Guillaume Duhaze, CTO of Eir, and Susan Brady, MD of consumer and small business at Eir. Image: Fennell Photography
Eir customers can also use 5G when roaming in 22 countries.
Telecoms company Eir has said it will provide free upgrades to its 5G network to all current holders of Eir mobile plans.
From today (1 November), 5G will be enabled on all the company’s in-market mobile plans at no extra cost, giving prepay and contract customers access to the company’s growing 5G network.
However, the Irish Independent reports that customers of GoMo, Eir’s budget brand launched in 2019, won’t be included in the 5G upgrade.
Last month, Eir announced that its 5G network was now available to more than 70pc of the Irish population. This was a “significant milestone” for the company, according to Eir CEO Carolan Lennon.
Eir started construction of its 5G network in 2019, and it is now available in 352 towns and cities across the country.
“Independent mobile network testing companies have analysed Eir’s 5G network and found that it leads for speed, availability and experience,” Lennon said in today’s update.
Ahead of the festive season, she added that the company was giving customers “the chance to experience 5G for themselves, at no extra cost”.
Eir customers can also now avail of 5G roaming in 22 countries across Europe, Asia, Canada and the Middle East, including Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, The Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates.
More countries will be added over the next year, Eir said, including the US and UK.
Eir’s 5G network is complemented by its 4G network, which automatically connects if a customer goes into an area not served by 5G. The company’s 4G product is available across 99pc of Ireland.
The 5G network is up to 10 times faster than its 4G predecessor.
“The benefits of 5G are numerous; 5G can enable real-time remote team working, with a faster, more reliable connection,” Lennon said.
“This is particularly vital as hybrid working becomes a more permanent feature of our working lives. 5G isn’t just about faster connectivity, this is next-generation technology that brings with it the power to unlock innovation and benefits for people, businesses, education, communities and governments.”
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