Having spent half the morning sussing this out I'm making use of the research to save some of you some "shoe leather" in researching yourself.
Note I'm not a techie so this is a consumers overview. The starting point is someone who is can only possible get broadband by getting an eircom line installed (though the internet telephone stuff is relevant (or even more relevant) to those lucky people who can get internet some other way).
Step 1 Broadband
-Need broadband before you can do anything. Only option at the moment is to get Eircom phone line installed costing €121. No guarantee that it’ll work.
-You get a wireless modem so, although you need the phoneline to get broadband, you don’t need to be plugged into the phone socket and should be able to move around the house with laptop – so its “wireless” to that extent though not a true wireless broadband.
-As its eircom you need to pay line rental approx €25p.m. regardless of whatever else you do.
-You then have to pay for eircom broadband which is about €30p.m. for 2mb (maybe €25 for 1mb). Probably worth getting 2Mb assuming the line supports it.
Step 2 Phone Calls
-So, to get broadband you have to pay eircom about €50 - €55 p.m. so you’re better off “bundling” it for €56 for unlimited evening and weekend calls to local & national (€61 for unlimited anytime). This means that your phone calls are pretty much free.
-Given that your phone calls are looked after there isn’t any point in getting Blueface. Blueface is cheap for calls but it doesn’t give you internet, you’re already paying eircom €55 for that so might as well take the free calls. Blueface is €5p.m. for the pay as you go option. Calls are v v cheap thereafter. You can get on 076 number as well that give local call rates to people ringing you from anywhere in Ireland, or a foreign number to give local rates to someone abroad ringing you. Also could bring Blueface abroad with you as use it to make “local” Irish calls.
-With broadband Skype should work, so this can be used to make any international calls for very cheap. Also free to other Skype users – including video calls (need 384 kbps – haven’t a clue if the line will support this!!). About €200 for the best quality hardware they offer.
Possibilities for the Future
-If a wireless provider came into the area, and say they charge €35p.m. for internet, then you could switch to them, save €20 Vs your eircom €55, then you have €25 to look after phonecalls. For €10 on Blueface you get 300 minutes which should be plenty, and you could transfer across your old eircom number.
-You would probably need to buy an internet handset (looks like a normal cordless phone) to make it practical to use as the main phone, about €99 at the moment for this.
-There might also be possibilities with Skype as opposed to Blueface but not sure if/as yet, ringing a number for a “normal” phone will get through to Skype. I don’t think the charges are much different so you could probably take it that use Blueface for phonecalls and Skype for free call to other Skype and video calls for free to other Skype.
Note I'm not a techie so this is a consumers overview. The starting point is someone who is can only possible get broadband by getting an eircom line installed (though the internet telephone stuff is relevant (or even more relevant) to those lucky people who can get internet some other way).
Step 1 Broadband
-Need broadband before you can do anything. Only option at the moment is to get Eircom phone line installed costing €121. No guarantee that it’ll work.
-You get a wireless modem so, although you need the phoneline to get broadband, you don’t need to be plugged into the phone socket and should be able to move around the house with laptop – so its “wireless” to that extent though not a true wireless broadband.
-As its eircom you need to pay line rental approx €25p.m. regardless of whatever else you do.
-You then have to pay for eircom broadband which is about €30p.m. for 2mb (maybe €25 for 1mb). Probably worth getting 2Mb assuming the line supports it.
Step 2 Phone Calls
-So, to get broadband you have to pay eircom about €50 - €55 p.m. so you’re better off “bundling” it for €56 for unlimited evening and weekend calls to local & national (€61 for unlimited anytime). This means that your phone calls are pretty much free.
-Given that your phone calls are looked after there isn’t any point in getting Blueface. Blueface is cheap for calls but it doesn’t give you internet, you’re already paying eircom €55 for that so might as well take the free calls. Blueface is €5p.m. for the pay as you go option. Calls are v v cheap thereafter. You can get on 076 number as well that give local call rates to people ringing you from anywhere in Ireland, or a foreign number to give local rates to someone abroad ringing you. Also could bring Blueface abroad with you as use it to make “local” Irish calls.
-With broadband Skype should work, so this can be used to make any international calls for very cheap. Also free to other Skype users – including video calls (need 384 kbps – haven’t a clue if the line will support this!!). About €200 for the best quality hardware they offer.
Possibilities for the Future
-If a wireless provider came into the area, and say they charge €35p.m. for internet, then you could switch to them, save €20 Vs your eircom €55, then you have €25 to look after phonecalls. For €10 on Blueface you get 300 minutes which should be plenty, and you could transfer across your old eircom number.
-You would probably need to buy an internet handset (looks like a normal cordless phone) to make it practical to use as the main phone, about €99 at the moment for this.
-There might also be possibilities with Skype as opposed to Blueface but not sure if/as yet, ringing a number for a “normal” phone will get through to Skype. I don’t think the charges are much different so you could probably take it that use Blueface for phonecalls and Skype for free call to other Skype and video calls for free to other Skype.
