O2 Mobile Broadband

whisht

Started up this thread as the original one seems to have disappeared for some reason!

Anyway, still no sign of any details on the website, so I called O2 Customer Care and they told me the modems and cards are in the shops from today available for sale, so I contacted my local shop who told me the products are physically in stock, but they cannot sell them as the tariffs are not setup on the system yet.

Just wondering if anybody else has any idea how soon they will be "available for sale"??

whisht

Just got some prices
Dunno how firm these are, but its all I got for now

Modem Cost €69
10GB Cap
Speed is launching at 3.6Mbit initially
Monthly cost - €15 per month for 1st 3 months and €30 per month after the first 3 months

AlmightyCushion

whisht wrote:

Just got some prices
Dunno how firm these are, but its all I got for now

Modem Cost €69
10GB Cap
Speed is launching at 3.6Mbit initially
Monthly cost - €15 per month for 1st 3 months and €30 per month after the first 3 months

So it's more expensive than the three offering. What would their coverage be like compared to three does anyone know?

Urban Weigl

Well, right now O2's 3G coverage isn't as good as 3 or Vodafone, but from what I have seen this will change over the next few months, with for example even the tiny town of Ballinlough, near where I live, set to be upgraded to 3G by O2.

By the way, the above pricing works out as €32 per month during the length of the 12 month contract. To compare, 3 works out at €30.74 over the first 12 months.

So that would seem competitive to me. Especially when you consider that O2 have much superior customer service that is based in Ireland. My mother recently had an issue while roaming with O2. She was able to call O2 in Ireland, get through to a very helpful lady straight away. She actually told me about this good experience afterwards. That to me shows me that O2 is doing something right as far as their customer service.

whisht

Well the modem costs about €50 or €60 less than 3 (cant remember if 3 is €119 or €129) and the first 3 months are €5 cheaper, so you are saving €65 initially. Then the remaining 9 months are €10 more expensive, so overall, you pay about €25 more for the O2 option (€15 if 3's modem costs €129)

Only thing is, I would imagine O2's coverage would be a lot better. Also, O2 are launching EDGE, so even if in an area where you lose HSDPA and 3G, you drop back to EDGE at about 240kb/s compared to GPRS at about 40!

Also, from what I understand, the sim card can be used for voice and sms also. As far as I am aware, 3 no longer allow this on the new 10GB plan.

One last thing, O2's will roam internationally, albeit at expensive roaming rates! With 3 you can only roam in countries where 3 is available.

whisht

I stand corrected then on the coverage issue, but with EDGE being rolled out, there will always be a theoretical 240kb/s available

cormie

Even though it's a tad more expensive, I'm glad I waited for this. I like the fact I don't have to dish out €150 starting too. So yeah, it's what? €15 more expensive over the year? That's worth the roaming and better customer service imo. Wonder when it'll be ready to buy because I'm ready to buy it:)

AlmightyCushion

Urban Weigl wrote:

Well, right now O2's 3G coverage isn't as good as 3 or Vodafone, but from what I have seen this will change over the next few months, with for example even the tiny town of Ballinlough, near where I live, set to be upgraded to 3G by O2.

By the way, the above pricing works out as €32 per month during the length of the 12 month contract. To compare, 3 works out at €30.74 over the first 12 months.

So that would seem competitive to me. Especially when you consider that O2 have much superior customer service that is based in Ireland. My mother recently had an issue while roaming with O2. She was able to call O2 in Ireland, get through to a very helpful lady straight away. She actually told me about this good experience afterwards. That to me shows me that O2 is doing something right as far as their customer service.

That's for the first year though. After year 1 it costs 50% more than 3s offering unless the pricing changes. But the competition is good for the market.

Urban Weigl

I have just been told it's €90 for the modem and €40 a month for the 10 GB cap.

cormie

AlmightyCushion wrote:

That's for the first year though. After year 1 it costs 50% more than 3s offering unless the pricing changes. But the competition is good for the market.

True but with either one you'll be stuck for 1 year so you can just change after the year:) I think it'd be best to be stuck with o2 going by the negative things I've heard about three.

Any idea how much roaming would be?

cormie

Urban Weigl wrote:

I have just been told it's €90 for the modem and €40 a month for the 10 GB cap.

They've just lost my potential business if that's true.

Urban Weigl

Given that it is not out yet the pricing is probably still tentative at this stage.

cormie

Yeah, so just incase any o2 folk are monitoring this, keep it low baby or you'll lose me:D

gunnerfitzy

someone had mentioned in another thread that they may a price difference between the offering to new and existing customers. perhaps that may be the price difference. anyway, a combined voice and data offering would great!!

podgeandrodge

read yesterday in an O2 store that you also have to have a mobile contract with them to avail of the broadband package - unlike 3 where you can have the broadband alone...

whisht

Have been told today that it wont be possible to sign up until next Monday the 9th of July.

It seems they are not charging extra if you go over your 10GB cap (fair use policy applies)

culabula

podgeandrodge wrote:

read yesterday in an O2 store that you also have to have a mobile contract with them to avail of the broadband package - unlike 3 where you can have the broadband alone...

But are they not doing broadband add-ons, say for O subs with brand-new shiny N95s? It seems to me it is impossible to use this phone otherwise (properly and outside of wifi) if you are on a remarkably expensive O2 Ireland
and package. Please correct me if I am wrong...

SachaJ

culabula wrote:

But are they not doing broadband add-ons, say for O subs with brand-new shiny N95s? It seems to me it is impossible to use this phone otherwise (properly and outside of wifi) if you are on a remarkably expensive O2 Ireland
and package. Please correct me if I am wrong...

Hope so or else I'll not be using the HSDPA.....

mralphabet1984

Heya Just A Few Things I Know About this through contacting O2 and 3.

If Im not an O2 Bill customer at the minute I buy the modem for €89 and get my 10gb tariff for €40 per month. However I can get half price on this for 3 months meaning I get my tariff for €20 per month. Broadband at 3.6mbps is in 70% of the country and you drop down to GPRS after that, EDGE will be rolled out gradually but is live in places at the minute

If I am an existing customer of O2 or willing to bring my voice on to o2 bill on their Active life 150 plan or above they charge €30 for the same tariff, half off for 3 months so €15 and device is €69. You do tie your voice number into 12 months but on doing so can avail of double minutes on your plan (provided you pay by DD)

The way I looked at it, three are offering 3GB for €40 allowing you access to their 3.6mb 3 network and access to Vodafone on GPRS/3G or €20 gets you 3.6mb access where 3 have coverage (mostly the west of Ireland according to their store) If on the 20 tariff you dont have a 3 mast beside you you get nothing. They charge 10c overage too. the decive is also €129. So they are charging €40 for 3gb but o2 are giving 10gb for the same service (HSDPA/GPRS)

Vodafone arent even competing anymore with their 5gb slower speed offer for €40 per month.

Personally for €15 extra over 12 months (taking into account Im an existing O2 customer) I would take EDGE, better coverage, and as always better customer care and support from O2 anyday... In fairness they were able to give me all the info on their product 1 day after it launched. I had to go to a 3 store as 3 customer care were unable to help me

whisht

mralphabet1984 wrote:

Personally for €15 extra over 12 months (taking into account Im an existing O2 customer) I would take EDGE, better coverage, and as always better customer care and support from O2 anyday... In fairness they were able to give me all the info on their product 1 day after it launched. I had to go to a 3 store as 3 customer care were unable to help me

Well as an O2 customer also, I will probably go with it. The only one thing is, if I visit the UK, I pay data roaming charges which are huge, whereas if I go with 3, my understanding is that it roams in the UK at the same rate?? Is that correct cula?

JNive

i believe 3 in the UK will still incur roaming charges

culabula

whisht wrote:

Well as an O2 customer also, I will probably go with it. The only one thing is, if I visit the UK, I pay data roaming charges which are huge, whereas if I go with 3, my understanding is that it roams in the UK at the same rate?? Is that correct cula?

Yes, correct. You will incur charges when roaming. 3 is free to use in 9 other territories including the UK. At time of writing however, there is still no HSDPA in the north on 3 and limited access to same in London and Manchester, UK.

"Overage" is 5c on 3 Ireland, BTW, not 10c.

culabula

JNive wrote:

i believe 3 in the UK will still incur roaming charges

Absolutely not.

culabula

mralphabet1984 wrote:

Heya Just A Few Things I Know About this through contacting O2 and 3.



The way I looked at it, three are offering 3GB for €40 allowing you access to their 3.6mb 3 network and access to Vodafone on GPRS/3G or €20 gets you 3.6mb access where 3 have coverage (mostly the west of Ireland according to their store) If on the 20 tariff you dont have a 3 mast beside you you get nothing. They charge 10c overage too. the decive is also €129. So they are charging €40 for 3gb but o2 are giving 10gb for the same service (HSDPA/GPRS)

As I posted some time ago, despite 3's misleading wording on their website, the 10gig tariff at 20€ a month WILL give you access to both 3G and 3,5G. There is no penalty save that of slower speeds and you can use it on the non-HSDPA 3 UK network (as well as all 3's sister nets). If you use up the 10GB, you get charged 5c per mb. You cannot use it on any other net other than 3's worldwide. You cannot make voice MT/MO calls, you cannot send SMS but you can receive them.

GUIGuy

Have a look at O2 experience store this morning! 15 Euro folks

culabula

GUIGuy wrote:

Have a look at O2 experience store this morning! 15 Euro folks

Please explain.

GUIGuy

There's a big poster on the O2 experience store in Grafton Street this morning. Up to 3.6mbps for 15 euro. Think modem is 69 but was rushing past so didn't see the modem price properly. Wondering if thats an introductory offer or only for a first months... will check if its not raining too hard.

cormie

Is there any official links to pricing? I don't have a talk contract and don't really want one and I'm not prepared to pay 40 a month but will pay 30.

Sam Vimes

GUIGuy wrote:

There's a big poster on the O2 experience store in Grafton Street this morning. Up to 3.6mbps for 15 euro. Think modem is 69 but was rushing past so didn't see the modem price properly. Wondering if thats an introductory offer or only for a first months... will check if its not raining too hard.

15 for three months going up to 30 after that

(second post in the thread)

SachaJ

do we know for sure yet is it going to be an add-on to your current active life (or similar) package.

ie. make calls etc on the same SIM as being able to use the HSDPA?

Tom Dunne

Right, I dropped in over lunch and here is what the nice lady told me:

Broadband only - modem : €89, €40 a month (first three months €20)

Voice and broadband - modem €69, €30 a month, but, and it's a big but, you must take out one of the voice packages of at least €35. So that's a minimum of €65 a month for combined voice+data.

Both are bill pay. Forgot to ask about pre-pay.

whisht

As a matter of interest, are they actually selling it?
My local shop has now told me it will be Monday and then another employee told me this afternoon it will be later in July and then I rang O2 customer care and they told me Monday also and that the O2 Experience store just have it on demo but are not actually selling it yet?

cormie

Probably will be Monday, maybe Monday means "later in July" to the other guy:)

So is all that about pricing above confirmed?

Kurn

the o2 shop on grafton street have something on this on their window with a picture of a wireless o2 modem

Tom Dunne

johnmryan wrote:

the o2 shop on grafton street have something on this on their window with a picture of a wireless o2 modem

That's where I went yesterday to get the details above. It's the O2 Experience shop, not the one at the top of Grafton Street, near St. Stephen's Green.

cormie

I was just on to 1747 there.

So this is actually for sale at the moment, it's just not launched yet, but afaik, you can actually order and use it right now.

Anyway, I was trying to find out what is best for me. I'm on the SpeakEasy flat rate of 20c per min any time.

For me to avail of the broadband at €30 a month and €69 for the modem, I'll need to sign up to bill pay. I spend about €70 per month on credit now so if I was to go with easylife 150 or whatever it's called I'd get:

150 free minutes/100 free texts for €35 a month. At the moment this costs me €35 on speakeasy too (5c text bundle), but after the 150 minutes, it will cost me 30c a minute on bill pay as opposed to 20c on speakeasy. However for the first 6 months, you get double minutes. So say 25% extra minutes for the year it'll work out as. So this will be pretty much €35 a month for 225 minutes and 100 text messages. With speak easy flat rate, this would cost €50. Over 12 months, that's a saving of €180, as well as the saving of €260 if I was to buy the BB service without being on billpay (which I wouldn't because it's just too expensive at 40 a month).

Or else I have the option of going with three;)

Actually just having a look on the o2 site, I can't see the deal she was talking about

caster

cormie wrote:

I was just on to 1747 there.

So this is actually for sale at the moment, it's just not launched yet, but afaik, you can actually order and use it right now.

Anyway, I was trying to find out what is best for me. I'm on the SpeakEasy flat rate of 20c per min any time.

For me to avail of the broadband at €30 a month and €69 for the modem, I'll need to sign up to bill pay. I spend about €70 per month on credit now so if I was to go with easylife 150 or whatever it's called I'd get:

150 free minutes/100 free texts for €35 a month. At the moment this costs me €35 on speakeasy too (5c text bundle), but after the 150 minutes, it will cost me 30c a minute on bill pay as opposed to 20c on speakeasy. However for the first 6 months, you get double minutes. So say 25% extra minutes for the year it'll work out as. So this will be pretty much €35 a month for 225 minutes and 100 text messages. With speak easy flat rate, this would cost €50. Over 12 months, that's a saving of €180, as well as the saving of €260 if I was to buy the BB service without being on billpay (which I wouldn't because it's just too expensive at 40 a month).

Or else I have the option of going with three;)

Actually just having a look on the o2 site, I can't see the deal she was talking about

Yeah, there doesn't seem to be any info at all on the website about all this yet .... even though it says on the sign on the O2 Experience store to check www.o2.ie for details !!

Gekko

I have an O2 business rep calling in on Monday afternoon with the card to get set up for broadband.

I'm with O2 on a voice tariff so it's €69 for the card and €30 a month.

They've told me my (rural) area is covered so I'm hoping I won't need my €27/month 56k dialup any more.

Fingers crossed for Monday!

matrim

I called into an O2 shop today to see if they have any combined voice \ data tariffs. I was told they don't and the data charges if you use a 3G phone are the same as they currently are i.e. 10 euro for 10MB or 25 for 25 MB.

Random

It seems to be added to their website now - http://www.o2online.ie/wps/wcm/connect/O2/Home/Personal/Services/O2+Broadband

120_Minutes

Carphone Warehouse are selling this as of two days ago, at the prices already discussed.

cormie

€8 a MB when roaming is crazy I think:( Is roaming definitely free with three?

Urban Weigl

cormie wrote:

€8 a MB when roaming is crazy I think:( Is roaming definitely free with three?

Yes. However, 3 only have networks in 9 countries.

cormie

True, but would any of us actually use the service if it meant dishing out 8 euro for every MB? I'd much rather just go to a net cafe or wifi access point:)

Kurn

http://www.o2online.ie/wps/wcm/connect/O2/Home/Personal/Services/O2+Broadband

flodis79

johnmryan wrote:

http://www.o2online.ie/wps/wcm/connect/O2/Home/Personal/Services/O2+Broadband

Interesting! This means that you can get the 10GB as an add-on to Speak Easy for €40 per month?

Random

flodis79 wrote:

Interesting! This means that you can get the 10GB as an add-on to Speak Easy for €40 per month?

No. It says:
* Available to New and Existing Customers
* Subject to Broadband Connection on 12 month Contract
* A USB modem purchase is required to avail of half price offer

flodis79

ciaranfo wrote:

No. It says:
* Available to New and Existing Customers
* Subject to Broadband Connection on 12 month Contract
* A USB modem purchase is required to avail of half price offer

Broadband Connection with other Pay monthly plans, Speak easy & Broadband only customers
Price Plan Monthly Subscription Promotional Half price for 3 months offer Data Usage Limit USB Modem Once Off Charge
Broadband on the Move €40 €20 10GB €89

* Available to New and Existing Customers
* Subject to Broadband Connection on 12 month Contract
* A USB modem purchase is required to avail of half price offer

Random

You just posted the same as me! - * Subject to Broadband Connection on 12 month Contract

flodis79

ciaranfo wrote:

You just posted the same as me! - * Subject to Broadband Connection on 12 month Contract

Yes, but why do they mention Speak Easy in the text then?

Random

I'd guess from reading the website that they're trying to cover everyone so that people are aware that they can get the broadband?