The best broadband and TV deals right now

Whether it's the cost of food, rent, health insurance or streaming services, everything still seems to be going up in price. And broadband and TV services are no different.

You've probably already received the dreaded email or letter from your provider notifying you of yet ANOTHER price hike. But in case you've missed it (or have been ignoring it!) from April, all the main broadband and TV providers are upping their prices yet again for their existing customers, some of which will be well in excess of the rate of inflation.

However you can beat the price hikes by switching to a new provider on bonkers.ie and saving yourself hundreds of euro at the same time.

Want to save money? Here are some of the best broadband and TV deals for new customers right now. 

Digiweb

With the smaller, indigenous suppliers there can be great value to be found. And Digiweb’s offerings prove that.  

For just €34.95 a month for the first six months you can get lightning-quick 500Mbps pure fibre broadband. The price does increase to €49.95 after the first six months, and levels off at €54.95 a month after a year of the deal, but that is still good value.    

There is also currently a one-off €49 activation fee.

But if you've got a need for BIG speed you can get gigabit broadband with Digiweb (so that's 1,000Mbps!) for just €39.95 a month for the entire first year with a €29.95 activation fee - so currently cheaper than the 500Mbps product.

If you're not in an area that has access to pure fibre broadband you can avail of Digiweb's part-fibre broadband that comes with speeds of up to 100Mbps instead. This costs €24.95 a month for the first four months and €42.95 a month thereafter and has a one-off €49 activation fee.

Digiweb is often commended for its good customer service and personal touch - something lacking with a lot of telecommunications providers these days. So if this is something you value, then Digiweb is definitely worth a look.

One downside is that Digiweb doesn't offer a TV service right now so you can either get this separately, sign up to Saorview, or make do with streaming services instead. 

Eir

Eir has some of the best value broadband deals for new customers right now. 

It's offering 500Mbps unlimited, pure fibre broadband for just €34.99 a month for the first year. There are currently no activation or sign-up fees and for a limited time Eir is also offering €50 cashback, which will be credited to your account by the second bill. This makes the offer really good value over the first year.      

Admittedly after the first year is up the price does rise to a fairly hefty €75.99 a month. And you'll be hit with an automatic price hike each April too of the rate of inflation plus an additional 3%. But you can always switch again after the first year or so.  

Whether you can get pure fibre broadband will depend on your location. If your home isn't connected to pure fibre yet then you should be able to get Eir's 100Mbps part-fibre broadband for the same price over the first year.

You can also add a TV package for just an extra tenner a month for the first year i.e.€44.99. 

Eir has teamed up with Apple to incorporate its TV service into Apple TV, with all customers getting a free Apple TV 4K set-top box. It includes HD as standard and over 60 live TV channels like RTE, BBC, Channel 4, and Virgin Media.

For €99 upfront you can also get the Eir Smart Wi-Fi hub. According to Eir, this Wi-Fi extender can improve your Wi-Fi signal strength by ten times and extend coverage by up to 150sqm, meaning you can get fast and reliable internet throughout your home, including those hard to reach places. Simply plug and play. Once paired with your modem you can move to your desired location without additional wiring.

Sky

Sky has a similar deal to Eir. 

It's offering 500Mbps unlimited, pure fibre broadband for just €35 a month for the first year. And there are currently no activation or sign-up fees. 

After the first year is up the price rises to €60 a month.

For €50 a month for the first year (€101 a month after) you can also get TV. Sky's TV package comes with the popular Sky Atlantic channel as well as a basic Netflix subscription making it great value. Sky TV is also often commended for its easy-to-use platform and user interface.  

You also no longer need to get a satellite dish to get Sky. With Sky Glass and Sky Stream you can easily view through a TV. 

Virgin Media

Virgin Media is also offering up to 500Mbps unlimited broadband for just €35 a month for an entire entire year. However there is a €30 activation fee at present.  

After the first year is up the price rises to €70 a month. But you can agree to a two-year contract for €40 a month for 24 months instead if you like. Signing up to a two-year deal offers better value over the longer-term and also insulates you from any future price hikes.    

Virgin offers high-speed broadband and TV over a large geographical area, thanks to its own infrastructure and its new deal with SIRO, which allows Virgin to offer its services to even more customers, particularly those in smaller cities.

And for an extra €15 a month i.e. €50 a month for the first year, you can add a TV package that comes with over 100 TV channels.

Vodafone 

Vodafone also has some great value broadband and TV deals for new customers right now. 

It's offering 500Mbps unlimited, pure fibre broadband for just €30 a month for the first six months with free activation.

After the first six months are up, the price rises to just €40 a month and then stays there (subject to a similar annual price hike each April as with Eir). Despite this, if inflation were to average around 2% to 3% a year over the coming years, even after six or seven years you'd still only be paying around €54 or €55 a month for your pure fibre broadband which is way cheaper than all the other providers are offering even as of today. So Vodafone is a great option for those who want longer-term value with the same provider.       

You can also avail of Vodafone's Super Wi-Fi extenders to increase the reach of your signal throughout your home. While most standard Wi-Fi extenders come with an upfront hardware cost, Vodafone's Super Wi-Fi is sold as an add-on to your broadband that you can cancel anytime and costs just €5 per month. 

You can also add a TV package. Vodafone TV PLAY is Vodafone's new set-top box which it calls a 'premium entertainment hub'. The TV box has some cool features like 4K ultra HD picture quality, an integrated Bang and Olufsen surround sound system, and built-in Bluetooth and Chromecast for easy streaming from your phone. 

Broadband and TV is €55 a month then €65 a month thereafter (subject to an annual price hike) which is way cheaper than other providers right now.  

Comparison of providers

*annual price adjustment 

Switching saves money

While the process can seem daunting, switching is the easiest way to save money on your monthly bills. 

That’s because suppliers always reserve their best deals for new customers, and being loyal to your supplier isn’t likely to result in the best value.

You can compare and switch your TV, phone and broadband easily on bonkers.ie - and the best news is that it’s free! Compare the major broadband suppliers here. 

Unsure about how to compare and switch broadband providers? Don’t worry, our broadband Quickstart Guide has you covered. 

Want to read more?

We have a number of interesting reads if you’re interested in learning more about the broadband market in Ireland today:

• If you want to learn more about Vodafone and ESB’s partnership in SIRO, you can read our guide here. 
• Have a burning question about your broadband connection or network? Here’s 9 common broadband questions answered.
• Confused by all of the technical terms and acronyms?! Here’s our handy guide on the 21 common broadband terms explained.