Three Ireland
| File:Three Ireland logo.svg | |
Native name | Three Ireland (Hutchison) Limited |
|---|---|
| Formerly | Hutchison 3G Ireland Limited |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Founded | 26 July 2005 |
| Founder | Hutchison Whampoa |
| Headquarters | , Ireland |
Area served | Ireland |
Key people | Elaine Carey (CEO Ireland) |
| Products | |
| Owner | 3 Group Europe |
| Parent | CK Hutchison Holdings |
| Website | www |
Three Ireland (Hutchison) Limited, previously known as Hutchison 3G Ireland Limited and commonly referred to as 3 Ireland or Three Ireland, operates as a telecommunications and Internet service provider within Ireland. It functions as a subsidiary of CK Hutchison Holdings and is part of the global Three network. Since its inception in July 2005, the company has delivered mobile services across multiple generations, including 2G GSM, 3G UMTS, 4G LTE, and the latest 5G NR technologies. In June 2013, its former parent company, Hutchison Whampoa, acquired the Irish operations of Telefónica's O2, completing the full integration into Three Ireland by March 2015.
History
Established on 26 July 2005, Three entered the Irish market as the fourth mobile network operator, following Vodafone Ireland, O2 (Ireland), and Meteor (currently operating as Eir). The company initially focused on post-paid plans before launching its pre-paid service, 3Pay, on 16 May 2006. Subsequently, on 29 February 2008, it introduced 3Pay Broadband, a pre-paid mobile broadband solution available through short-term vouchers. On 13 May 2010, Three announced the deployment of the world's first commercial voice and data I-HSPA network.
In August 2010, Three disclosed that subscriber figures reported since 2006 had been inflated; only approximately 56% of the claimed 554,000 subscribers were active users, highlighting a substantial discrepancy in their data.
On 24 June 2013, Hutchison declared its €780 million acquisition of Telefónica’s Irish mobile division, O2. This move was intended to consolidate operations under Three Ireland. The transaction received approval from the European Commission in 2014. Following this, the O2 brand was gradually retired and fully assimilated into Three by March 2015.
Network
Operating under access code 083 in Ireland with number portability options available from other providers, Three initially launched as a network exclusively supporting 3G technology. To provide 2G coverage at launch, it partnered with Vodafone and later expanded this capability through acquiring O2 Ireland’s 2G infrastructure in 2015. Roaming arrangements with Vodafone have since ceased, with native support for both 2G and 3G now facilitated via the integrated O2 network assets.
In July 2012, Three entered into an infrastructure-sharing agreement with Vodafone Ireland aimed at expediting and lowering expenses related to its 4G network rollout. However, this collaboration ended following the completion of the O2 acquisition.
4G
In November 2012, Three acquired LTE spectrum through a nationwide auction alongside other competitors. The operator rolled out its 4G service in January 2014, initially covering key urban centers such as Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Wexford, and Waterford, before extending to more towns by March of the same year.
By March 2016, Three shifted from offering limited-time free 4G access to a permanent Free 4G for Life benefit for all subscribers. Their "big upgrade" campaign aimed to achieve 99% 4G coverage by early 2017; however, this target was not met. In fact, independent assessments by Ookla and RootMetrics in 2018 ranked Three’s 4G network as both the smallest in reach and the slowest in speed within Ireland.
4G+/LTE Advanced
The introduction of 4G+ (LTE Advanced) by Three brought peak speeds up to 225 Mbit/s, initially launched in Dublin with plans for a nationwide rollout by April 2016. Customers with compatible devices gained access to this enhanced high-speed service.
Despite obstacles related to the O2 merger, Three expanded its 4G coverage to 97.3% of the population by March 2020. Ookla recognized Three as Ireland’s fastest mobile network during the third and fourth quarters of 2020, reporting an average download speed of 33.99 Mbit/s.
5G
Three unveiled Ireland’s most extensive 5G network in September 2020, initially available at 121 locations with further expansion underway. The company stressed its commitment to widespread availability, aiming to make next-generation connectivity accessible across the nation.
Network frequencies
Three Ireland utilizes multiple frequency bands supporting a range of protocols:
| Frequency | Band | Protocol | Generation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 900 MHz | GSM-900 | GSM/GPRS/EDGE | 2G |
| 1800 MHz | GSM-1800 | ||
| 900 MHz | 8 | UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSPA+ | 3G |
| 2100 MHz | 1 | ||
| 700 MHz | 28 | LTE/LTE Advanced | 4G/4G+ |
| 800 MHz | 20 | ||
| 1800 MHz | 3 | ||
| 2100 MHz | 1 | ||
| 2600 MHz | 7 | ||
| 1800 MHz | n3 | NR | 5G |
| 3600 MHz | n78 |
Sponsorships
In August 2010, Three secured a four-year sponsorship deal worth €7.5 million as the main backer of the Republic of Ireland international football teams, renewing this agreement for an additional five years in 2015. After Hutchison Whampoa acquired O2 Ireland, the O2 venue was rebranded to the 3Arena in 2014. Additionally, Three supports Waterford GAA teams, strengthening its involvement within Irish sports communities.
48
Introduced in 2012, Three’s MVNO brand 48 targets younger users seeking affordable mobile plans by offering unlimited calls, texts, and data at a fixed low monthly rate.
See also
References