New mobile network set to enter Irish market
New network iD is set to shake up the Irish mobile market, with individually tailored plans it hopes will be popular with consumers.
The mobile phone network, which is owned by Dixons Carphone, claims it can save consumers an average of €166 per year with a flexibility that will allow personalised plans that can be changed from month to month at no extra cost.
Subscribers can choose the allowance they need for text messages, calls and data, with the average plan costing a little more than €20 per month.
The company’s plans will also include 4G as standard.
iD is aiming for 6 per cent of Ireland’s mobile market in five years. The network is one of two mobile virtual network operators that were set up as part of the conditions for the merger of Three Ireland and O2. iD mobile will use Three Ireland’s network, although it has also brought its own technology.
iD will be going up against established mobile operators Vodafone, Three and eMobile/ Meteor, as well MVNOs such as Tesco Mobile and Postfone.
iD customers can choose how much they want to pay for their handset upfront and spread the cost of the balance across 12, 18, or 24 months.
The usage plan can then be built, ranging from 100 to 5,000 minutes or texts, and 125MB to 20GB of data, with the cheapest plan at €10 and the most expensive at €29.
Once the handset has been paid for in full, the cost is removed from the monthly bill.
Unlike other networks, iD is avoiding the “unlimited” plan.
