE being rolled out, there will always be a theoretical 240kb/s available

cormie

Even though it's a tad more expensive, I'm glad I waited for this. I like the fact I don't have to dish out €150 starting too. So yeah, it's what? €15 more expensive over the year? That's worth the roaming and better customer service imo. Wonder when it'll be ready to buy because I'm ready to buy it:)

AlmightyCushion

Urban Weigl wrote:

Well, right now O2's 3G coverage isn't as good as 3 or Vodafone, but from what I have seen this will change over the next few months, with for example even the tiny town of Ballinlough, near where I live, set to be upgraded to 3G by O2.

By the way, the above pricing works out as €32 per month during the length of the 12 month contract. To compare, 3 works out at €30.74 over the first 12 months.

So that would seem competitive to me. Especially when you consider that O2 have much superior customer service that is based in Ireland. My mother recently had an issue while roaming with O2. She was able to call O2 in Ireland, get through to a very helpful lady straight away. She actually told me about this good experience afterwards. That to me shows me that O2 is doing something right as far as their customer service.

That's for the first year though. After year 1 it costs 50% more than 3s offering unless the pricing changes. But the competition is good for the market.

Urban Weigl

I have just been told it's €90 for the modem and €40 a month for the 10 GB cap.

cormie

AlmightyCushion wrote:

That's for the first year though. After year 1 it costs 50% more than 3s offering unless the pricing changes. But the competition is good for the market.

True but with either one you'll be stuck for 1 year so you can just change after the year:) I think it'd be best to be stuck with o2 going by the negative things I've heard about three.

Any idea how much roaming would be?

cormie

Urban Weigl wrote:

I have just been told it's €90 for the modem and €40 a month for the 10 GB cap.

They've just lost my potential business if that's true.

Urban Weigl

Given that it is not out yet the pricing is probably still tentative at this stage.

cormie

Yeah, so just incase any o2 folk are monitoring this, keep it low baby or you'll lose me:D

gunnerfitzy

someone had mentioned in another thread that they may a price difference between the offering to new and existing customers. perhaps that may be the price difference. anyway, a combined voice and data offering would great!!

podgeandrodge

read yesterday in an O2 store that you also have to have a mobile contract with them to avail of the broadband package - unlike 3 where you can have the broadband alone...

whisht

Have been told today that it wont be possible to sign up until next Monday the 9th of July.

It seems they are not charging extra if you go over your 10GB cap (fair use policy applies)

culabula

podgeandrodge wrote:

read yesterday in an O2 store that you also have to have a mobile contract with them to avail of the broadband package - unlike 3 where you can have the broadband alone...

But are they not doing broadband add-ons, say for O subs with brand-new shiny N95s? It seems to me it is impossible to use this phone otherwise (properly and outside of wifi) if you are on a remarkably expensive O2 Ireland
and package. Please correct me if I am wrong...

SachaJ

culabula wrote:

But are they not doing broadband add-ons, say for O subs with brand-new shiny N95s? It seems to me it is impossible to use this phone otherwise (properly and outside of wifi) if you are on a remarkably expensive O2 Ireland
and package. Please correct me if I am wrong...

Hope so or else I'll not be using the HSDPA.....

mralphabet1984

Heya Just A Few Things I Know About this through contacting O2 and 3.

If Im not an O2 Bill customer at the minute I buy the modem for €89 and get my 10gb tariff for €40 per month. However I can get half price on this for 3 months meaning I get my tariff for €20 per month. Broadband at 3.6mbps is in 70% of the country and you drop down to GPRS after that, EDGE will be rolled out gradually but is live in places at the minute

If I am an existing customer of O2 or willing to bring my voice on to o2 bill on their Active life 150 plan or above they charge €30 for the same tariff, half off for 3 months so €15 and device is €69. You do tie your voice number into 12 months but on doing so can avail of double minutes on your plan (provided you pay by DD)

The way I looked at it, three are offering 3GB for €40 allowing you access to their 3.6mb 3 network and access to Vodafone on GPRS/3G or €20 gets you 3.6mb access where 3 have coverage (mostly the west of Ireland according to their store) If on the 20 tariff you dont have a 3 mast beside you you get nothing. They charge 10c overage too. the decive is also €129. So they are charging €40 for 3gb but o2 are giving 10gb for the same service (HSDPA/GPRS)

Vodafone arent even competing anymore with their 5gb slower speed offer for €40 per month.

Personally for €15 extra over 12 months (taking into account Im an existing O2 customer) I would take EDGE, better coverage, and as always better customer care and support from O2 anyday... In fairness they were able to give me all the info on their product 1 day after it launched. I had to go to a 3 store as 3 customer care were unable to help me

whisht

mralphabet1984 wrote:

Personally for €15 extra over 12 months (taking into account Im an existing O2 customer) I would take EDGE, better coverage, and as always better customer care and support from O2 anyday... In fairness they were able to give me all the info on their product 1 day after it launched. I had to go to a 3 store as 3 customer care were unable to help me

Well as an O2 customer also, I will probably go with it. The only one thing is, if I visit the UK, I pay data roaming charges which are huge, whereas if I go with 3, my understanding is that it roams in the UK at the same rate?? Is that correct cula?

JNive

i believe 3 in the UK will still incur roaming charges

culabula

whisht wrote:

Well as an O2 customer also, I will probably go with it. The only one thing is, if I visit the UK, I pay data roaming charges which are huge, whereas if I go with 3, my understanding is that it roams in the UK at the same rate?? Is that correct cula?

Yes, correct. You will incur charges when roaming. 3 is free to use in 9 other territories including the UK. At time of writing however, there is still no HSDPA in the north on 3 and limited access to same in London and Manchester, UK.

"Overage" is 5c on 3 Ireland, BTW, not 10c.

culabula

JNive wrote:

i believe 3 in the UK will still incur roaming charges

Absolutely not.

culabula

mralphabet1984 wrote:

Heya Just A Few Things I Know About this through contacting O2 and 3.



The way I looked at it, three are offering 3GB for €40 allowing you access to their 3.6mb 3 network and access to Vodafone on GPRS/3G or €20 gets you 3.6mb access where 3 have coverage (mostly the west of Ireland according to their store) If on the 20 tariff you dont have a 3 mast beside you you get nothing. They charge 10c overage too. the decive is also €129. So they are charging €40 for 3gb but o2 are giving 10gb for the same service (HSDPA/GPRS)

As I posted some time ago, despite 3's misleading wording on their website, the 10gig tariff at 20€ a month WILL give you access to both 3G and 3,5G. There is no penalty save that of slower speeds and you can use it on the non-HSDPA 3 UK network (as well as all 3's sister nets). If you use up the 10GB, you get charged 5c per mb. You cannot use it on any other net other than 3's worldwide. You cannot make voice MT/MO calls, you cannot send SMS but you can receive them.

GUIGuy

Have a look at O2 experience store this morning! 15 Euro folks

culabula

GUIGuy wrote:

Have a look at O2 experience store this morning! 15 Euro folks

Please explain.

GUIGuy

There's a big poster on the O2 experience store in Grafton Street this morning. Up to 3.6mbps for 15 euro. Think modem is 69 but was rushing past so didn't see the modem price properly. Wondering if thats an introductory offer or only for a first months... will check if its not raining too hard.

cormie

Is there any official links to pricing? I don't have a talk contract and don't really want one and I'm not prepared to pay 40 a month but will pay 30.

Sam Vimes

GUIGuy wrote:

There's a big poster on the O2 experience store in Grafton Street this morning. Up to 3.6mbps for 15 euro. Think modem is 69 but was rushing past so didn't see the modem price properly. Wondering if thats an introductory offer or only for a first months... will check if its not raining too hard.

15 for three months going up to 30 after that

(second post in the thread)

SachaJ

do we know for sure yet is it going to be an add-on to your current active life (or similar) package.

ie. make calls etc on the same SIM as being able to use the HSDPA?

Tom Dunne

Right, I dropped in over lunch and here is what the nice lady told me:

Broadband only - modem : €89, €40 a month (first three months €20)

Voice and broadband - modem €69, €30 a month, but, and it's a big but, you must take out one of the voice packages of at least €35. So that's a minimum of €65 a month for combined voice+data.

Both are bill pay. Forgot to ask about pre-pay.