A comparison of plans from Three, Vodafone, Eir, Virgin Mobile, Sky Mobile, 48, An Post Mobile, Tesco Mobile and GoMo
The good news is that when it comes to mobile contracts, we have options, and lots of them. And not just from the three main operators, but also the MVNOs – mobile virtual network operators – that are offering more variety to mobile customers. These operators cut a deal with the network owners to essentially share the network infrastructure already in place.
These are usually sim-only plans, which don’t come with a handset, and are often short term, so you can give 30 days’ notice if you want to switch rather than be tied in for a full year or longer. The second is to check what roaming packages your mobile network offers. Some, such as GoMo and Vodafone, offer a certain amount of data per day for a fee, giving you access to messaging, maps and email.
There are a few reasons for that. First, there is the cost of the device itself, which is usually spread across a two-year contract. Second, the jump in functionality is now much less pronounced between generations of phones.