Eir today launched Ireland’s first Wi-Fi 7 home broadband package for €49.99 per month. It’s one of the few times I’ve seen a provider in Ireland rolling out a technology this quickly, and it demonstrates an understanding of delivering a great connected home experience from Eir. To be honest, I didn’t think Eir had this in them, and it’s really blown the cobwebs off the brand in my eyes. But this offer could be a double-edged sword.
What is Wi-Fi 7?
You can read more detail about the technology and advantages of Wi-Fi 7 but I’ll give you a tl;dr. Wi-Fi 7 is the latest Wi-Fi broadcasting protocol, promising faster and more reliable wireless connectivity in the home.
To enjoy Wi-Fi 7, you need both a Wi-Fi 7 router or mesh system alongside a Wi-Fi 7 supported device, such as the iPhone 16 or Samsung Galaxy S25.
Once you have everything lined up, you can download or stream faster and more reliably than ever before. Given it launched in early 2024, I didn’t expect to see any Irish providers rolling it out this early. It’s genuinely refreshing to see such an innovative approach to home connectivity and Eir deserve kudos for that.
Is Wi-Fi 7 Important?
Wi-Fi 7 isn’t essential, and you can have a great wireless experience at home without it. But I was highly critical of Virgin Media’s 5Gb launch last week, because frankly I don’t think people need it. I concluded you’d be better off upgrading your Wi-Fi mesh system or running LAN cables than buying “more speeds” from your ISP for what looks likely to cost €100 per month.
I was disappointed to see Virgin Media also wasn’t upgrading their hardware because this would have been the bigger story. Instead, their 5Gb broadband will roll out over the company’s Wi-Fi 6 routers.
Eir’s launch today shows me that they’ve evolved into a company that understands the connected home, possibly more than any other ISP in Ireland. And given their stuffy history, I’m personally shocked to be writing that.
Eir’s Wi-Fi 7 Offering
For €49.99 per month, Eir is offering a Wi-Fi 7 router to customers. This is an exclusive in Ireland for any providers, but of course you could buy your own Wi-Fi 7 router if you wanted to. Beyond this, Eir is also offering early adopters an additional mesh point and a free upgrade to 5Gb broadband later this year when they launch it.
The maths here is mind-boggling. For likely half the price of Virgin Media, you’ll have both 5Gb broadband and Wi-Fi 7 across your home if you go for Eir’s €49.99 offering.
So what’s the catch?
Is Eir Broadband Worth the Risk?
Well, the catch is that many are reluctant to trust Eir. As I posted on Bluesky about the launch, I immediately had people slating Eir’s customers experience.
The latest ComReg Consumer Care Statistics Report is a fairly damning, with over 500 customer care issues for home broadband alone between October and December 2024. This is compared to Virgin Media’s 216 reported issues.
I typically don’t have to contact my internet provider for anything, but it would appear that while Eir arguably have Ireland’s most attractive offering, it could be a poison chalice for those early adopters who’ve been tempted by the technology and value.
Is that worth the risk? Well, when Eir launched this I was tempted. I checked my Eircode and, whether fortunately or unfortunately, I couldn’t get their service at my address. But this tells me the offering is compelling and I was indeed tempted.
But those customer care statistics make for bad reading. Yet, the price of Virgin Media is getting out of hand. I honestly believe that if Eir was available at my address, I’d take a punt on it.
At the launch, Eir also announced new Android-powered Eir TV boxes for €14.99 per month.
