I really enjoyed the recent article in BroadbandCencus praising Ireland’s approach to broadband – partially because I’m in Ireland this summer.

So I thought it might be worth adding my own two cents having lived here before and being super happy with my broadband this time around. Last time I was here I used Eircom, the main broadband provider in Ireland. We lived in suburban Dublin for a year, so finding a provider wasn’t tough.

This time around we’re doing more traveling. For example this week I’m in Dromahair – a town 10 miles outside Sligo. The population is about 500. I heard sheep on my morning walk. We’re staying at a friend’s house. He has broadband; DSL with a wireless network throughout the house. But even if that didn’t work out I was able to get mobile broadband fairly cheaply – with no long contracts.

I have mobile broadband through Meteor. I have a month-long pass for 20 euros; however the gadget I needed was 60 euros. (A daily pass is 5 euros.) While the connection was definitely faster in Dublin, it works here too.

More than anything that’s what I’ve liked here – the options for nomads and visitors, which means access with no long contracts. In the past we have confined traveling to anywhere with a hotel where I could get broadband – this has opened us up. It’s a great equalizer.