eir Mobile Review: Not the Network to choose in 2018
With it's network experiencing a seemingly endless free fall, recommending eir in 2018 is pretty tough.
Credit: Monaghan has it
Published 27/08/18
eir's expertise has historically laid with its broadband network, allowing the company to become the largest communications provider in this country. On the other hand, there has always been the consensus that the company's efforts in mobile have been given lesser priority, standing in the shadow of eir's cash cow, broadband.
But even if eir's mobile division doesn't reel in quite as profit as its monopolistic broadband network, the company has managed to attract over one million customers. Last year, eir took a huge leap of faith which solidified its brand in Ireland by axing Meteor, which was eir's subsidiary mobile network where the largest pool of mobile customers presided.
In recent months, there has been much speculation as to the future of the company following a takeover by Xavier Niel, the French Billionaire responsible for revolutionising the mobile market in his home country. Next year will be a critical point in time for eir, we will begin to see what Niel has in store for the Irish market.
But even if eir's mobile division doesn't reel in quite as profit as its monopolistic broadband network, the company has managed to attract over one million customers. Last year, eir took a huge leap of faith which solidified its brand in Ireland by axing Meteor, which was eir's subsidiary mobile network where the largest pool of mobile customers presided.
In recent months, there has been much speculation as to the future of the company following a takeover by Xavier Niel, the French Billionaire responsible for revolutionising the mobile market in his home country. Next year will be a critical point in time for eir, we will begin to see what Niel has in store for the Irish market.
Summary:
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Positives
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Negatives
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Network Overview: Think Titanic, a Sinking Ship
The most appropriate way to describe the state of eir's mobile network in 2018 is to compare it with the Titanic. Just two or three years back, eir was enjoying great momentum with the rollout of its 4G network, a network that was challenging Vodafone for the top spot at the time. However, while it may have been deemed an "unsinkable ship" by the company, eir's network took a turn for the worse, hitting an iceberg in 2016. That iceberg would prove fatal for eir's network, 4G speeds have sunk beyond hilarity, and the company's propellers have stopped spinning, standing still as the competition from Three and Vodafone sails past. I hate to say this, but the company's network is approaching that point where the Titanic breaks in two, initiating a rapid demise that can only be looked upon with empathy.
In more simple terms, headaches induced by poor network performance are now a common phenomenon for eir's mobile customers. The company's 4G speeds continue to dive and are now the slowest in Ireland. Furthermore, while Three has steamed ahead with its rollout of 4G coverage into more rural areas, eir's coverage has hardly expanded in the last two or perhaps three years.
The company claims to provide 96% population coverage with its 4G network, close to the figures touted by Three and Vodafone. For the most part, eir's 4G coverage is good. Unfortunately, while you may have access to 4G, don't expect it to be blisteringly fast. In a quick summary, the fundamental cause for the drop in 4G speeds is a severe lack of capacity in many areas. This lack of sufficient capacity leads to congestion and is a result of too little spectrum being deployed, poor densification, and an absence of techniques such as carrier aggregation, MIMO and QAM which are widely used by other networks to improve spectral efficiency.
Going forward, there have been widespread reports that eir's new owners aim to dramatically improve the company's mobile network performance by increasing investment in the mobile division. The major issue which eir will inevitably face is a spectrum crunch. Out of Ireland's three mobile networks, eir holds the least amount of spectrum for use with 4G or 5G. This puts the company in a difficult position as data usage continues to surge. eir needs to refarm spectrum that is currently being used to serve 2G and 3G services, such as moving its 2100Mhz block from 3G to 4G.
For you, the customer, it means that streaming a video on YouTube or Netflix, sending a Snap and downloading a news article will be a slower and more cumbersome process with eir. Trust me, waiting an eternity for a video to buffer is outright frustrating, and it will have a hugely negative impact on your experience with the company.
Finally, I would like to conclude on a bright note. eir remains the only Irish network to offer WiFi Calling, giving customers the ability to place and receive calls in locations where eir's mobile network provides inadequate coverage but there is access to an eir WiFi network. Then, we need to talk a little about the incoming wave of 5G networks and devices that will arrive at much fanfare on Irish shores next year. The omnipresence of eir's broadband network will be a key asset that the company can use to gain the upper hand over Vodafone and Three. The company will be in a prime position to provide fibre backhaul to new 5G base stations.
In more simple terms, headaches induced by poor network performance are now a common phenomenon for eir's mobile customers. The company's 4G speeds continue to dive and are now the slowest in Ireland. Furthermore, while Three has steamed ahead with its rollout of 4G coverage into more rural areas, eir's coverage has hardly expanded in the last two or perhaps three years.
The company claims to provide 96% population coverage with its 4G network, close to the figures touted by Three and Vodafone. For the most part, eir's 4G coverage is good. Unfortunately, while you may have access to 4G, don't expect it to be blisteringly fast. In a quick summary, the fundamental cause for the drop in 4G speeds is a severe lack of capacity in many areas. This lack of sufficient capacity leads to congestion and is a result of too little spectrum being deployed, poor densification, and an absence of techniques such as carrier aggregation, MIMO and QAM which are widely used by other networks to improve spectral efficiency.
Going forward, there have been widespread reports that eir's new owners aim to dramatically improve the company's mobile network performance by increasing investment in the mobile division. The major issue which eir will inevitably face is a spectrum crunch. Out of Ireland's three mobile networks, eir holds the least amount of spectrum for use with 4G or 5G. This puts the company in a difficult position as data usage continues to surge. eir needs to refarm spectrum that is currently being used to serve 2G and 3G services, such as moving its 2100Mhz block from 3G to 4G.
For you, the customer, it means that streaming a video on YouTube or Netflix, sending a Snap and downloading a news article will be a slower and more cumbersome process with eir. Trust me, waiting an eternity for a video to buffer is outright frustrating, and it will have a hugely negative impact on your experience with the company.
Finally, I would like to conclude on a bright note. eir remains the only Irish network to offer WiFi Calling, giving customers the ability to place and receive calls in locations where eir's mobile network provides inadequate coverage but there is access to an eir WiFi network. Then, we need to talk a little about the incoming wave of 5G networks and devices that will arrive at much fanfare on Irish shores next year. The omnipresence of eir's broadband network will be a key asset that the company can use to gain the upper hand over Vodafone and Three. The company will be in a prime position to provide fibre backhaul to new 5G base stations.
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Positives:
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Negatives:
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Bill Pay Plans: The Best on the Market for eir Existing Customers
eir's bill pay and bill pay sim only plans recently underwent a major revamp. The plans now provide more data than ever before, at the lowest prices we've seen from the company to date. These are easily some of the best value plans available on the Irish mobile market, especially if you are an existing eir customer. You see, existing customers can choose any of the company's bill pay plans to use, and receive a monthly discount of €10. Saving €120 every year is a big deal, and I would strongly urge you to seek these plans over those offered by competitors if you are an existing eir customer.
Shown above are the bill pay and bill pay sim only plans available with eir, note that the less expensive plans are only available to existing eir customers. Every bill pay plan bundles unlimited texts to any network and all but the least expensive plan include unlimited calls to any Irish network. eir's bill pay plans are subject to a twenty-four-month contract, with bill pay sim only plans locking you to the company thirty days at a time.
The best value bill pay plan, eir mobile connect, costs €45 monthly for new customers and €35 monthly for existing customers. As well as bundling unlimited calls and texts, the plan includes a 40GB data allowance. Furthermore, something critical which eir has changed is the company's roaming policy. Up until recently, Vodafone was the only Irish network to permit customers to use their full domestic call, text and data allowance across Europe at no extra cost. With these revamped plans, eir now allows customers to use their plan anywhere in Europe as they would at home in Ireland.
As always, it is important to compare the plans offered by one company with those offered by a competitor. For this purpose, we will compare eir's €35 monthly sim only plan (€25 for existing eir customers), which gives customers unlimited calls, texts and 50GB of data, with a similar plan offered by Vodafone and Three. No surprise, eir's plan blitzes the one provided by Vodafone, offering a wapping 40GB of more data. Vodafone's sim only plan costs €35 monthly (€25 for first six months) and provides a meagre 10GB data allowance. However, the benefits aren't immediately obvious when we compare eir's plan to Three's €30 monthly plan which gives customers unlimited calls, texts and data. In this instance, Three's plan offers better value for those who are not existing eir customers.
eir deserves some praise for its efforts to add more value to customer's plans outside of pricing and allowances. The company bundles free eir Sport (which includes seven sports channels), normally worth over €20 monthly, with every bill pay and bill sim only plan. Not only this, but eir also provides a free six-month subscription to Hayu, a reality-TV streaming service.
Finally, I should also mention the fact that eir bundles international minutes with many of its bill pay plans. This, combined with free roaming across the continent of Europe, means eir is an excellent network to choose if you intend to travel abroad on a frequent basis. The bill pay plans offered by eir deliver excellent value, value at an unparalleled level if you're an existing eir customer. The bundling of free extras such as eir Sport and Hayu make these plans stand out in a drab market, and the addition of free European roaming puts the cherry on the cake. If you are on the lookout for a new bill pay plan, ensure eir's plans receive some of your attention.
Shown above are the bill pay and bill pay sim only plans available with eir, note that the less expensive plans are only available to existing eir customers. Every bill pay plan bundles unlimited texts to any network and all but the least expensive plan include unlimited calls to any Irish network. eir's bill pay plans are subject to a twenty-four-month contract, with bill pay sim only plans locking you to the company thirty days at a time.
The best value bill pay plan, eir mobile connect, costs €45 monthly for new customers and €35 monthly for existing customers. As well as bundling unlimited calls and texts, the plan includes a 40GB data allowance. Furthermore, something critical which eir has changed is the company's roaming policy. Up until recently, Vodafone was the only Irish network to permit customers to use their full domestic call, text and data allowance across Europe at no extra cost. With these revamped plans, eir now allows customers to use their plan anywhere in Europe as they would at home in Ireland.
As always, it is important to compare the plans offered by one company with those offered by a competitor. For this purpose, we will compare eir's €35 monthly sim only plan (€25 for existing eir customers), which gives customers unlimited calls, texts and 50GB of data, with a similar plan offered by Vodafone and Three. No surprise, eir's plan blitzes the one provided by Vodafone, offering a wapping 40GB of more data. Vodafone's sim only plan costs €35 monthly (€25 for first six months) and provides a meagre 10GB data allowance. However, the benefits aren't immediately obvious when we compare eir's plan to Three's €30 monthly plan which gives customers unlimited calls, texts and data. In this instance, Three's plan offers better value for those who are not existing eir customers.
eir deserves some praise for its efforts to add more value to customer's plans outside of pricing and allowances. The company bundles free eir Sport (which includes seven sports channels), normally worth over €20 monthly, with every bill pay and bill sim only plan. Not only this, but eir also provides a free six-month subscription to Hayu, a reality-TV streaming service.
Finally, I should also mention the fact that eir bundles international minutes with many of its bill pay plans. This, combined with free roaming across the continent of Europe, means eir is an excellent network to choose if you intend to travel abroad on a frequent basis. The bill pay plans offered by eir deliver excellent value, value at an unparalleled level if you're an existing eir customer. The bundling of free extras such as eir Sport and Hayu make these plans stand out in a drab market, and the addition of free European roaming puts the cherry on the cake. If you are on the lookout for a new bill pay plan, ensure eir's plans receive some of your attention.
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Positives
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Negatives
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Pay as You Go Plans: Good but not the Best
By now, you can probably detect a trend which has persisted throughout this review, that is, a sense of admiration for the value offered by eir's plans. This extends to the company's pay as you go plans, which offer more data than that of eir's largest competitor, Vodafone. However, these plans aren't quite as attractive as they once were as the competition has reached new heights. For example, Vodafone launched a slew of new student-orientated pay as you go plans last year, Vodafone X, and these plans excel in areas where eir's plan cannot compete.
There are two flaws with eir's €20 pay as you go plan which need to be highlighted. Firstly, there are no texts included with this plan if you choose unlimited calls. Of course, this may not be an issue for many as the pervasiveness of instant messaging applications such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messages continues to grow. But, I still believe eir should include a text and call allowance with the plan, something that all of its competitors include at this price. Secondly, when you top up with these plans, your money is used to activate the plans, meaning there is no credit left to use for calls, texts or data. This only exacerbates the lack of a text allowance.
Putting the above shortcomings aside, the €20 plan still offers exceptional value for your money. You can enjoy unlimited calls and 15GB of data. Most notably, however, is the company's zero-rating feature which allows you to use services such as YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram and Snaphat as much as you like without them eating into your 15GB data allowance. Vodafone's X Weekend pay as you go plan, which is priced the same as this, provides 20GB of data and unlimited data from midday Friday to midnight Sunday, along with unlimited any network texts and 100 call minutes. In my view, Vodafone's plan beats the one offered by eir here.
eir also provides two other pay as you go plans, shown above, but I don't recommend that you choose these plans because there are better ones available from other companies. Something important which needs to be brought to your attention is the roaming policy which eir implements on its pay as you go plans. eir limits your domestic data allowance when roaming across Europe to just 5.5GB on the €20 plan.
There are two flaws with eir's €20 pay as you go plan which need to be highlighted. Firstly, there are no texts included with this plan if you choose unlimited calls. Of course, this may not be an issue for many as the pervasiveness of instant messaging applications such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messages continues to grow. But, I still believe eir should include a text and call allowance with the plan, something that all of its competitors include at this price. Secondly, when you top up with these plans, your money is used to activate the plans, meaning there is no credit left to use for calls, texts or data. This only exacerbates the lack of a text allowance.
Putting the above shortcomings aside, the €20 plan still offers exceptional value for your money. You can enjoy unlimited calls and 15GB of data. Most notably, however, is the company's zero-rating feature which allows you to use services such as YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram and Snaphat as much as you like without them eating into your 15GB data allowance. Vodafone's X Weekend pay as you go plan, which is priced the same as this, provides 20GB of data and unlimited data from midday Friday to midnight Sunday, along with unlimited any network texts and 100 call minutes. In my view, Vodafone's plan beats the one offered by eir here.
eir also provides two other pay as you go plans, shown above, but I don't recommend that you choose these plans because there are better ones available from other companies. Something important which needs to be brought to your attention is the roaming policy which eir implements on its pay as you go plans. eir limits your domestic data allowance when roaming across Europe to just 5.5GB on the €20 plan.
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Positives
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Negatives
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Intangibles:
eir remains the only Irish network which has yet to provide a loyalty service to its customers. Three and Vodafone have managed to develop an enticing system of rewards and freebies for customers which choose to stick with the company. Vodafone's Fantastic Days allows people to enjoy free cinema tickets, ice creams and more. Three's 3Plus programme provides discounts in restaurants and shops. Either way, the complete lack of a loyalty programme with eir is something that many customers will miss if they leave Three or Vodafone. eir is missing an opportunity to add value to customer's plans and lower their churn rate.
The company provides a suite of mobile apps for its services, including My eir and eir Sport. The apps are available on Android and iOS. As you would come to expect nowadays, the My eir app allows customers to access their mobile account. In the app, you can view allowances, make changes to plans and contact customer care. The app scores an unfavourable 2.3 stars on Google's Play Store. This poor rating falls in line with my own experience using the app, I experienced frequent issues accessing my eir account. Upon contacting eir's customer care team, I was informed that the company was investigating these widespread issues, but a resolution remains up in the air. These issues have never affected me with Vodafone or Three.
In terms of customer care, I can only speak about my personal experience. The process of contacting eir's customer care is incredibly frustrating, so much so that many people have asked me to contact the company on their behalf because they are unable to do so themselves. The customer care experience is fragmented, I was routinely transferred from one department to another department, frankly, it is akin to running in a hamster wheel. When you dial the number to contact eir's support team, you will be inundated with a barrage of options read aloud by an automated voice, and you must act quickly or otherwise, you will be returned to the home menu. Again, I've never experienced such an issue with Vodafone's customer care. A recent report by the Irish Times details the fact that eir is aware of the poor customer support that it provides, and I would be perplexed if a company, with this knowledge, doesn't act to improve its service.
The selection of devices provided by eir is pretty extensive, including the usual brands such as Samsung, Apple and Huawei. Of course, there are devices available from other brands as well as those listed already, I doubt that you'll be disappointed with the selection of devices that are available. However, eir doesn't manage to secure quite as many exclusives as Three or Vodafone does so that is something to bear in mind.
Finally, it is important that I mention eir's policy in relation to using your device as a mobile hotspot. eir fully supports this feature across all of its plans, provided you have a data allowance. This is an important feature for many which Three claims is forbidden to use on all of their plans.
The company provides a suite of mobile apps for its services, including My eir and eir Sport. The apps are available on Android and iOS. As you would come to expect nowadays, the My eir app allows customers to access their mobile account. In the app, you can view allowances, make changes to plans and contact customer care. The app scores an unfavourable 2.3 stars on Google's Play Store. This poor rating falls in line with my own experience using the app, I experienced frequent issues accessing my eir account. Upon contacting eir's customer care team, I was informed that the company was investigating these widespread issues, but a resolution remains up in the air. These issues have never affected me with Vodafone or Three.
In terms of customer care, I can only speak about my personal experience. The process of contacting eir's customer care is incredibly frustrating, so much so that many people have asked me to contact the company on their behalf because they are unable to do so themselves. The customer care experience is fragmented, I was routinely transferred from one department to another department, frankly, it is akin to running in a hamster wheel. When you dial the number to contact eir's support team, you will be inundated with a barrage of options read aloud by an automated voice, and you must act quickly or otherwise, you will be returned to the home menu. Again, I've never experienced such an issue with Vodafone's customer care. A recent report by the Irish Times details the fact that eir is aware of the poor customer support that it provides, and I would be perplexed if a company, with this knowledge, doesn't act to improve its service.
The selection of devices provided by eir is pretty extensive, including the usual brands such as Samsung, Apple and Huawei. Of course, there are devices available from other brands as well as those listed already, I doubt that you'll be disappointed with the selection of devices that are available. However, eir doesn't manage to secure quite as many exclusives as Three or Vodafone does so that is something to bear in mind.
Finally, it is important that I mention eir's policy in relation to using your device as a mobile hotspot. eir fully supports this feature across all of its plans, provided you have a data allowance. This is an important feature for many which Three claims is forbidden to use on all of their plans.
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Negatives:
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Conclusion: A Breath of Fresh eir is needed
For a mobile network with over one million customers, it is clear that eir is doing something right. And it is, the company's recently revamped plans provide huge data allowances, free extras such as eir sport and Hayu, and free-roaming across Europe. What's more, existing eir broadband customers can avail of sizeable discounts if they choose one of the company's bill pay or bill pay sim only plans, making the network incredibly attractive to these customers.
However, a mobile network is more than just the sum of its plans. You must gauge the quality of a network based on the overall experience as a customer. The quality of the network itself is a huge factor which everyone needs to consider before anything else. I must be frank with you because what is the point of a review if I'm not?
eir's mobile network is a shambles at this point in 2018, falling behind Three and Vodafone in virtually every aspect: coverage, speed and reliability. There will be a tough job at hand for eir's network team, as its spectrum portfolio is rather distressing.
Furthermore, the lacklustre customer care that eir provides its mobile customers is shameful, especially when they fork out money month after month for a service that is hurtling towards an unstable cliff. It is for these reasons that I cannot recommend eir as the mobile network to choose in 2018. It is my hope that Niel will breathe some fresh eir into the company over the coming months and year.
However, a mobile network is more than just the sum of its plans. You must gauge the quality of a network based on the overall experience as a customer. The quality of the network itself is a huge factor which everyone needs to consider before anything else. I must be frank with you because what is the point of a review if I'm not?
eir's mobile network is a shambles at this point in 2018, falling behind Three and Vodafone in virtually every aspect: coverage, speed and reliability. There will be a tough job at hand for eir's network team, as its spectrum portfolio is rather distressing.
Furthermore, the lacklustre customer care that eir provides its mobile customers is shameful, especially when they fork out money month after month for a service that is hurtling towards an unstable cliff. It is for these reasons that I cannot recommend eir as the mobile network to choose in 2018. It is my hope that Niel will breathe some fresh eir into the company over the coming months and year.
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