Ireland - best pre-paid data solution ?
 

Hi!

This time I would like to ask you for your suggestions (which are always very valuable for me) concerning data offers in Ireland.
My friend is going there for a couple of months and would like to have some mobile internet connection, preferably based on GPRS/EDGE or UMTS (depending on the technology localy available).
I've read sofar a Irish pre-paids comparison on http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/ireland.html.

I was wondering if anyone, either from Ireland or with good Irish mobile internet market knowledge, could advice me a good data offer?
The best offer would be an unlimited data tariff (or with a big limit, like 1 GB or more data traffic). Because he's going to stay in Ireland for a not defined period of time, only pre-paid solutions are acceptable.
Does anyone have any experience with Irish data plans or offers?

Looking forward to hearing from you

Really no ideas at all? :(

Flodis lives in Ireland if he hasn't moved again, I'm sure he can help you, maybe he didn't see this thread. Anyway I fear there are no unlimited plans, nor "big data" as well...

Yep, still here :)

There are good and bad news re this:

Three just released data packages on their billpay contracts. €5.99 for 100 MB, €9.99 for 250 MB and €19.99 for "unlimited", which means 2 gig.. :(

I have heard some indications on these packages also working over 3Pay, their prepaid card. They problems is you have to buy a phone at the same time you get your SIM; no way to buy SIM-only, which sucks.... Cheapest phone, Sony Ericsson K610i, is €99.. But I guess that's not an option for you.

Also, on these packages, it looks like HTTPS and POP/SMTP is not working. On bill pay HTTPS seems to work, but not POP.. Which adds to the confusion.. And which means that you cannot use apps not transferring data over HTTP, so messengers, Opera Mini, and Gmail java app might not work. I haven't personally tried.

For the other GSM networks, there are unfortunately no bundle packages on prepay. Data is quite expensive here in Ireland, with Meteor charging €0.0048/kb, o2 charging €0.01/kb and Vodafone €0.02/kb (in 10 kb increments).

Feel free to ask me should you have any further queries :) I'm happy to help!

Thank you flodis79 for your detailed reply. I have to analyze the situation, ask my friend some further questions and possibly I will have some more questions to this forum's best Irish expert :).