Which network gives the best (5G) mobile coverage? And which offers the best and the cheapest 5G enabled plans? Let’s find out!
Getting good mobile coverage in Ireland with your mobile phone carrier is important. After all, you can’t really use your phone plan if you get no reception. For this reason, we’ve created this guide. So you can check which carrier and plan give you the best mobile coverage.
There are three major phone carriers that have their own network in Ireland. They’re Vodafone, Three, and Eir Mobile. The Commission for Communications Regulation in Ireland has a handy map, where you can compare the coverage of those three phone carriers. Just enter your eircode, or address and select if you want to see the 2G, 3G, or 4G coverage where you are. That way you know which network works best for you.
Of course, there is a new system that is currently being rolled out: 5G. It’s faster and more reliable than past systems. If you want to know what 5G is and how it works, you can read this guide. Since it’s so new, however, it’s not yet rolled out everywhere. For that reason, we’ve compared the big networks in Ireland. Who has the best 5G network and how can you best take advantage of this new technology?
Let’s find out.
Vodafone (5G) coverage in Ireland
Vodafone’s 5G network is currently only available in the following places: Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford & Galway. There are plans to expand the network over the coming months. You can find out more on Vodafone’s network, and stay updated as they expand, here.
How to best take advantage of Vodafone’s 5G network
To use Vodafone’s 5G network you’ll need a 5G capable phone and a 5G enabled plan. Vodafone offers both sim only and plans with a phone. You can find the available plans here. Take into account that 5G offers faster speeds so it’s easier to use more data than you’re used to with 4G or 3G. If you want to find out how much data you’ll need you can use this guide.
Can I use Vodafone’s 5G network with a prepaid plan?
At the moment Vodafone does not offer a 5G enabled prepaid plan. Of course, you can use prepaid plans to use the 3G and 4G networks of Vodafone. If you already have a prepaid plan, you can top up Vodafone call credit and data on recharge.com.
Three (5G) coverage in Ireland
Three’s 5G network is the second largest in the country. They have mobile coverage in parts of every county in Ireland. In total their network covers about 37.5% of the country. They plan to scale that up to about 60% in the coming months. You can find a map of Three’s 5G coverage here.
How to best take advantage of Three’s 5G network
Like with Vodafone, you need a 5G-enabled phone and plan to use Three’s 5G network. You can check which phones are capable of using 5G here. Three also has plenty of 5G-enabled plans on offer. From billpay, to prepay and special plans for businesses. You can find all they have on offer here.
Can I use Three’s 5G network with a prepaid plan?
Three offers 5G-enabled prepaid plans. These plans are cheaper than the bill pay plans. That way you can use 5G and keep an eye on your budget. If you’re already a Three customer you can go to your my3 account to see if you’re plan is ready for 5G. If it is, you can easily top up Three online, on recharge.com.
Eir Mobile (5G) coverage in Ireland
Eir Mobile currently has the largest 5G network in Ireland. It covers about 70% of the country. That means Eir offers 5G coverage in all counties and in 322 towns and cities across the country. You can check Eir Mobile’s 5G coverage where you are on this map.
How to best take advantage of Eir Mobile’s 5G network
Like, the other phone carriers, Eir mobile offers various 5G-enabled plans. It is the only carrier however that announced that they will upgrade all existing plans to be 5G-enabled. So if you’re already an Eir Mobile subscriber, you’ll find you might already be able to use 5G. As long as your phone is capable of using 5G of course.
Can I use Eir Mobile’s 5G network with a prepaid plan?
Sadly, Eir Mobile does not yet offer any prepaid plans that are 5G-enabled. You can still use a prepaid mobile plan to use Eir Mobile’s 3G and 4G networks, which cover 99% of the country. If you already have an Eir Mobile prepaid plan and want to top it up you can do so here.
Other phone providers with good (5G) coverage in Ireland
Vodafone, Three, and Eir Mobile are not the only phone carriers in Ireland. But the other companies use their networks. We will discuss these carriers grouped by the network they use.
- Clear Mobile and An Post – Vodafone’s network: Clear Mobile and An Post both use Vodafone’s network, which offers the least amount of 5G mobile coverage. Both offer cheap Sim-only plans, but no prepaid plans.
- Lycamobile, Tesco Mobile, Virgin Mobile and 48 – Three’s network :These 4 all use Three’s network. Which is the second largest network. Cheap available prepaid plans make these carriers a good choice if you’re on a budget.
- GoMo – Eir’s network: GoMo works on the network with the most mobile coverage: Eir mobile. They have a single cheap Sim-only plan. Good for if you know what you need. Sadly no prepaid plan on offer.
