Best SIM only plan at the moment?

TheDriver · 27-02-2026 01:29PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124269363#Comment_124269363

You should see a big improvement as the APN is now in Ireland rather than routed through Holland or Malta along with 5G.

N64 · 27-02-2026 05:08PM

Does clear mobile still have the speed downlod cap on it? Previously used it and download speeds were capped at 100 Mbps…

NotShero · 27-02-2026 05:14PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124270017#Comment_124270017

No, there's no speed cap now

MadDogGreener · 27-02-2026 05:22PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124270017#Comment_124270017

No download speed cap at all. I usually get 200-300 around Dublin. Sometimes higher

Lester_Burnham · 27-02-2026 06:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124270017#Comment_124270017

I'd say no.

lotsofthegreen · 27-02-2026 10:35PM

if anyone wants to switch to clear PM and I’ll refer you so we both get tenner voucher very happy with clear was on Vodafone prepay €20 a month , I can’t see any difference with clear a few months and no surprise bills

Spn744 · 28-02-2026 01:45AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124267835#Comment_124267835

I don’t think they ask for your age and if it’s adults only you could put in your own and transfer when they become 18.

Works for ports and new numbers!

GalaxyRyder · 05-03-2026 06:06PM

I changed from Three to Tesco mobile and the first issue was, Tesco mobile blocks 5G on my phone (Google phones).

I changed to Clear mobile and the coverage is far weaker than it was on the Three masts (which Tesco runs off. Clear runs on Vodafone).

48 next, might be a good option, as they run of Three masts?

I love the 5G speeds + wifi calling, but they're low coverage isn't ideal.

NotShero · 05-03-2026 06:09PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124288255#Comment_124288255

Just to note, there's no WiFi Calling or VoLTE on 48. No VoLTE will mean mobile data is unusable when on a call.

There's GoMo (eir) for €14.99pm. Unlimited 5G, loads of calls & texts. WiFi Calling & VoLTE support.

GalaxyRyder · 05-03-2026 11:38PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124288267#Comment_124288267

Thanks, I'll go with GoMo. I just checked the deep search on coverage map and Clear Mobile has horrible coverage, where the routine coverage checker said it was perfect.

Anyone know if I just have to wait out the month with Clear Mobile, or can I cancel and get refunded, then get an eSIM with GoMo so I can just port my number immediately?

14 day cooling off period for contract applies with Clear, but cause they give the first month free and charge an introduction fee instead, maybe that prevents them refunding if someone exits within that two week period?

wassie · 05-03-2026 11:55PM

If thats the Comreg coverage map your referring to, its an indicator, not an exact guide. It says I have poor coverage with Gomo, yet we are getting well over 100Mbs. It also doesnt show 5G cover for Clearmobile.

You wont get a refund clear as you are paying for a month in advance and have to give 30 days notice if cancelling. If switching you can port immediately (or next available time) but again, no refunds.

Re:cancelling in 14 day cooling period - you are correct. The Activation fee is non-refundable. You would be liable pro-rata for the first month, but since this is free, thats it.

GalaxyRyder · 06-03-2026 12:09AM

The phone reception itself under Clear is poor in my location (it was full bars with Three), but when I use 5G I get about 10 Mbps.

4G I get about 50 Mbps.

And that's with low bars so I assume it can be better still.

wassie · 06-03-2026 12:15AM

Thats where the cooling off period should be useful i.e. to test the service.

But as you say, they work around this by having various one off charges at the start of the service, so your going to have the pay the equivalent of a full month regardless.

SteelyDanJalapeno · 10-03-2026 08:31AM

How is clear bad if they piggyback off vodafone who have one of the best coverage maps in Ireland

yellowbear · 10-03-2026 08:49AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124300072#Comment_124300072

it just depends where you live. There's a three mast close to my house and their coverage is much better than Vodafone here. So I'm with 48.

wassie · 10-03-2026 09:30AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124300072#Comment_124300072

Theres plenty of local factors that will affect coverage, such as;

Local geography (hills, trees, buildings etc)
The number of cell towers (masts) serving an area
Level of congestion on any given cell.

This summary table below was AI generated - I have no way of verifying its accuracy, other than to say its a "general, nation-wide" view.

Your actual experience will depend on the local factors I noted above. For example, Im located rurally and after testing all 3 networks, I am using Three on a prepaid plan at the moment for a 4G router for broadband temporarily, getting well over 150Mbs.

Feature	Vodafone	Three	eir
Urban Performance	High stability. Reliable speeds in cities, but rarely the "fastest" in testing.	Speed King. Highest 5G speeds in Dublin, Cork, and Limerick. Best for heavy urban data.	Connectivity Leader. Highest "Time on 5G" score; you stay on 5G longer while moving in cities.
Rural Performance	Geographic King. Often the only signal in "blackspots" like West Cork or Donegal.	Variable. Excellent if you have line-of-sight to a mast, but can drop to 3G/Edge in deep valleys.	Strong & Improving. Large rural mast footprint; often has 5G in surprisingly small villages.
Indoor Penetration	Excellent. Uses lower frequency bands (800MHz) that travel through thick stone walls well.	Moderate. Historically relied on higher frequencies; signal can struggle in older, thick-walled buildings.	Strong. Good balance of low-band frequencies for indoor reach and high-band for speed.
5G Availability	Good in major towns; slower rollout to smaller rural townlands.	Extensive in urban hubs. Focuses on "Ultra Fast" 5G in high-density areas.	Highest Availability. Currently leads in the percentage of time users spend on a 5G signal nationwide.
Congestion Risk	Low. High capacity relative to their user base; speeds stay stable during events.	High. Because they handle the most data traffic (and many MVNOs), speeds can dip at peak times.	Low. Massive recent backhaul upgrades have made their network very resilient to heavy loads.

Glaceon · 10-03-2026 01:28PM

My personal experience of Eir has always been disappointing. They have great Wi-Fi calling but the coverage is so bad that they need it! I find it drops back to 3G a lot and when it does, your data connection is useless. And even on 5G, single-digit megabit speeds aren't uncommon where I am. Granted, I can get a gigabit on a speed test near my office in Dublin, but that's not much use to me elsewhere.

That's not to say that someone else has a complete opposite experience, it completely depends on where you are and where you're using it.

sruthair · 10-03-2026 01:55PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124300831#Comment_124300831

coverage is bad with eir for me, mainly 1 bar 5g, just did a speed test 820kbps down. i only keep it as a backup. other locations it works better.

KildareP · 10-03-2026 02:18PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124300072#Comment_124300072

Vodafone's network is not what it once was - Three regularly outperforms them both in coverage and speed on my travels.

When they switched off 3G you either got a horribly congested low bandwidth 4G signal or EDGE which is completely useless for data.

It did improve slightly up until last year when I left them but even today when I hear someone moaning about terrible speeds or desperately looking for WiFi access, chances are they're on Vodafone.

sruthair · 10-03-2026 02:39PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124300966#Comment_124300966

if you travel throughout Ireland there is no network that will cover all areas; parts of Mayo and Galway that I go to have no Eir or Voda coverage even the cars data connection shows no signal in these areas.

feargantae · 10-03-2026 09:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124300072#Comment_124300072

It completely depends on where you're located. Where I am I have full bars of 5G and have gotten speeds up to 1Gb before with 3 whereas with eir/Vodafone the signal strength isn't quite as strong with speeds around 500Mb.

I've family members living rurally where up until Vodafone switched off their 3G network they were hands down the best for coverage, but now they're stuck on Edge and struggle to make a call. Thank god for WiFi Calling in that case!

SteelyDanJalapeno · 10-03-2026 11:44PM

My point was Clear are no worse than Vodafone

GalaxyRyder · 19-03-2026 11:21PM

I can't seem to figure out how to cancel my Clear Mobile monthly subscription from renewing.

There's no option to do that on the account page.

I contacted them and they gave me some irrelevant response, aside from saying that when I port to another network, I will no longer receiving Clear coverage, but without saying my payments would be cancelled?

NotShero · 20-03-2026 12:04AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124325802#Comment_124325802

Your payments will stop and the account will be cancelled when you port your number to a different network.

NotShero · 20-03-2026 12:48AM

GoMo back to €12.99pm until the 30th of March.

GalaxyRyder · 22-03-2026 09:24PM

GoMo activation is 13 beans + 13 beans per month.

JaysusW3pt · 23-03-2026 03:40AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124269363#Comment_124269363

I switched to Clear Mobile from Post Mobile. Excellent data speeds but WiFi calling completely messed up calls for me. I had multiple missed calls (none for years before this) and people just couldn't get through to me. Disabled WiFi calling and everything back to normal. Very happy with everything after disabling WiFi calling.

Any reason why this would be a issue?

JaysusW3pt · 23-03-2026 03:42AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124333286#Comment_124333286

I've been reading through this thread and half the posts are yours. How can you not have figured this out yet?

TheDriver · 23-03-2026 11:15AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124333816#Comment_124333816

Wifi Calling can have it's issues with specific models of phones etc. Unless you have reception issues, I would just leave it off.

The move to 5G and an Irish APN would make a huge difference.

GalaxyRyder · 23-03-2026 11:55AM

Clear mobile is infuriating.

5G signal is horrible sometimes, and great other times.

The regular mobile signal is typically 2 out of 4 bars.

I'm in between switching the GoMo in the hope their signal and coverage is better, or just staying with Clear and hoping their 5G coverage eventually stabilises.

Best SIM only plan at the moment?

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