What are my options ?

Tusky

Slightly long but would really appreciate some advice on this.

We are with BT for internet and phone, and NTL for television. We are being charged €22.75 per month, or 55.50 per bill by UPC for basic digital tv. We are being charged €56 a month, or 112.36 per bill for 3mb broadband + free local calls. The 3mb broadband is a whopping 40 euro a month and the call bundle is around 15 I think.

So basically we are paying €78.93 per month. I think we can get a better deal elsewhere.

I rang UPC to try sign up to their fibre sports pack which is free local/international calls in off peak times, 5mb broadband and digital + (record/pause live tv) with sky sports and espn. Its 80 euro per month (same as what we are paying) but unfortunately they only currently do tv in our area - Dublin 15.

3mb is the max we can get via the phone line, and we cant get cable, so I think I'm gonna have to look elsewhere for internet (Smart maybe?). May cancel the landline or at the very least get rid of the free calls bundle as we dont use it. Will probably upgrade the tv package to digital + but doubt we can afford sky/espn without that deal.

So essentially, with a budget of 80 euro per month, whats the best we can get ?

Tusky

Noone ?

Someone was telling me that you can get 12mb broadband for 35 euro a month that doesnt require a phone line and isnt cable. I never got the name of the company. Any ideas on this ?

Rob113

Im trying to do something similar and also have a thread running looking for similar advice.

UPC are only offering TV down my neck of the woods also so im stuck with the Sky + Seperate ohone / bb bundle.

Another poster recommended Digiweb to me. 3mb bb only packages available for just under €30 see digiweb.ie.

I'd be wary of UPC digital TV (via satellite dish) unless its coming through their Fibre optic cables, which they mustnt have in your area yet. I had it and know at least 10 others who had massive problems with it and got rid.

Sky are offering basic digital packages from €27 upwards.

jor el

I don't think you're going to do much better than what you currently have. There aren't many companies offering all in one deals for phone, TV and broadband, so it looks like you're going to have to continue with separate providers. That being the case, the only thing you could do is switch from DSL to wireless (Imagine Breeze or Digiweb Metro). This might save you a few quid. Any other DSL provider will require line rental, so the savings will not be great.

Tusky

jor el wrote: »

I don't think you're going to do much better than what you currently have. There aren't many companies offering all in one deals for phone, TV and broadband, so it looks like you're going to have to continue with separate providers. That being the case, the only thing you could do is switch from DSL to wireless (Imagine Breeze or Digiweb Metro). This might save you a few quid. Any other DSL provider will require line rental, so the savings will not be great.

Seems you are right.

Just rang Digiweb and they dont do Metro in this area, only mobile broadband, which Ive been told to stay away from (am I right?).

Im waiting on a call back from Imagine.

My only option seems to be with Eircom themselves, who are actually cheaper than UPC. Eircom 3mb is 29.99 a month, so 10 quid cheaper. Their phone and 3mb internet package is also cheaper. Or I could get Vodafone to try lower the price of my subscription.

V.frustrating that there are so few options. D15 has around 120,000 people living in it!

Freddie59

Rob113 wrote: »

I'd be wary of UPC digital TV (via satellite dish)

Celtic Mech

Tusky wrote: »

Slightly long but would really appreciate some advice on this.

We are with BT for internet and phone, and NTL for television. We are being charged €22.75 per month, or 55.50 per bill by UPC for basic digital tv. We are being charged €56 a month, or 112.36 per bill for 3mb broadband + free local calls. The 3mb broadband is a whopping 40 euro a month and the call bundle is around 15 I think.

So basically we are paying €78.93 per month. I think we can get a better deal elsewhere.

I rang UPC to try sign up to their fibre sports pack which is free local/international calls in off peak times, 5mb broadband and digital + (record/pause live tv) with sky sports and espn. Its 80 euro per month (same as what we are paying) but unfortunately they only currently do tv in our area - Dublin 15.

3mb is the max we can get via the phone line, and we cant get cable, so I think I'm gonna have to look elsewhere for internet (Smart maybe?). May cancel the landline or at the very least get rid of the free calls bundle as we dont use it. Will probably upgrade the tv package to digital + but doubt we can afford sky/espn without that deal.

So essentially, with a budget of 80 euro per month, whats the best we can get ?

Tusky....HOw about going to Sky for your Digital TV...i Currently have the 4 of the 6 basic packages from them...27euro per month.
As for Home Phone and BB, i was like you, with BT. I then switched to Vodafone. As i am a Vodafone Billpay customer on my mobile, i get a discount...i therefore pay 45 euro per month for 7mb BB and all calls to Local and National calls free peak and off peak ALSO get 200 anytime mins to 3 nominated Vodafone Numbers.
I basically pay 72 per month.
As you said, 3Mb is your line max speed. You can therefore pay 40euro for the 3Mb off peak call package or 45 euro for the any time package. If you are a Vodafone Billpay Customer you will get a discount on top of these prices. Worth looking into.

Tusky

Celtic Mech wrote: »

As you said, 3Mb is your line max speed. You can therefore pay 40euro for the 3Mb off peak call package .

Might do that and then just upgrade the current NTL to Max with Digital+ which is 34 a month. Total cost of around 75 per month. So 5 euro cheaper with slightly better tv service.

bmoregan

Tusky,
similar situation. I'm in D15 too, Blanch Exchange so v. dissappointed not to be able to get fibre and add Phone or Boradband to my existing Digital MAX TV from UPC/NTL.

Waiting for Magnet and Eircom to phone me back. Imagine WIMAX sad "Castleknock around April (this year !)" and have already put a mast up in Coolmine and Finglas.

I'm worried a bit about max consumption though. I'm not a gamer but the teens are downloading all sorts of video... need to get a handle on it !

The vodafone option might work as we've got 3 billpay phones in the house...

Will let you know as I gather info...

DingDong

UPC will be rebuilding large sections of D15 this year. 2010 rebuild areas are represented by the blue areas in the map below.

Link

marko-polo

does anybody know when upc are doing the improvements on castleknock, I live in deerpark and cannot get ntl bb. I am with smart at the mo and the max I am getting is 3Mb because the wires are crap and I am so far from blanch exchange etc,,