Imagine LTE Rural Broadband

The Cush

marno21 wrote: »

Is there not already several ISPs in the area with wireless coverage including Rural Choice Broadband & Munster Broadband? Where do these companies TX from?

Yes, Munster BB's mast is somewhere around Boher I believe, covering Murroe. Celtic BB also covers the area with mast somewhere in the vicinity of the Slieve Felim's, my brother says he can see it but my eyesight isn't good enough.

Haven't come across Rural Choice Broadband previously.

wuzziwig

I appear to be in the coverage area for this in County Clare. Currently I have no other broadband options. We use 3's 4G on our phones and I find it good but obviously it's not a solution to broadband.

For anyone on this for a while, would you recommend it? It's nearly €60 a month so I'd like to be fairly certain I was going to get a decent service from them. The guy from Imagine that I spoke to did say that they have to guarantee you 30Mbps download speed. I guess 4G is around 4 or 5 max so it would be a massive improvement for us.




Ok I just read back over the last 7 or 8 pages and it looks like some people aren't getting the 30mbps speeds. Will need to rethink this.

AyJay

wuzziwig wrote: »

I appear to be in the coverage area for this in County Clare. Currently I have no other broadband options. We use 3's 4G on our phones and I find it good but obviously it's not a solution to broadband.

For anyone on this for a while, would you recommend it? It's nearly €60 a month so I'd like to be fairly certain I was going to get a decent service from them. The guy from Imagine that I spoke to did say that they have to guarantee you 30Mbps download speed. I guess 4G is around 4 or 5 max so it would be a massive improvement for us.




Ok I just read back over the last 7 or 8 pages and it looks like some people aren't getting the 30mbps speeds. Will need to rethink this.

@wuzziwig - that has been my concern regarding the wording of their email - the fact that they say at time of installation they guarantee minimum 30Mbps. Seems seriously dodgy wording to me. Really putting me off the idea.

guil

wuzziwig wrote: »

I appear to be in the coverage area for this in County Clare. Currently I have no other broadband options. We use 3's 4G on our phones and I find it good but obviously it's not a solution to broadband.

For anyone on this for a while, would you recommend it? It's nearly €60 a month so I'd like to be fairly certain I was going to get a decent service from them. The guy from Imagine that I spoke to did say that they have to guarantee you 30Mbps download speed. I guess 4G is around 4 or 5 max so it would be a massive improvement for us.




Ok I just read back over the last 7 or 8 pages and it looks like some people aren't getting the 30mbps speeds. Will need to rethink this.

4G is a lot faster than 4 or 5mb, just not on three for a lot of the time.

morgana

I am always getting speeds way in excess of the 30 Mbps - see my Speed History.
It can go down during peak times, but I've never noticed any problems with simultaneous gaming, Netflix & mobile devices connecting.
I had a significant drop in speeds a month or two back and contacted CS about it. It got sorted very quickly (hardware problem), the same some intermittent stability problems a few weeks ago.
I'm at one of the earliest masts going live (Bweeng, Co. Cork) and would assume that by now it would have close to its subscriber complement of 400.
From my experience, I can recommend them. Any problems (there were a few) I had got sorted quickly and competently.
Been with them since end of February.

ussjtrunks

Whats the difference between Imagines LTE and Novas FWA would they be mostly the same in terms of stability?

ItHurtsWhenIP

MMFITWGDV wrote: »

...
I've sent a couple of e-mails to Imagine asking them for their plans for this area, as I was wondering if they might use Keeper Hill as a high site. That would cover a lot more area than the Doon mast. They haven't answered me yet though.

I got a reply from Imagine - I had asked specifically about the Rearcross area and whether they would be using Keeper Hill as a high site. This was the reply:

Imagine: wrote:

At the moment we dont have a plan for out new LTE service in the area where you are located. However I would suggest that you pass on our details and contact number for these people to register their details with Imagine themselves. The more people that register details or the higher a demand is in an area the faster we will build a service.

Details can be registered at 1890 929 300 or http://www.imagine.ie/#

ED E

ussjtrunks wrote: »

Whats the difference between Imagines LTE and Novas FWA would they be mostly the same in terms of stability?

Assuming nova are on 5Ghz its like the difference between Argos Walkie Talkies and €400 Motorola radios.

irishchris

wuzziwig wrote: »

I appear to be in the coverage area for this in County Clare. Currently I have no other broadband options. We use 3's 4G on our phones and I find it good but obviously it's not a solution to broadband.

For anyone on this for a while, would you recommend it? It's nearly €60 a month so I'd like to be fairly certain I was going to get a decent service from them. The guy from Imagine that I spoke to did say that they have to guarantee you 30Mbps download speed. I guess 4G is around 4 or 5 max so it would be a massive improvement for us.




Ok I just read back over the last 7 or 8 pages and it looks like some people aren't getting the 30mbps speeds. Will need to rethink this.

I'm with them two days and not impressed at all with the inconsistent speeds I'm getting. However the mast is only online couple days up and running so am putting it down to teething problems. But if it were to continue much longer would have to rethink joining them

ussjtrunks

ED E wrote: »

Assuming nova are on 5Ghz its like the difference between Argos Walkie Talkies and €400 Motorola radios.

So which would be better, is the LTE tech more or less reliable. I get a stable 20mb service from Nova atm with the only thing interesting me is better speed.

ED E

ussjtrunks wrote: »

So which would be better, is the LTE tech more or less reliable. I get a stable 20mb service from Nova atm with the only thing interesting me is better speed.

In general, Imagine should be better. But as its a new product there could be early days teething.

Also with all wireless comms it really depends on where you are. If Nova are working well at that speed I would wait a while and see how Imagine hold up for 6 months.

wuzziwig

Thanks for the replies. Our mast won't be online until August so I'd be very interested in seeing how it works out for you, Irishchris.

I'm going to ask them about the 30Mbps guarantee. If it's just at installation or how long.

Just did a speedtest on my phone via 3 4G connection. Got 2.13Mbps download & 7.29 upload. So 30Mbps would be fantastic if we could get it.

ussjtrunks

ED E wrote: »

In general, Imagine should be better. But as its a new product there could be early days teething.

Also with all wireless comms it really depends on where you are. If Nova are working well at that speed I would wait a while and see how Imagine hold up for 6 months.

Wonder if the cabling is similar I could just switch after awile, though I'm holding out hope nova can carry me along until the lines get fibre however long that'll take.

seaniefr

ussjtrunks wrote: »

Wonder if the cabling is similar I could just switch after awile, though I'm holding out hope nova can carry me along until the lines get fibre however long that'll take.

What are Nova like for full downloads between 6-10pm? Do you get your full allowance or is it reduced?

Oafley Jones

ussjtrunks wrote: »

So which would be better, is the LTE tech more or less reliable. I get a stable 20mb service from Nova atm with the only thing interesting me is better speed.

I'm lucky to get 6ish on a 20mb plan, it'll often fall to 2-3 at peak times. I was told with contention that 8 is the max I'd get at the moment. I was advised to downgrade my plan, but the download limit wouldn't suit me at all. So I'm really curious as to which is the argos walktalkie here.

Edit: Apologies, just saw that it was answered. Surprised, I thought Nova was the better solution. It's not about Imagine, but how will Nova adapt to the competition. Can they increase their speed? Our area just had a cabinet installed (we're too far away) and imagine advertising within days off each other. Isn't Nova 20mb speed make them ineligible for future government schemes?

ED E

ussjtrunks wrote: »

Wonder if the cabling is similar I could just switch after awile, though I'm holding out hope nova can carry me along until the lines get fibre however long that'll take.

One of their subs can confirm but I think the modem is part of the receiver(ethernet to inside router, not SMA antennas) so you woudnt be able to interchange without two sets of kit which they take back upon cancellation if memory serves me.

SCOOP 64

Just reading the past few posts gave Nova a ring said they could provide a better service then Permanet, but why wouldn't they , i know wont be near as good as imagine Lte but no hope of getting that, i know this is a imagine thread, but any more infor on Nova would be helpful. thks

Oafley Jones

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

Just reading the past few posts gave Nova a ring said they could provide a better service then Permanet, but why wouldn't they , i know wont be near as good as imagine Lte but no hope of getting that, i know this is a imagine thread, but any more infor on Nova would be helpful. thks

I've had some of the worst customer care experiences with them. One agent in particular just shouldn't be in the job. I've often been tempted to throw up the email conversations (names removed) I've had with this person. That said I've come across truly excellent people there as well. My feeling is that they're over stretched in terms of support.

SCOOP 64

Oafley Jones wrote: »

I've had some of the worst customer care experiences with them. One agent in particular just shouldn't be in the job. I've often been tempted to throw up the email conversations (names removed) I've had with this person. That said I've come across truly excellent people there as well. My feeling is that they're over stretched in terms of support.

Were the speeds anygood ?

Chef-1st

Just on the topic of peak time speeds and stability, it still has either teething problems, or this is a sign of the future.
Bordering under the 30M again this evening, like the issues I was seeing last week. So inconsistent.
Once it's off-peak it's back up to a solid 80M every time. I don't understand it. I was told the contention ratio is 4:1. Shouldn't be this bad already.
If it's going to get worse in the near future, it is definitely not worth 60 euro a month.

mailburner

Chef-1st wrote: »

Just on the topic of peak time speeds and stability, it still has either teething problems, or this is a sign of the future.
Bordering along the 30M again this evening, like the issues I was seeing last week.
It's like this is what they're cutting us to, just to ensure they're giving people the bare minimum speed advertised.
Once it's off-peak it's back up to a solid 80M every time. I don't understand it. I was told the contention ratio is 4:1. Shouldn't be this bad.
If it's going to get worse in the future, it is definitely not worth 60 euro a month.

another waiting on this, be a few weeks yet

be thrilled to get anything near this given i've been stuck on a 3mb/1up for years (speed throttled also to rub it in)

edit, second one not so great

mailburner

irishchris wrote: »

these are some from this morning and im sure most would agree not up to scratch but hoping to be able to post more positive results later when gets sorted hopefully!





latest whilst better still not reaching minimum speed yet

a few miles away myself
its disappointing to see but still a no brainer for me

Oafley Jones

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

Were the speeds anygood ?

Initially hey were as advertised. 19mb down, 1 up, pings 8ms. We were among the first to get it in the area though. Then after 6ish months it feel apart.

It was unusable for almost a month. Kept being told by this one agent that there wasn't any issue and that everything looked fine. Kept on submitting speed test etc which they'd have an issue with eg. Can't see your IP on it. And then out of the blue got a a call to tell us about interference on the line. They did a rechannel, which helped but the speeds were never as good. It seems like every 6 months it falls apart and you've this headache of dealing with the CS. Latest was owing to a radio station broadcasting out of Nagle which seemed to cause havoc for a number of customer.

Contention seems to be the big issue now. As I said speeds often around 2 at peak times. Currently CS guy is excellent though.

SCOOP 64

Oafley Jones wrote: »

Initially hey were as advertised. 19mb down, 1 up, pings 8ms. We were among the first to get it in the area though. Then after 6ish months it feel apart.

It was unusable for almost a month. Kept being told by this one agent that there wasn't any issue and that everything looked fine. Kept on submitting speed test etc which they'd have an issue with eg. Can't see your IP on it. And then out of the blue got a a call to tell us about interference on the line. They did a rechannel, which helped but the speeds were never as good. It seems like every 6 months it falls apart and you've this headache of dealing with the CS. Latest was owing to a radio station broadcasting out of Nagle which seemed to cause havoc for a number of customer.

Contention seems to be the big issue now. As I said speeds often around 2 at peak times. Currently CS guy is excellent though.

id be no better off then, 1/3mb with Permanet every night.

ussjtrunks

seaniefr wrote: »

What are Nova like for full downloads between 6-10pm? Do you get your full allowance or is it reduced?

They give you 20gb daily allowance on the 20mb package but they dont have a free-download timeslot like imagine have, I get around 12-15mb usually at night and pings are great as I play rocket league alot.

Anyone know if Imagine are on the Nagle Mountains aswell as I can see the masts from here, I suppose thats why I get a decent service. With these services I suppose its just luck based on location really which is a shame.

9726_9726

Chef-1st wrote: »

Just on the topic of peak time speeds and stability, it still has either teething problems, or this is a sign of the future.
Bordering under the 30M again this evening, like the issues I was seeing last week. So inconsistent.
Once it's off-peak it's back up to a solid 80M every time. I don't understand it. I was told the contention ratio is 4:1. Shouldn't be this bad already.
If it's going to get worse in the near future, it is definitely not worth 60 euro a month.

Honestly some of the marketing stuff doesn't reflect the technical reality at all. They said in an email posted a couple of pages back:

"The technology used is 4G LTE which is the fastest wireless system in the world at the moment and Imagine have the sole rights to supply it to residential households."

That is an out and out lie - sole rights on the global Long Term Evolution *standard* ?!

Also 4:1 contention. Ok let's work that out. The Huawei RRU has a total capacity of 100M. 3-sector sites have 400 customers, that's 166 customers per sector. So that's a Committed Information Rate (guaranteed bandwidth) of 100/166 = 0.6M per customer. Sorry but that's 50:1 contention. There must be some serious QOS going on there.

rob808

Chef-1st wrote: »

Just on the topic of peak time speeds and stability, it still has either teething problems, or this is a sign of the future.
Bordering under the 30M again this evening, like the issues I was seeing last week. So inconsistent.
Once it's off-peak it's back up to a solid 80M every time. I don't understand it. I was told the contention ratio is 4:1. Shouldn't be this bad already.
If it's going to get worse in the near future, it is definitely not worth 60 euro a month.

This is one reason why imagine shouldn't be in the shortlist of bidders in NBP but they probably end up in it.

Scruff

Chef-1st wrote: »

Just on the topic of peak time speeds and stability, it still has either teething problems, or this is a sign of the future.
Bordering under the 30M again this evening, like the issues I was seeing last week. So inconsistent.
Once it's off-peak it's back up to a solid 80M every time. I don't understand it. I was told the contention ratio is 4:1. Shouldn't be this bad already.
If it's going to get worse in the near future, it is definitely not worth 60 euro a month.

Unfortunately seeing the same myself at the moment. Deeply dippy...

Chef-1st

Yeah I can't see a 4:1 ratio myself if the speeds are going to drop this much during peak times, it's not on.
That's what I thought too... No way it could be 4:1. I didn't believe him when he said it.
Asked him how they're doing that? He just said that's what it is, wanting to provide a quality service. Hhmm....



Just to prove it, I'll post another speedtest in the morning, to show it going back to normal service.

ED E

We know its 400 / Mast (lets hope its not 400/sector instead) so if we get better details of the network side equipment we can calculate the contention.

A previous poster made reference but searching for it is too tedious :pac: