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Here's what you need to know if choosing a budget mobile network

Anyone choosing a mobile network now has a number of budget options to choose from. Vodafone has ...
Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

10.26 18 Jan 2021


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Here's what you need to know i...

Here's what you need to know if choosing a budget mobile network

Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

10.26 18 Jan 2021


Share this article


Anyone choosing a mobile network now has a number of budget options to choose from.

Vodafone has unveiled Clear Mobile, a network offering all calls, text and data for €12.99 per month.

It joins 48 (owned by Three) and GoMo (owned by Eir) to offer 'no-frills' options at significantly lower rates than the standard network rates.

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But is there any catch or limitation people should be aware of when signing up?

Technology correspondent Jess Kelly joined Newstalk Breakfast to walk through what exactly these budget networks offer.

Here's what you need to know if choosing a budget mobile network

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In terms of Clear Mobile, Jess explained: “This is a Vodafone owned business, but it is a separate business - so they have their own teams and customer support. Don’t think if you’re paying this €12.99 price a month you’re going to get the Vodafone digital networks.

“These digital networks exist online.”

It offers a 30-day rolling contracts, which Jess compared to the Netflix model of a monthly subscription.

She said: “You get all calls, texts and 10 GB of data when you are roaming.

"When you’re at home, you have unlimited data - however, it’s capped at 5 MB/S [download speed].

“For someone like me who is a bit of a demon on their phone, that’s something to watch."

However, she said Clear Mobile customers will have great coverage across the country - as the new offering 'piggy backs' on the existing Vodafone network.

Jess said the main 'catch' to all these networks is that customers who sign up won't get the same range of customer service options, and won't be able to go into a physical store to seek support.

She said: “Also worth noting that none of these budget plans… include a phone.

"You will either need to continue using the phone you have, or if that gets lost, broken or stolen you’ll need to fork out the full whack for the phone."

However, with those caveats aside, she said these networks over "fantastic value" for the money people will pay per month.

Main image: File photo. Picture by: Philip Toscano/PA Archive/PA Images

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