If you live in a rural part of Ireland getting a fast, reliable broadband connection can be tricky. We explain what your broadband options are and how to find the best rural WiFi deals.
Rural broadband is broadband that’s available in rural parts of the country.
It can be difficult to get a reliable, fast internet service if you live in a remote area of Ireland compared with a large urban area.
Here are the main types of broadband you can choose from if you live in a remote part of the country:
The most widely-available broadband in rural Ireland is ADSL broadband which is provided by:
Your broadband options will depend on your location, for example fibre broadband is readily available in most major cities across Ireland, but not all rural areas.
Our broadband comparison is a good place to start searching for deals in your area.
Find broadband deals where you live
If you want to see when faster broadband is on its way to you, check out the High Speed Broadband Map on the Gov.ie website.
It’s part of The National Broadband Plan that aims to deliver ‘quality, affordable high-speed broadband to all parts of Ireland where such services are not available commercially.’
SIRO is a joint venture between ESB and Vodafone that’s working to deliver a 100% fibre-to-the-building (FTTB) broadband network, using the existing ESB network. SIRO is offered on an open-access basis to all telecoms retailers in Ireland and can deliver speeds up to 1,000Mbps.
It’s being rolled out to regional Ireland first, here are the counties in the planned roll out. You can find out more about how SIRO works and when you’ll get it near you in our SIRO in Ireland guide.
The best broadband package for you will depend on what features you’re looking for. If you want a reliable connection, with unlimited usage, an ADSL plan is a good place to start.
Satellite broadband is ideal for people in remote areas because it can provide a connection to any home. However, there can be download limits, so if you’re a heavy user, or you have a busy household, this may not be the best solution.
Likewise, mobile broadband could be a good option, but you’ll need to make sure you have a strong mobile phone signal where you live, to ensure you’ll have a reliable internet connection.
Compare rural broadband packages and plans
Getting fast broadband in rural areas of Ireland can be difficult. The broadband speeds you can get will depend on what type of broadband connections are available in your area and the plan you choose.
If you live in a rural area and are having issues with slow internet, consider switching your broadband provider. As well as the potential to improve the speed of your broadband, you may also benefit from an introductory discount and save money too.
If you’ve recently switched, or you can’t get a faster plan where you live, try our tips on improving slow broadband, which could make a big difference.
It only takes a few minutes to find a cheaper deal and start saving