Vodafone Ireland
Vodafone Ireland, part of the Vodafone Group is the largest mobile phone company in Ireland, and was previously called Eircell. The mobile phone system in use is a digital GSM 900 system using the access code 087, see communications in Ireland. The company offers email in addition to mobile phone products and services. The companies "pay as you go" mobile phone product is called Ready to Go, typically advertised by Republicas song of the same name.
The company also sponsored Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? whilst it ran in RTÉ television.
Eircell
Eircell handled the Irish mobile phone networks defined by the access codes 088 (analogue TACS system) and 087 (digital GSM 900 system) as part of Telecom Éireann since 1984 until its transfer to Vodafone in 2001, initially called Eircell Vodafone before full rebranding. Eircell, which commenced operation in 1986 as a division of Telecom Éireann, usage of the service remained low until it became a separate subsidary, Eircell Limited, in 1997. The pre-pay mobile service "Ready To Go" was introduced in the late 1990s and turned mobile communications in Ireland into a mass-market product. However Eircell gained competition from Esat Digifone, then a joint venture between Denis O'Brien's Esat Telecom Group plc and Telenor AB of Norway. In 2000, Vodafone made an offer for the company, which saw the company demerge from Eircom plc into a separate plc, Eircell 2000 plc (trading name: Eircell Vodafone), which was then acquired by Vodafone. In 2002, Eircell Vodafone was rebranded as Vodafone Ireland plc.
Vodafone
Vodafone saw Eircell undergo a major rebranding exercise on its accquisition by the group. The main rebranding was to associate a shade of deep purple with the company. When Vodafone rebranded with their trademark shade of red, the tagline used was "red is the new purple, Vodafone is the new name for Eircell".
External link
- Official site - Vodafone Ireland (http://www.vodafone.ie)
| Mobile phone operators of Ireland |
| |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vodafone | O2 | Meteor | |||
Categories: Communications companies of Ireland