There are many broadband options available in Westmeath, so it can be difficult to decide what the best broadband package is for your home. It can be confusing, but we’ve got all the information you need and our easy-to-use comparison tool makes it really simple to compare broadband plans for features like price, speed and contract length.
There are seven main broadband providers in Westmeath.
There are seven providers that offer fibre broadband in Westmeath.
In Westmeath, SIRO and Virgin Media are both operating in Athlone and Mullingar, so speeds of up to 1,000Mbps are available in these towns. You can find out whether your town has fibre broadband by using the dropdown filter at the top of the page.
However, even in areas of Westmeath where SIRO and Virgin Media haven’t rolled out their networks yet, there are still plenty of broadband options. it’s likely you’ll still be able to get a part fibre connection from one of the other providers.
Competition in the Irish broadband market is strong at the moment, and this has driven prices down, which means there are lots of very good deals to choose from. Introductory offers are particularly good so switching your provider can enable you to benefit from introductory offers lasting up to 18 months.
However, before you choose the cheapest deal, make sure you look at all of the plan features so you can be confident it’s suitable for your needs.
There are loads of broadband plans and packages available in the Irish broadband market at the moment. While not all of these broadband packages will be available in Westmeath, there are still lots of options to choose from.
Consider the following things when you are comparing broadband deals:
The are many internet providers offering broadband plans and packages in Westmeath. Choosing the right provider and plan will all depend on what you’re looking for - some offer standalone broadband plans, while others have bundles with TV and/or phone included. You’ll also want to compare prices and broadband speeds to find the best option for you.
There are several home broadband options in Westmeath, so what you choose will really depend on what you are looking for. One of the decisions you’ll need to make will be which type of broadband to go for - there are advantages and disadvantages to each.
What do I need to know about the different types of broadband?
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) broadband uses an existing home phone line to provide an internet connection of up to 24Mbps.
As this technology uses the phone line in your home, you’ll need a home phone line installed in order to avail of it. It’s also important to note that your distance from the nearest telephone exchange and the quality of your phone connection could impact your speed.
Providers of ADSL broadband include Digiweb, eir, Pure Telecom, Sky, and Vodafone, and introductory prices start at €25 per month. This type of broadband is generally good for those in rural areas as anyone with a phone line can avail of it.
Cable broadband is another name for fibre broadband - with cable broadband, broadband is delivered to your home using fibre-optic cables. The fastest type of fibre connection is Fibre-to-the-Home, but Part Fibre (Fibre-to-the-Cabinet) is more common but can still offer decent connection speeds.
At present, cable broadband is available from many providers, such as eir, Digiweb, Magnet, Sky, Virgin Media, and Vodafone. The likes of SIRO, eir, enet and Virgin Media are continually working to roll out across Ireland, which means it’s getting easier and cheaper than ever to access high-speed internet.
However, in certain rural areas throughout the country, some fibre broadband packages still may not be available. If the broadband you want is not currently available in your area, consider the other types of broadband that are available - for example satellite broadband or ADSL - and see if one of these might work for you.
Fibre broadband is the quickest type of broadband connection, but it can also be more expensive than the likes of ADSL broadband.
Fibre broadband, which is sometimes called Fibre-to-the-home or Fibre-to-the-premises, is delivered to your home using fibre-optic cables and offers the fastest connection speeds of up to 1,000Mbps.
Part Fibre, which is sometimes called Fibre-to-the-Cabinet, delivers fibre to your nearest cabinet and then usually uses copper cables to bring the connection to your home. The actual speed you’ll get from Part Fibre depends on your provider and your distance from the cabinet. Part Fibre is from the likes of eir, Sky, Virgin Media and Vodafone.
Fibre and Part Fibre suits consumers who require fast speeds, but want to get broadband without having a phone line installed.
Mobile broadband means mobile internet access which is provided to customers through a mobile phone signal.
As the technology used to provide mobile broadband is the same as the one that lets you use your mobile phone, many mobile network carriers offer mobile broadband via mobile dongles and 4G SIMs. Dongles can enable mobile broadband access on laptops and PCs, while 4G SIM cards can be used to gain access to the internet on a tablet.
Mobile broadband can be useful for people who need access to the internet on the move, however bear in mind that if your mobile phone signal is bad where you live, you’ll likely get poor mobile broadband signal, too.
You’ll also need to keep an eye on data allowances if you opt for a mobile broadband plan, as these can be quite low, and the charges for going above the limit tend to be steep.
Satellite broadband is set up in a household through the installation of a satellite dish, and provides speeds of up to 50Mbps.
Although it is slower than other types of broadband, satellite broadband is that it can provide an internet connection to any home - this can be particularly important in rural areas, where laying cables is not possible. Unlike other broadband, satellite packages will have a cap on downloads - at the moment, these range from 10-100GB per month.
The type of broadband you have will impact on the speeds you can get. While fibre and part fibre connections are generally the fastest, if these are not available where you live, you may need to opt for a different type of connection.
Some people find that bundling products - i.e. getting phone, broadband and TV from the one provider - works out better for them, as they only have to deal with one provider for all of these services. It’s also possible to get decent discounts by opting to bundle.
TV & broadband packages
If you can’t live without your TV package, consider bundling this up with your broadband - it’s almost always cheaper to get your broadband, TV and phone in one big package. You can easily compare the best TV and broadband plans in Westmeath and find a plan to suit you.
Broadband and Home Phone Bundles
If you don’t need a TV plan but want to find the best broadband and phone deals, we’ve got all the information you need on the best packages in Westmeath. Don’t forget to look at the calls package that’s included with the plan to make sure the calls you need are included before you sign up.
Broadband only - with no phone included
If you don’t need a TV or phone deal and you’re looking for a broadband-only plan in Westmeath, there are plenty of broadband deals with no phone line available. Many people are now opting to ditch traditional TV packages and simply subscribe to Netflix or NOW TV in addition to a broadband-only deal.