Magnet releases 2mb uncontended broadband for €15

damien

From press release:

Magnet Entertainment has pushed the boundaries of the Irish broadband market again by launching a new broadband service today (Tuesday 2nd May) for ˆ15 per month that beats all its competitors. The price is the less than the price of a pair of cinema tickets.

The service consists of an uncontended 2MB broadband connection with no time limits on the amount of usage. Magnet Entertainment is the only broadband provider that gives its customers an uncontended service. This means their broadband connection will not fluctuate during peak time, unlike rival services, thus providing customers with the service they paid for. For
example, during peak times the eircom service’s speed can drop to a snail’s
pace because their connection is being shared with other customers.

...

The service excludes line rental, however when compared to eircom broadband time service (ˆ19.99 per month for only 20 hours), the ˆ15 offer is a
significant improvement and a ground breaking offer. There have been numerous complaints about time based broadband services as users often find that they pay twice the price because the customer went over the time limit. Magnet Entertainment hopes that the offer will appeal to consumers who are still using dial-up or time-based services, in order to take advantage of a true broadband speed always-on service.

There's a map on their website too with areas they are in now and will be in soon. http://www.magnet.ie/pdf/dublin-map.pdf

paulm17781

This will hopefully shake things up a bit. With any luck it will kill of timed products for good.

BendiBus

paulm17781 wrote:

This will hopefully shake things up a bit. With any luck it will kill of timed products for good.

I know a few people who are very happy with their timed €9.99 connections. They wouldn't have gotten broadband without it. I wouldn't be so quick to knock the product.

paulm17781

BendiBus wrote:

I know a few people who are very happy with their timed €9.99 connections. They wouldn't have gotten broadband without it. I wouldn't be so quick to knock the product.

Broadband should not be timed. I'm all for cheap BB but this timed nonsense is rediculous.

cormie

Nice! So this is 2MB always on with no cap restrictions? Or are there cap restrictions? Do you have to go with the phone service to avail of this? How do magnet rate in terms of customer service/billing? And also, is this an introductory offer (1st 3 months etc?) And I thought today was Monday the 1st:eek:

damien

cormie wrote:

And I thought today was Monday the 1st:eek:

Respect a press embargo? Me?

bk

Just FYI, it looks like you must move your phone line rental and calls to Magnet also, otherwise it is €29pm.

Including line rental it is €39

Smart Offer Line rental and 3m BB for €35

It is good to see that Magnet have a definite roll out plan.

BendiBus

paulm17781 wrote:

Broadband should not be timed.

That should be a rule, should it? "Customers may not have a timed product, even if they're happy with one"

I'm all for always on (couldn'd do without it) but I'm not in favour of banning timed products.

This new Magnet thing sounds good though.

zuma

Eircoms 1Mbit "Timed Broadband" => High Speed Dialup

paulm17781

BendiBus wrote:

That should be a rule, should it? "Customers may not have a timed product, even if they're happy with one"

Do you just argue for fun?

How can someone be happy with a timed product compared to an always on? People think "I don't use the internet much" if always on was as cheap as timed people would get that instead. It is a bad product that only eircom could come up with when really it should be an always on product for the same low price.

BendiBus

paulm17781 wrote:

How can someone be happy with a timed product compared to an always on?

I'll ask the happy customers tomorrow :rolleyes:

I just don't see why a timed product should be so upsetting to you. You don't have to get it if you don't like it.

ardmacha

I live in Dublin in an exchange that Magnet will be reaching later in the year. For the moment they appear to offer the possibility of Eircom ADSL for €24+€15 per month. I am presently with UTV phone, but would like to get broadband. The UTV broadband offering is nothing special, but might not involve too much bureaucracy. BT seems OK pricewise, but I have read the many threads there on their service. Magnet now seem to be a similar rental, although their calls are slightly more expensive. They would offer the possibility of an LLU service later in the year. Any observations on Magnet versus BT, are they less likely to act the eejit with my bill?

bk

ardmacha wrote:

I live in Dublin in an exchange that Magnet will be reaching later in the year.

Don't forget to check with Smart Telecom and NTL also.

paulm17781

BendiBus wrote:

I'll ask the happy customers tomorrow :rolleyes:

Great! If they really are happier with 20hrs tell them I have some magic beans I'll trade them for their homes.

bk

BendiBus wrote:

I'll ask the happy customers tomorrow :rolleyes:

But first why don't you tell them they can get an always on, no time, real BB product for the same price as the timed products from BT (1m) or Smart (3m) and then ask them are they still happy?

oscarBravo

BendiBus wrote:

I just don't see why a timed product should be so upsetting to you.

What upsets me is that they call it "broadband". zuma hit the nail on the head earlier.

skywalker

Would be a very tempting package if it werent bundled with the line rental/change of number fun.

ardmacha

Would be a very tempting package if it werent bundled with the line rental/change of number fun.

It doesn't seem as good a deal as Smart, where available, unless 2MB upload is important. For me, at present Magnet looks more likely to reach Priory Park before Smart.
What exactly is the deal on number change when switching to Magnet?

However on unbundled exchanges Magnet may be a good option instread of BT?

Blaster99

Highly unlikely it's 2Mbps upload. Probably something like 256k. I don't think they're cheaper than BT or cheap enough to be worth the hassle.

ardmacha

Highly unlikely it's 2Mbps upload. Probably something like 256k.

If it is a resold Eircom, service than it is 256K upload like everyone else. If it is their own unbundled service this may not be the case.

I don't think they're cheaper than BT

They are similar to BT, but are they less hassle?

skywalker

ardmacha wrote:

It doesn't seem as good a deal as Smart, where available, unless 2MB upload is important. For me, at present Magnet looks more likely to reach Priory Park before Smart.
What exactly is the deal on number change when switching to Magnet?

However on unbundled exchanges Magnet may be a good option instread of BT?

Its only 256 up afaik unless your in one of their FTTH areas.

If it wasnt bundled with anything else & was 2mb BB for €15 then Id say it would have its niche alright.

irishguy

Magnet Entertainment has pushed the boundaries of the Irish broadband market again by launching a new broadband service today (Tuesday 2nd May) for ˆ15 per month that beats all its competitors.

So how exactly does this beat all the competitors? Its still more expensive that smart and its slower.

Smoggy

everywhere , but clondalkin - typical

paulm17781

irishguy wrote:

So how exactly does this beat all the competitors? Its still more expensive that smart and its slower.

Wording. It is cheaper broadband than smart, as Smart chage €35 as opposed to Magnet's €15. They neglect to mention the €24 line rental that must be added which Smart do not charge.

Sponge Bob

so Magnets offer is 2Mbits for €39 including line rental while Smart is 3Mbits for €35 including line rental ...am I right ???

BT is 2Mbits for €40 including line rental on bitstream..which is contended .

Blaster99

Contended or uncontended probably makes no difference in the real world. The cap or lack thereof might. For all BT Ireland's ills, I still couldn't see myself going through LLU hell for a €1 saving, though.

BendiBus

bk wrote:

But first why don't you tell them they can get an always on, no time, real BB product for the same price as the timed products from BT (1m) or Smart (3m) and then ask them are they still happy?

They were fully aware of the BT product when making their decision. However, having read this very board they were put off by the shocking reviews of the BT service and billing issues.

So broadband boardsies take a bow. You're the ones pushed my colleagues onto a timed product!

Ah, the irony

Skud

Blaster99 wrote:

Contended or uncontended probably makes no difference in the real world. The cap or lack thereof might. For all BT Ireland's ills, I still couldn't see myself going through LLU hell for a €1 saving, though.

Try saying that on ibb, and if it is capless this will make a huge difference, if not it won't.

cormac_byrne

Up to 2Mb download

· 2Mb upload in new housing developments equipped with Fibre To The Home technology.

· 256Kbps upload over existing phone lines, using ADSL2+ technology

· 10GB monthly usage allowance. If the usage allowance is not used in one month it is not carried forward to the next month.

· €0.50 per GB charged for each GB used over the monthly 10GB usage allowance.

---

This isn't new, they were offering the same back in January.
Or rather the same plus 6 TV channels.

Back then it was advertised at €39 (as the line rental was included in price)

paulm17781

BendiBus wrote:

They were fully aware of the BT product when making their decision. However, having read this very board they were put off by the shocking reviews of the BT service and billing issues.

So broadband boardsies take a bow. You're the ones pushed my colleagues onto a timed product!

So it is fair to say the price is what did it for them and not the product? Another way to look at it is that if proper (not timed) broadband were available, they would get that instead. My point was hopefully products like this would get rid of timed product not cheap ones. But you just had to argue didn't ya.

BendiBus wrote:

Ah, the irony

There is no irony in your post, it is simply a statement of events.

iggyman

ye i tought this 15 euro broadband had no time limits..it has a 10 gig one...

http://www.magnet.ie/packages/starter.shtml

tck

time limit is not cap limit

BendiBus

paulm17781 wrote:

There is no irony in your post, it is simply a statement of events.

Irony being an "Incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs", I find it truly ironic that those most opposed to timed products are the very ones who have actually encouraged people to sign up for it

paulm17781

BendiBus wrote:

Irony being an "Incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs", I find it truly ironic that those most opposed to timed products are the very ones who have actually encouraged people to sign up for it

But they haven't. Those people came here looking for a cheap product and got it as the cheap untimed one seemed unreliable they went for the timed one. That is not Ironic, it would only be ironic if in our disputes over their best option, they took the worst due to the confusion it cause. This was not the case so there was no irony involved.

Anyway, enough about your grasp of the English language. The point that timed broadband is inferior is clear and my point that timed broadband should be replaced with equally priced untimed products still stands.

BendiBus

If you expect your advice to be ignored then I'll agree there was no irony. However if you expect your advice to be heeded and it is not then I refer you to my definition of irony.

This is a little off topic so I'm closing this thread with me winning the argument

paulm17781

BendiBus wrote:

If you expect your advice to be ignored then I'll agree there was no irony. However if you expect your advice to be heeded and it is not then I refer you to my definition of irony.

This is a little off topic so I'm closing this thread with me winning the argument

Aren't we a petty person.

As I explained it would not be ironic unless something likethe above conditions applied. The most ironic thing is that in a discussion about ironyyou have shown you don't understand it yet continue to argue about it. You can reply and try to get that last word in or you can keep to my point that something like this will be good if it kills off timed products and gets decent cheap internet access for all.

BCB

I'm hearing good reports about Magnet has anyone on here got this service im getting sick of BT.

masteroftherealm

Everyone seems to be missing the point that this is irelands first decent uncontended customer level service.
This is a huge step in the right direction.

And timed services are a way for eircom to rip less knowledgable people off their impossible to defend.

MunsterCycling

Is SMART not the first uncontended ADSL 2+ provider?

Sponge Bob

Smart is, yes. Jolly decent fellows are Smart.