The competition for high-speed broadband between companies also offering TV services is heating up. Today, Smart Telecom revealed an uncontended 24Mbps broadband service at a price point of €45 per month.
This brings Smart on a direct collision course with rival UPC, which offers 20Mbps broadband over cable for €40 per month and Magnet, which during the summer unveiled a 50Mbps package for €73 a month.
Smart’s new Linemax service will offer one of Ireland’s fastest broadband products, with no contention (no sharing) for either residential or business customers. The €45 a month price point does not include line rental.
Smart Telecom’s existing customers with a 15Mbps service will be upgraded free of charge over the coming period. A free wireless modem is offered with orders placed online.
“We are continually working to bring the fastest, uncontended (not shared) broadband speeds to the people of Ireland,” John Quinn, regulatory and development director of Smart Telecom, explained. “Unlike our competitors’ DSL offerings or services offered over cable or wireless, our products are not contended with other customers, people get the bandwidth they pay for.
“It’s interesting to note that Eircom’s product of up to 7.6Mbps costs €3.40 more per month and is three times slower than Smart’s uncontended 24Mbps service.”
The Smart NGN (next-generation network) is the foundation for all Smart Telecom products and services. It comprises a fibre network, unbundled exchanges, licensed microwaves access, network management and processes designed to offer next-generation services across the country.
Existing high-speed packages are available to over 550,000 consumers throughout the Smart Telecom exchanges in Dublin, Cork, Donegal, Galway, Laois, Limerick, Louth, Sligo and Waterford.
Earlier this year, Smart Telecom launched new high-speed broadband packages, including Ireland’s first mass-market symmetrical broadband offering, to over 49,000 business customers throughout the company’s exchanges.
By John Kennedy
