Choosing an operator
The choice of home phone/broadband operator is entirely up to you. However, when reviewing the results of the callcosts.ie price comparison, you should also take into account factors other than price that you may consider important. Some of these factors are listed below. For more advice on these and other home phone and broadband issues you may wish to visit
askcomreg.ie
Contract
When signing up to a home phone and broadband services you generally need to commit for a minimum contract period. Its important to check what the contractual commitment is before signing up and always check your existing contractual obligation on both your home phone and broadband services before switching tariff plans or switching service providers as penalties may apply if you exit the contract early. You should also check what your responsibilities are in respect of any broadband equipment such as modems/routers, aerials etc. as these may need to be returned.
Broadband Availability
The broadband service provider will be able to confirm if you can avail of their home phone and broadband plan in your local area. Availability is influenced by a range of factors including distance from the telephone exchange and telephone line quality or line of sight for wireless broadband services. Callcosts will indicate if a particular broadband service is generally available in your county and you can then click on the ‘Check Operator Site’ button to check availability at your address.
How long it takes to switch?
Whether you are switching operator or switching tariff plans with the same operator confirm how long it takes to switch tariff plans, whether any credits are due from your old plan (which you may need to check with your old operator) and when billing will start on the new tariff plan. You should also ask whether both the broadband and fixed elements of the tariff plan will be activated at the same time.
Billing and Payment Options
You should check with your operator what payment options are offered and if additional charges apply if for instance, you want to pay by cash or if you want to receive a paper bill. You should also check whether there are any discounts if you choose to pay by direct debit.
Customer Service and Technical Support
When availing of a broadband service you should check what customer service commitments are offered and also what type of technical support is offered. You should note that technical support services may not be available on an operators customer service number. Most service providers have dedicated technical support numbers and the cost of calling these services can vary from free to local/national rate calls to premium rate technical support. This may be an important factor to consider for many people especially those who have never used broadband previously who may have a number of queries when setting up the broadband service.
