Low calls/text, a little internet PAYG

AndrewJD

Hey I've just moved from the UK to Dublin to go to University and have been looking at mobile phone deals.

I've looked at a few comparison websites, but haven't found any particularly helpful. I don't call more than an a minute or two a day, I send maybe 10 texts a day, but my main method of communication is over the internet. I don't need a huge data plan (I think <50MB will cover it) either. Since I'm going to be dotting back and forth across the sea, I can't justify going onto a contract, so I've been looking at PAYG plans.

As far as I can see, O2 are shockingly bad. 3 seem to have good deals, but I don't get any 3 reception where I live, which rules them out. Vodafone look OK, but it would still cost quite a lot (in terms of topping up) to get internet access.

As far as I can tell, Tesco mobile seem to be generally the best deal, if I took up the €3 for 7 days deal and just topped up every so often to cover call and text time.

Have I missed any bargains out there? Are Tesco mobile generally quite good? Any pointers or help would be appreciated.

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

Kensington

If 3 themselves don't cover your area, you should still automatically roam onto the Vodafone network so you can still make and take calls as normal - internet access may not work outside of 3's own network however...

With 3, a €20 top-up gets you unlimited texts to any Irish mobile for 30 days from date of top up. You also get free minutes to Irish mobiles at the weekend for 30 days. You can then buy a 500MB bundle for €5 out of your €20 top-up. You can call Ireland or the UK from 35c per minute anytime. Three also offer roaming in the UK at no charge so it only costs 35c per minute to ring either country, whether you in are Ireland or back home in the UK - your free texts and minutes don't apply when roaming though. There are also no extra charges for data roaming when in the UK.

With Vodafone, a €20 top-up will also get you free texts to any Irish network, or free calls and texts to Vodafone Ireland only. If you sign up to a service called 360, you get up to 100MB internet per day for 39c, charged only on the days you actually use internet. Like 3, it doesn't cost you extra if you head back to the UK at any stage and Vodafone also have a promotion on at the moment where you can call the UK from your mobile at any time for just 15c per minute. Also like 3, data roaming is the same price abroad as it is at home.

Don't know what Tesco are like roaming wise.
Meteor are expensive for roaming. Data roaming is astronomical in price.
O2 are the most expensive out of all them both internet and roaming wise. Data roaming charges are also extremely high.

Walkman

Internet now works on 3 when on 2G