Best coverage across mobile phone suppliers

soldsold · 10-01-2024 01:13PM #1

Hi - I've been with Vodafone for ages on bill pay. My contract is just up. I use my phone for my business so I need a decent signal. Does Vodafone still have the best coverage/ signal or should I look at others? I'm normally in the Offaly/ Westmeath area mostly.

Thanks.

IrishOwl... · 10-01-2024 01:22PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058330646/best-coverage-across-mobile-phone-suppliers

I'd be by no means an expert for the entire Island of Ireland. But I've pretty much taken a contract with all the suppliers down through the years, depending on the offer, and I always end up back at Vodafone.

I've always found them to be the best for signal no matter where I end up.

DopeTech · 10-01-2024 01:37PM

It's really location dependent. I will say though that Vodafone used be the clear leader but 3 and eir and caught up and they are all now almost on par with each other in many locations. I have found 3 to be best of the lot the last few years. Vodafone are very poor in my home location meanwhile I can get fast 5G on 3.

You're best to get a pre pay sim from 3 or eir and test them out as somebody a mile up the road may have great signal from one but you may need to go outside to get a 1 bar on the same network.

Glaceon · 10-01-2024 01:52PM

From my experience, Vodafone still give good coverage, but they've a lot of 3G only sites that still haven't been upgraded. So you might find yourself in a town with 3G but that's better than nothing. At home I can get an almost perfect 3G signal but a weak 4G one.

soldsold · 10-01-2024 10:29PM

Thanks for the replies! A prepay sim from 3 and another from Eir sounds like a great idea. I get a very poor signal at my house with Vodafone and have just got used to it but I do get a pretty good signal in most other places. If Eir or 3 are good at home and ok everywhere else it might make it worthwhile to switch. I've a couple of old phones I can test.

babelfish1990 · 10-01-2024 11:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121599522#Comment_121599522

If you are having indoor coverage problems at home, you should consider using WiFi calling at home. This will allow you to build your own coverage within the home, based on your home broadband, rather than being at the mercy of where the mobile networks build their public towers. Your calls and texts will be routed over your home broadband, instead of on the public mobile towers. As homes improve their level of insulation and get BER A ratings, more homes will suffer from poor indoor coverage, necessitating increased use of WiFi calling. Vodafone do offer a limited version of WiFi calling, but it is worth considering Eir, because their service is more comprehensive (includes text messaging and roaming). You need to check that your handset supports it (most recent Smart phones do).

soldsold · 11-01-2024 12:53AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121599744#Comment_121599744

That's really great to know thanks! I just set it up on my phone. I run my own business so being able to get calls at home is very useful to say the least

11-01-2024 12:59AM

Theres coverage maps you can look at for each network online. 2g/3g/4g/5g. Have a look at where your going to be based mostly and decide.

Pangea · 07-02-2024 09:45PM

I switched to Eir mobile in January after twenty years with Vodafone but I have just switched back again.

I live in Donegal and while the eir coverage 4g speeds were better at my home, I found myself being stranded on a few occasions without a signal when I would move around.

One day at work I couldn't make a call despite it showing I had coverage. I have been to the north this week and I had no service for a good part of the trip and when it showed I had a signal I had no internet access.

Also when the storm hit out the electricity a few weeks ago my mobile signal went too. I presume the eir coverage doesn't work when electricity is out.

Never had any issues like this with Vodafone.

I got onto Eir, the only thing they said was to do a location reset and turn off your phone for ten minutes to update the coverage. I thought it was a crazy idea in 2024. They also said they had Eir has no towers in the north so you have to select the network you want.

So I just went straight back to Vodafone it seems just to be easier.

GIMP · 07-02-2024 10:42PM

I have both Vodafone and 3 and more often than not Vodafone is better. My missus was on Eir for a week, nothing but issues with them coverage wise, went back to Vodafone, no issues since. But it really depends on your location. I have found regardless of any networks up north they are generally alot worse coverage wise than in the Republic!

TheDriver · 08-02-2024 11:45AM

I've found things change over time. Vodafone was always best in rural areas, three and eir were useless. Nowadays I've found eir great throughout my rural area whereas vodafone would drop calls in blackspots. I'm sure this will change again over time and we'll change networks then again.

But I would no longer say vodafone is the best network by far, they're all very comparable and its a personal preference based on location.

However some of the MVNOs data processing is shocking e.g. an post had same vodafone signal but data was a different world

crinkley · 08-02-2024 11:57AM

my work phone is vodafone, my personal is eir. Personal phone is 5g and work 4g. 9/10 vodafone are faster and more reliable. I've started doing speed checks on my eir phone when it says I have 5g coverage and its not uncommon to get speeds of 1-2 mbps, pages often wont relaod and will have to do a reset - will be jumping ship when contract is up

Glaceon · 08-02-2024 12:02PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121738839#Comment_121738839

I've noticed the same, have been testing a GoMo SIM alongside my Vodafone eSIM for the last few weeks. At home I have a 5G signal but speeds are in the single digits. Turns out most of Eir's 5G is built as non-standalone, in other words it's tacked on to the existing 4G infrastructure. So you're getting a 5G signal but not the 5G benefits.

emy · 18-02-2024 08:09PM

In Donabate the best signal is Gomo (Eir), my work phone vodafone is very bad, three, 48 also very poor indoors 1.5Mbs, outside is over 10Mbps. I am thinking of moving to Eir.

Best coverage across mobile phone suppliers

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