New mobile offer comes amid cut-throat competition in the mobile sector.
There is an endless supply of good value SIM-only deals on the market right now and they have exploded in popularity in recent years.
A SIM-only plan is, quite literally, when you purchase just a SIM card, which comes with an allocation of data, texts and minutes per month.
SIM-only plans are generally much cheaper than billpay plans because you don't incur the cost of buying a phone.
SIM-only deals are now available from all the main mobile providers and some operators such as GoMo and 48 focus solely on these deals.
And in a bid to capture some of this fast growing segment of the mobile market, no doubt, Virgin Mobile is back offering one of the cheapest SIM-only deals to customers.
Here's the info on everything you need to know...
What’s on offer?
Virgin Mobile is offering unlimited mobile for everyone for only €5 a month for six months as part of its new SIM-only deal.
As the name implies, the deal gives customers unlimited calls, texts and data to any network for just a fiver.
After the first six months are up, the price will revert to €25 a month, which is still fairly reasonable in our opinion!
What's more, it’s all on a 30-day rolling contract meaning you can cancel at any time - either during the first six months or after.
Anything else?
While none of us are travelling much these days, if you're fully vaxxed and have plans to hit the ski slopes this winter, you’ll have 16.3GB of EU roaming data a month to enjoy.
And if you’ve friends or family abroad, for another €5 a month, you can add on 500 international minutes a month to the UK or 350 international minutes a month to the USA, Canada and 44 other European countries.
Also, last year Virgin got rid of its 80GB a month 'fair usage' policy, so when it says unlimited data it pretty much means it. Having said that, Virgin's T&Cs do still reserve the right to limit your usage in extreme circumstances but unless you're mining bitcoin or downloading Netflix for the entire neighbourhood, you'll be fine!
Who can sign up?
This new deal is open to all new Virgin Mobile customers - including existing broadband and TV customers of Virgin Media - until 2nd March.
Existing Virgin Mobile customers can add an additional SIM to their account for family or friends (up to a maximum of four per account) to avail of the offer if they wish.
Is the Virgin Mobile network any good?
Virgin Mobile offers great value but a common question people have is around the quality of its network. The good news is that Virgin Mobile uses Three’s network. This means you get access to one of the biggest networks in Ireland which gives 99.9% population coverage for voice calls, 99% coverage for 3G data services and 97.6% for 4G data services.
Three is currently rolling out its 5G network, which is available to direct customers of Three on more expensive plans.
Virgin Mobile customers don’t have access to the 5G network right now, however this really isn’t an issue in our opinion as many of us don’t have 5G enabled phones yet anyway, while 5G is still only available in the bigger towns.
Switching is super easy
Switching is super easy - and you can bring your current mobile number with you. Just order your SIM today on bonkers.ie, and once you receive it you can register or sign in to your My Virgin Media account to move your number to your new Virgin Mobile SIM. With just a few simple steps you’ll be switched over in a matter of minutes!
However if you are curious about what mobile providers offer 5G services, check out this blog where we outline what 5G plans are currently on offer from Irish providers.
Not the only offer in town
This new SIM-only offer isn’t the only super cheap deal available right now of course.
GoMo, a subsidiary of Eir, is offering a similar package for €14.99 a month for life and 48, a subsidiary of Three, is offering a deal for €10.99 a month. So lots to choose from...
You can check out more of the SIM-only deals available in this article here or listen to our recent bonkers.ie podcast episode where we take a closer look at the best SIM-only deals on the market.
It's not just about price
Price is obviously a key factor when deciding on a new mobile provider.
However things such as contract length, customer service and quality of network also need to be taken into account. Before you sign up, check out this article on 10 things to consider when choosing a mobile phone plan.
Compare broadband on bonkers.ie
Did you know that you can easily compare a wide range of broadband, phone, TV and mobile plans on bonkers.ie?
Our broadband comparison tool is easy-to-use and allows you to compare the best deals available in your area in just a few clicks.
If you want to know how exactly to switch broadband providers, just follow these few simple steps.
Let's hear from you
Would you consider signing up for Virgin Mobile’s new €5 deal? Let us know in the comments below.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. You can contact us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
