Eircom has decided to rollout a new satellite broadband service to complement its DSL rollout, offering homes and businesses satellite broadband at rates from €39.99 a month for 512Kps speeds to the home up to €655.41 a month for 4Mbps broadband to the business.
To make the service possible, Eircom forged an alliance with Cork-based Mediasatellite Ireland Ltd for the supply of satellite products. Mediasatellite currently has customers various parts of the country, ranging from Enniscorthy to Castletownbere through Dingle, Lisdoonvarna, Castlebar and up to Killybegs.
Under the service structure, Eircom is offering three products under the Eircom Satellite Broadband One Way service for home users, offering download speeds of between 512Kbps to 1Mbps, while upload speeds depend on the customer’s existing phone line, whether it is PSTN (33Kbps) or ISDN (128Kbps).
Monthly rental starts at €30 but users would need to pay an extra €9.99 (including Vat) for off-peak users to €29.99 for those who want all-day internet access. The connection fee for home users is €423, which covers the satellite dish and the cost of installing it.
There are six products for business users of Eircom’s Satellite Broadband Two Way service, offering download speeds of 512Kbps to 4Mbps. Monthly rental ranges from €127 a month for 512kbps up to €655 a month for 4Mbps. Connection fees range from €1,892 up to €8,108 for installation.
Commenting on the new service, Eircom’s commercial director David McRedmond said: “The addition of the satellite broadband range allows us to offer broadband to all customers anywhere in Ireland.
“Satellite broadband will suit customers who are currently unable to avail of our DSL broadband products. With this new range of products, customers are no longer restricted by being in remote location or because they’re over a certain distance from the local telephone exchange. This is a comprehensive suite of products that will suit everyone from residential customers to large SMEs with many users.”
By John Kennedy
