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Sky has joined the fibre broadband wars. And it's undercutting its main rivals

All the big telecoms players are offering high-speed broadband in Ireland from today.

SKY IS GOING head-to-head with arch rivals UPC and Eircom for high-speed broadband punters as it finally launches a fibre service for Ireland.

And the company will be aiming to undercut competitors with its initial offering, which will be among the cheapest fibre packages in the country – at least to begin with.

Both existing and new customers will be able to sign up to Sky’s plans from today, although the company won’t be officially promoting its offers until later this month.

It will put up an introductory offer of unlimited broadband with speeds of up to 100Mb/s for €30 a month for the first half-year, then €50 per month after that. The package will include some phone calls and costs a total of €480 for the initial year.

Sky’s offer will lob in cheaper over 12 months than UPC, Eircom and Vodafone’s comparable products – although UPC has a cheaper fibre package at speeds of 60MB/s and Vodafone provides a cut-price, broadband-only service at €35 a month.

The telecoms company will partner with BT Ireland for the service and piggy-back on Eircom’s fibre network, which has been rolled out to 1 million premises so far and is scheduled to reach 1.6 million potential sites by mid-2016.

Sky struggling in broadband but winning for TV

Until now, Sky has been lagging well behind the other big telecoms players with its broadband offering.

It was charging €40 a month for its unlimited DSL broadband plans, but these rely on old, copper phone lines for delivery and have maximum speeds of 24Mb/s.

Sky Ireland managing director JD Buckley said the company was already the fastest-growing internet provider in Ireland and its fibre plans would “raise the bar further”.

Sky Fibre Sky Ireland managing director JD Buckley Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO

It’s an important part of Sky’s continued commitment to invest in Ireland, which we’re doing through jobs, content production, and crucially through new products and services for our customers.”

The company had only 6.6% of all Irish broadband subscribers in June, compared to 37.2% for leader Eircom – most of whose customers are still using DSL services.

Bur despite having the best reach in Ireland, Eircom has struggled to sign up as many fibre customers as UPC, which has about twice as many broadband subscribers on its network.

Meanwhile, Sky has been the leader in signing up digital TV customers with an estimated 500,000 subscribers in Ireland, although it doesn’t provide exact figures for its trade in the Republic.

And it will be hoping the new fibre broadband offering will help it lure extra customers onto its more-expensive “triple-play” packs that include broadband, TV and phone calls.

Those bundles will start from €834 for the first year’s subscription, significantly higher than the cost for both Eircom and UPC’s fibre packages when digital TV is included.

READ: This is what the government’s National Broadband Plan for rural Ireland looks like >

READ: Ireland’s super-fast broadband war has begun and it’s coming to a town near you >

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62 Comments
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    Mute James
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    Jul 24th 2013, 7:13 PM

    Somebody’s weekend is fcuked

    92
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    Mute Ballsnall
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    Jul 25th 2013, 2:43 AM

    Mine an all

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    Mute harry ford
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    Jul 24th 2013, 7:25 PM

    As there was a potential loss of €9000 does that mean that the price of cigarettes is 75% tax?

    58
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    Mute Niall Mullins
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    Jul 24th 2013, 8:13 PM

    Yes… if not more!

    26
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    Mute Niall Murray
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    Jul 24th 2013, 11:14 PM

    As little as €15 per 200 fags in Lanzarote. Nearly €10 per 10 here… ;)

    11
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    Mute John Paul O'Callaghan
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    Jul 24th 2013, 8:12 PM

    So 3,000 euro of vodka would make 14,000 euro for the government. How are we in debt with economics like that?

    32
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    Mute Eamon
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    Jul 24th 2013, 7:40 PM

    So its real cash, real cigarettes and counterfeit Vodka! I’d never have guessed them in that order.

    31
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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Jul 24th 2013, 7:08 PM

    As I said before. Legal, regulated and taxed. And still criminals smuggle them.

    27
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    Mute GorillaGrower
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    Jul 24th 2013, 7:24 PM

    Because of the crazy amount of tax !!

    36
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    Mute Mr Jingles
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    Jul 24th 2013, 7:27 PM

    And you think weed won’t be any different?

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Jul 24th 2013, 7:32 PM

    And you think legalized Drugs would be any less taxed? And that criminals would say ho hum pack up and do something else?

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    Mute Superior Dublin
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    Jul 24th 2013, 7:15 PM

    Sh*t… Where will I get my counterfeit vodka now?

    27
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    Mute Paul Madigan
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    Jul 24th 2013, 7:14 PM

    Never thought I’d say this but I’m off to louth

    24
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    Mute Morticia
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    Jul 24th 2013, 7:31 PM

    Its the bleary eyes and cough that gives the smugglers away each time.

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    Mute SilentFugitive
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    Jul 24th 2013, 7:06 PM

    What happens to the cash in these situations?

    17
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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Jul 24th 2013, 7:11 PM

    After the trial. And if there is a conviction the money goes to the Government as its proceeds of crime.

    23
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    Mute Gerard Walsh
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    Jul 24th 2013, 7:57 PM

    Balbriggan garda station, for safe keeping.:)

    105
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    Mute Fran ner
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    Jul 24th 2013, 8:15 PM

    Rats out

    17
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    Mute Tyrone Mc Eleney
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    Jul 25th 2013, 7:03 AM

    Does it not go to the CAB Mick if its the proceeds of crime,I for one wouldn’t go near real vodka never mind counterfeit vodka meant to full of nasty chemicals,I no of students that I no over in England that drink it because its £5 a bottle and been a student they have no choice to buy and drink it cuz there on a tight budget,over there the off licence sells it to you from under the counter,everything is mostly counterfeit these days because theres a demand for it,and the government taxes the ass out of everything that moves its the governments fault as well partly cuz the more they keep taxing the more demand for counterfeit goods,that’s my opinion on it,sure there selling counterfeit chainsaws which are dangerous at the best of times,anyways that’s my rant over goodbye……….

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    Mute Jamie Ryder
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    Jul 24th 2013, 11:27 PM

    The gathering cancelled

    17
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    Mute John Deane
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    Jul 24th 2013, 7:58 PM

    Looking at that money I wish I could get a loan :)

    16
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    Mute Superior Dublin
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    Jul 24th 2013, 9:06 PM

    I hate you

    2
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    Mute Rayne Brogan
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    Jul 24th 2013, 7:16 PM

    Um.. What exactly is counterfeit vodka?

    14
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    Mute Kevin Manley
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    Jul 24th 2013, 7:20 PM

    Are you taking the piss?

    11
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    Mute Rayne Brogan
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    Jul 24th 2013, 7:24 PM

    Is it paint thinner or something? Cuz they sell that in Tesco and call it value vodka..

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    Mute CAPT. ADEBAYO FLYNN
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    Jul 24th 2013, 8:11 PM

    Hi Rayne, apparently it’s homemade madness. Meth spirits and all sorts in it, probably some vodka too just to ‘water’ it down so to speak. You hear stories of lads going blind and getting very, very sick from a sesh on this stuff. I know some Eastern European pals who were telling me about the vats of stuff that would be made back home. Wild.

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    Mute Patrick
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    Jul 24th 2013, 9:13 PM

    Yup that vodka is extremely dangerous its well known in Russia.

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    Mute john ferguson
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    Jul 24th 2013, 9:15 PM

    You can be sure that cash will not be secure in a garda safe.

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    Mute Paul Mc
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    Jul 24th 2013, 7:28 PM

    The vodka is rot gutt!

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    Mute Warren Collier
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    Jul 24th 2013, 11:35 PM

    Is the headline name what Charlie sheen eats for his breakfast?

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    Mute Fergus Gaffney
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    Jul 25th 2013, 1:59 AM

    Congratulations must go again to the Gardai who have again kicked carreer criminals where it hurts. Hopefully there wil be many many more similar seizures.

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    Mute Ballsnall
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    Jul 25th 2013, 2:45 AM

    Ah jasus give us a break , I’m back on the Rollie’s now and will be forced to drink turps again after this bust .
    This shite is killing me .

    5
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