LUKE KEHOE
  • Home
  • Fixed
    • Exploring the Edge and the Future of a Decentralised Internet
    • Messing with the National Broadband Plan is a perilous precedent for Ireland
    • How Fibre is shaping 5G
    • Examining the viability of FWA in the 5G Era
    • The Changing Face of Broadband in Ireland
    • Dismantling the Optics of a National Broadband Plan fraught with trouble
    • Ireland's Gigabit Society is now within an arm's reach
    • The Merits of a Hybrid Broadband Network
    • Fibre: The Electricity of Tomorrow
    • The National Broadband Plan: Needlessly corrupted by Politics
    • Investigating the alternatives to Fibre Broadband in Ireland
    • Virgin Media: The Company that changed how we think about Broadband in Ireland
    • The Evolution of Quad-Play Services
    • An Analysis of Net Neutrality in Ireland: Why we are Particularly Vulnerable to its Eradication
    • The Best Mobile Broadband Plans in Ireland
    • eir: Few Companies have this much Potential
    • The National Broadband Plan: A Dream marred by Mistakes
    • How SIRO is revolutionising Ireland
    • The Best Fibre Broadband Only Plans
  • Mobile
    • Analysis: Vodafone goes unlimited in Ireland
    • A Breath of Fresh Eir
    • Understanding VoLTE: The Voice of Tomorrow
    • Your Technical Guide to WiFi Calling in Ireland.
    • Mapping Ireland and Europe's path to 5G
    • 5G and the Divide Divide haunting Ireland
    • Busting three myths thwarting the IoT
    • The MVNO model is ripe for disruption
    • Pest Pulse is using the IoT to tackle an old problem in a new way
    • The trends that will shape Ireland's Mobile Market in 2019
    • Mobile Coverage and Ireland: Not a Match
    • An Interview with the man building Ireland's largest IoT Network: Will Ferguson
    • The State of the IoT in Ireland
    • The Struggle to Monetise Data
    • In Ireland, Huawei finds a home with Three and eir, rebelling against "Security Concerns"
    • Revealed: The Irish Network with the Best 4G Coverage 2018
    • How are we tackling Coverage Black Spots in Ireland?
    • Breaking Down ComReg's latest Report on the Irish Mobile Market
    • The Shift from Growth to Retention in the Irish Telecoms Market
    • Five Challenges that the IoT is facing
    • Why ComReg is Vital for a Successful Telecoms Industry in Ireland
    • Tesco Mobile passes 400,000 Customers and adds 4G
    • How our Mobile Providers are facilitating surging Data Traffic
    • Eight Industries that are being transformed by Sigfox
    • Vodafone Review: The Best Network in Ireland keeps getting Better
    • Why will 5G be faster than 4G?
    • Is Xavier Niel on the verge of shaking up the Irish Mobile Market with Eir
    • Eir overhauls its mobile plans, giving customers more data than ever
    • NB-IoT Explained: The Technology that Vodafone hopes will connect everything
    • The MVNO Flop: Why Ireland's MVNOs have failed to make an impact
    • Explained: Why Telecoms and Media Giants are Merging
    • The Power of Sigfox: Pioneering the IoT Revolution
    • Vodafone Ireland launches "V by Vodafone", bringing the Internet of Things to the masses
    • The IoT Revolution: Connecting Everything
    • The Unlimited Delusion: When Unlimited means Limited
    • The Best Mobile Plans for your Business
    • The Best Bill Pay Plans in Ireland
    • The Best Pay as you go Plans in Ireland
    • Was the Three-O2 Merger a Mistake?
    • The State of Irish Mobile Networks: Summer 2018
    • Vodafone killed Cherry Points: A Mistake?
    • Here's how 5G will transform Ireland
    • Three just stormed past Eir
    • An analysis of Ireland's big three Mobile Networks
    • How Cheap can our Mobile Plans Get?
    • Net Neutrality: More than the Internet is at stake
    • Here's why Vodafone's pay as you go plans are the best out there.
    • iD Mobile's Demise is hardly a surprise
    • The Battle for 5G Supremacy
    • Unlimited Data is only as good as the Network it's on.
  • Reviews
    • eir Mobile Review: Not the Network to choose in 2018
    • Invoxia GPS Tracker Review: Elegance boasts Phenomenal Battery Life
    • Three Review: The Best Value Network in Ireland
    • Sennheiser AMBEO Smart Headset Review:
    • Vodafone TV Review: Redefining what we think of TV
    • Vodafone Mobile Broadband Review: Connecting the Disconnected
    • 3Plus Review: The Best Loyalty Program Out There
    • 3 Sim Only Review: World-Class Value
    • Tesco Mobile Review: The Best network for the Frugal
    • Three Review: All you can Eat Buffering
    • Vodafone Review: The Network to Beat
    • Meteor Review: Excellence Exemplified
    • Should Virgin Media be your next Mobile Network?
    • Samsung Galaxy S8: The Pinnacle of Smartphone Advancement
    • Huawei P10: The Best phone people don't know about
    • Vodafone Smart Platinum 7.
    • Vodafone Smart Prime 7.

Published 28/06/2017

What Network has the best coverage in Ireland?

Picture
When it comes to mobile networks, coverage and quality can vary significantly between each company. Every network claims to be Ireland's best but only one can be the best. With people now constantly connecting with each other via services such as Facebook, Whatsapp, Snapchat and Twitter, our smartphones are more important than ever. No one wants to have to wait for their video to buffer or their snap to send, especially when you're shelling out a considerable amount of money every month to gain access to the network.

Thankfully, many companies such as Ookla, Rootmetrics and P3 specialise in benchmarking our mobile networks to see which is actually the best. They measure the quality, reliability and breath of 2G, 3G and 4G networks in Ireland and also compare mobile data download speeds and compare call performance. Each year, ComReg, the Commission for Communications Regulation in Ireland undertakes its own tests to ensure that the networks are fulfilling their promises of providing a quality mobile experience to their customers.

Three has the worst coverage in Ireland of any network

Three operates Ireland's poorest network in terms of coverage and speed. Three has the worst coverage in Ireland of any major network, coming last in virtually every mobile benchmark. Their 4G network, while claimed to be state of the art, is significantly smaller and slower than that of its biggest rival, Vodafone. According to Opensignal, Ookla and ComReg, Three has the slowest network in Ireland. Three's 4G network also suffers from shockingly poor penetration with its 4G network not reaching many urban areas.

Many people have asked me why Three's network is so bad, some can't even get speeds of 1Mbps in major towns. I've reached out to Three multiple times about the issue but they have yet to provide an explanation. Things get worse in urban areas during rush hour when the already congested network becomes inundated with data hungry users. I find it despicable that Three advertises as having a state of the art network, let me tell you, it's far from it. People have come to me in despair, asking how to cancel their contract and leave Three because the network is so bad.

​For example, in Co.Wexford Three's 4G network offers speeds which rarely exceed 10Mbps in most areas. Vast swathes of the Irish landscape receive little to no coverage on Three's network. However, Three claims to be nearing completion of it's ' The Big Upgrade' program this year, supposed to deliver a state of the art nationwide 4G network. Just look below at some speed tests I recorded while I was testing Three earlier this year. Testing Three for a month made me realise and appreciate the quality and reliability of Vodafone. However, I am confident that Three will eventually manage to catch up with Meteor and Vodafone before the launch of 5G.
Picture
Picture
Picture

Meteor's network is very good

Meteor has managed to grow its 4G coverage significantly over the last two years. Its 4G network now has around 95% coverage, making it the second largest network in Ireland in terms of 4G coverage. Areas covered only by 3G months ago are now mostly covered with 4G. Rootmetrics actually found Meteor to have the best network in both Cork and Limerick city last year. I should also stress that Meteor continues to be one of the leading innovators in the Irish mobile market. They recently launched a new 4G+ network similar to Vodafone to further increase 4G speeds and capacity. Meteor have also launched HD Voice to give customers a better call experience and Wifi calling to cover those where Meteor's network does not reach.

Meteor is Ireland's second fastest network with 4G speeds averaging around 24Mbps according to Ookla. It speeds are improving, leaping significatly since the start of this year alone according to OpenSignal. The only drawback to Meteor's network is its poor 3G coverage. Unlike Vodafone, Meteor's customers are usually shifted onto Edge in areas not covered by 4G because their 3G network is smaller than their 4G network. I've tested Meteor extensively this year and was pleased with its coverage and speed, both in urban and rural areas.
Picture
Picture
Picture

Vodafone has the best coverage in Ireland

In stark contrast to its biggest rival, Vodafone customers enjoy an unparalleled mobile experience thanks to its constant drive for innovation across its Irish network. Vodafone has won virtually every mobile benchmark from Ookla, P3, OpenSignal and ComReg to date. It has Ireland's best 4G network offering 4G coverage to over 95% of the population. Its also the fastest network in Ireland with 4G speeds consistently faster than those of Meteor and Three. 

Vodafone customers also enjoy HD Voice calls, 4G Roaming and the most advanced 4G+ network in Ireland. Vodafone's 3G network is also the best of its kind, with speeds reaching over 20Mbps and actually faster than Three's 4G network. Another impressive milestone which Vodafone has reached is having at least 90% 4G in every county in Ireland. Using Vodafone as my only mobile network over the past number of years, I've not once found myself in a position where I wished to be on another network. Friends of mine who have switched to Vodafone are astonished with the quality and reliability the network offers. I've never heard of anyone switching from Vodafone to another network because of poor coverage and for good reason: No other network offers the same broad reach, dependable speeds and consistent performance year after year. T
he fact is that Three needs to face the truth because they and Meteor can't hold a candle to the coast to coast omnipresence of Vodafone.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Conclusion: Don't let Three fool you

​Vodafone is the most advanced network in Ireland offering the fastest, most reliable and largest 4G network. Of course, Vodafone's competitors claim otherwise. Meteor, for example, manages faster speeds in many areas, and points this out whenever it can. Over the entirety of Ireland, though, Vodafone has the more dependable 4G service. This is a fact. Three can tout that they're in the process of 'The Big Upgrade' but its just a marketing stunt that has yet to deliver any signs have improvement. Do they really think that customers should wait another two years (perhaps even more time considering recent delays) to enjoy a good network when Vodafone already offers what Three will have in two years time.
Revised: 30/06/2017
Picture
Vodafone: The Network to beat
Comparison based on real world usage of each mobile network and publically available reports published by P3, Rootmetrics, ComReg, Ookla and OpenSignal. No Sponsor or Paid Promotions.
Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Fixed
    • Exploring the Edge and the Future of a Decentralised Internet
    • Messing with the National Broadband Plan is a perilous precedent for Ireland
    • How Fibre is shaping 5G
    • Examining the viability of FWA in the 5G Era
    • The Changing Face of Broadband in Ireland
    • Dismantling the Optics of a National Broadband Plan fraught with trouble
    • Ireland's Gigabit Society is now within an arm's reach
    • The Merits of a Hybrid Broadband Network
    • Fibre: The Electricity of Tomorrow
    • The National Broadband Plan: Needlessly corrupted by Politics
    • Investigating the alternatives to Fibre Broadband in Ireland
    • Virgin Media: The Company that changed how we think about Broadband in Ireland
    • The Evolution of Quad-Play Services
    • An Analysis of Net Neutrality in Ireland: Why we are Particularly Vulnerable to its Eradication
    • The Best Mobile Broadband Plans in Ireland
    • eir: Few Companies have this much Potential
    • The National Broadband Plan: A Dream marred by Mistakes
    • How SIRO is revolutionising Ireland
    • The Best Fibre Broadband Only Plans
  • Mobile
    • Analysis: Vodafone goes unlimited in Ireland
    • A Breath of Fresh Eir
    • Understanding VoLTE: The Voice of Tomorrow
    • Your Technical Guide to WiFi Calling in Ireland.
    • Mapping Ireland and Europe's path to 5G
    • 5G and the Divide Divide haunting Ireland
    • Busting three myths thwarting the IoT
    • The MVNO model is ripe for disruption
    • Pest Pulse is using the IoT to tackle an old problem in a new way
    • The trends that will shape Ireland's Mobile Market in 2019
    • Mobile Coverage and Ireland: Not a Match
    • An Interview with the man building Ireland's largest IoT Network: Will Ferguson
    • The State of the IoT in Ireland
    • The Struggle to Monetise Data
    • In Ireland, Huawei finds a home with Three and eir, rebelling against "Security Concerns"
    • Revealed: The Irish Network with the Best 4G Coverage 2018
    • How are we tackling Coverage Black Spots in Ireland?
    • Breaking Down ComReg's latest Report on the Irish Mobile Market
    • The Shift from Growth to Retention in the Irish Telecoms Market
    • Five Challenges that the IoT is facing
    • Why ComReg is Vital for a Successful Telecoms Industry in Ireland
    • Tesco Mobile passes 400,000 Customers and adds 4G
    • How our Mobile Providers are facilitating surging Data Traffic
    • Eight Industries that are being transformed by Sigfox
    • Vodafone Review: The Best Network in Ireland keeps getting Better
    • Why will 5G be faster than 4G?
    • Is Xavier Niel on the verge of shaking up the Irish Mobile Market with Eir
    • Eir overhauls its mobile plans, giving customers more data than ever
    • NB-IoT Explained: The Technology that Vodafone hopes will connect everything
    • The MVNO Flop: Why Ireland's MVNOs have failed to make an impact
    • Explained: Why Telecoms and Media Giants are Merging
    • The Power of Sigfox: Pioneering the IoT Revolution
    • Vodafone Ireland launches "V by Vodafone", bringing the Internet of Things to the masses
    • The IoT Revolution: Connecting Everything
    • The Unlimited Delusion: When Unlimited means Limited
    • The Best Mobile Plans for your Business
    • The Best Bill Pay Plans in Ireland
    • The Best Pay as you go Plans in Ireland
    • Was the Three-O2 Merger a Mistake?
    • The State of Irish Mobile Networks: Summer 2018
    • Vodafone killed Cherry Points: A Mistake?
    • Here's how 5G will transform Ireland
    • Three just stormed past Eir
    • An analysis of Ireland's big three Mobile Networks
    • How Cheap can our Mobile Plans Get?
    • Net Neutrality: More than the Internet is at stake
    • Here's why Vodafone's pay as you go plans are the best out there.
    • iD Mobile's Demise is hardly a surprise
    • The Battle for 5G Supremacy
    • Unlimited Data is only as good as the Network it's on.
  • Reviews
    • eir Mobile Review: Not the Network to choose in 2018
    • Invoxia GPS Tracker Review: Elegance boasts Phenomenal Battery Life
    • Three Review: The Best Value Network in Ireland
    • Sennheiser AMBEO Smart Headset Review:
    • Vodafone TV Review: Redefining what we think of TV
    • Vodafone Mobile Broadband Review: Connecting the Disconnected
    • 3Plus Review: The Best Loyalty Program Out There
    • 3 Sim Only Review: World-Class Value
    • Tesco Mobile Review: The Best network for the Frugal
    • Three Review: All you can Eat Buffering
    • Vodafone Review: The Network to Beat
    • Meteor Review: Excellence Exemplified
    • Should Virgin Media be your next Mobile Network?
    • Samsung Galaxy S8: The Pinnacle of Smartphone Advancement
    • Huawei P10: The Best phone people don't know about
    • Vodafone Smart Platinum 7.
    • Vodafone Smart Prime 7.