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Actual LTE (and LTE+) network data in Ireland?

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  • 29-09-2014 5:33am
    #1
    dublinercheese
    Registered Users Posts: 64 ✭✭


    I've recently relocated to Dublin and I'm having difficulty deciding which mobile provider to select.

    Primarily, I'm interested in LTE data coverage. From my research, it appears that there are four LTE networks in Ireland. Most of the coverage is in Dublin. I currently have an unlocked iPhone 6 Plus (model A1524) which supports LTE bands 3 and 20.

    everymac.com/systems/apple/iphone/specs/apple-iphone-6-plus-a1524-5.5-inch-sprint-global-international-specs.html
    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LTE_networks#Europe
    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mobile_network_operators_of_Europe#Ireland

    3 Ireland 1800 3 FDD Jan 2014
    Meteor Ireland 800 20 FDD Sep 2013
    Meteor Ireland 1800 3 FDD Sep 2013
    Vodafone Ireland 800 20 FDD Oct 2013

    When I check the mast list on comreg there's no list of actual LTE compatibility for each mast. Just general GSM, UMTS info.

    askcomreg.ie/mobile/mobile_sites%3b_base_stations_and_masts.36.LE.asp

    I do not find any data or references to currently planned, tested or deployed LTE Advanced (LTE+) networks in Ireland. This has already started happening in other parts of Europe, Asia and USA.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LTE_Advanced#Deployment

    I see that the LTE networks here in Ireland are extremely new and look recently rolled out across subscribers with a focus on the Dublin area. Of the three providers above, who generally had the best LTE coverage and quickest rollout of new technologies?

    From the looks of things, it appears that Meteor was the fastest to adopt LTE and has the best coverage. Is there some better data out there with real-world coverage tests? My Googling hasn't seemed to help.

    Lastly, is it common for new wireless technologies to take so long to roll out in Ireland? I've been using LTE in Asia and USA since late 2011 and I was quite surprised to see the small coverage areas and bands supported here in Ireland.

    Last month I was in South Korea where I was able to use an LG G3 phone (LG U+ network provider) with LTE+ coverage in Seoul which was quite impressive. Some major cities in the US also have support for this from AT&T as well as other parts of the Middle East and Europe. Will Ireland have to wait until 2017 to start see LTE+ deployments?

    (FYI: boards.ie won't let me post my references with urls since I'm a new user).

    Thanks everyone!


Comments

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    #2
    Paulw
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 13,381 Mod ✭✭✭✭Paulw


    I'm not aware of any LTE+ operators in Ireland, nor any immediate plans to release it. Sorry.

    You could try contacting Vodafone, Meteor and 3 to ask them if they have plans though.


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    #3
    Nonoperational
    Registered Users Posts: 7,401 ✭✭✭Nonoperational


    Firstly, there is an excellent LTE service in Dublin from Vodafone Meteor and Three.

    The bands used here are 3(1800) 9(900) and 20 (800).

    Three only use band 3 at the moment. They have decent 4G in Dublin and Cork amongst others. They have spectrum in band 9 but don't use it yet.

    Meteor use bands 3 and 20.

    Vodafone use bands 3 (mainly I think) and 20. Their 4g from Dublin down is really pretty impressive. They are my network of choice.

    You will be sage enough with bands 3 and 20 at the moment. However I'd expect eventually the three networks will end up using the 3 bands.


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    #4
    Bob24
    Registered Users Posts: 10,905 ✭✭✭✭Bob24


    Things might change in the medium term as they just acquired O2, but if you really want fast speeds I wouldn't recommend Three as their network is largely oversubscribed (it has been reported a few times that Vodafone's 3G H+ network often delivers similar or better performance than Three's 4G network). You will definitely see the difference on your bill though (While they provide very good performance, Vodafone will charge you more for and give you fairly low data allowances).

    I would say eMobile (sister company of Meteor) is currently the best compromise in terms of speed/price/data allowance (they will definitely perform well and better than Three, but not as well as Vodafone). But have a look at the offers and decide based on your own priorities.

    Also, LTE roll-out has been a bit slower in Europe in general than in North America which is a shame. But the good news is that one reason is that European networks are much more robust than what they have in the US and network operators here were not as pressured to deploy LTE because as opposed to their American counterparts their 3G networks hadn't been brought to their knees. So on average a European LTE network will work much better than a US one (on average - and keeping in mind what I said about Three which I think is more playing it American style ;-)).

    Places like Korea and Japan are different beasts altogether. Very high-tech oriented countries which have very high population density and more laid back regulatory environments (making it easier to provide great coverage because over there there are less concerns about potential health impact of having powerful GSM base stations very close residential buildings, hospitals, schools, etc). Who knows what the future holds but clearly neither North America nor Europe will match the type of service they are getting in the short/medium term.


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    #5
    ED E
    Registered Users Posts: 36,164 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    If you're in Dublin Three's 4G is fine, I get consistent speeds in several different areas, and up to 50Mb in the north of the county. Elsewhere I cant vouch for.


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    #6
    dublinercheese
    Registered Users Posts: 64 ✭✭dublinercheese


    Hi Bob24,

    Thanks for the insights! Robustness is hard to measure without accurate data, but you can see the currently deployed networks in the wikipedia links above. No need to start a holy war :)

    I decided to purchase a Three prepaid card for €20 to try it out. So far, it's just mediocre. The 3G coverage is better. I really don't like the fact that they filter their content without telling you. If i would have known this, I wouldn't have given them my money. Oh well. I'll try Vodafone next to see how their speeds compare. If I collect enough SIM cards, I'll do some tests with each provider and share the results here.

    Thanks everyone!


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    #7
    Bob24
    Registered Users Posts: 10,905 ✭✭✭✭Bob24


    No worries. Vodafone will be night and day compared to Three both on 3G and 4G - I don't think you will have any issues about the speeds. The problem you might have though is that unless you want to sign up for an expensive contract their data allowances are not very generous for a 4G service - so they are only a good option for light to moderate data users.


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