Magnet Networks: Broadband, TV & More

Since it was founded in 2004, Magnet Networks has grown to become Ireland’s largest connectivity network. The provider offers phone, fibre broadband and TV services to thousands of homes and businesses. Read on to find out more about what this company can do for you. 

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About Magnet Networks

A subsidiary of Columbia Ventures Corporation (CVC), Magnet Networks used to operate under the name Magnet.ie. After purchasing the retail business division of Imagine Communications in 2016, thus making it the third-largest provider of business telecoms in Ireland with 11,000 SME and corporate customers, the company rebranded to become Magnet Networks.

What are SMEs?SMEs are small and medium-sized enterprises, generally with less than 250 employees. SMEs are less likely that large enterprises to have access to superfast broadband connections. With its competitive prices, Magnet Networks is trying to close this gap.

With its headquarters in Dublin and offices worldwide, Magnet Networks has invested more than €120 million in developing its own telecommunication network. It claims to provide Ireland’s fastest broadband speeds and be the largest provider of fibre to the home (FTTH)  in the country.  

What is FTTH?Fibre to the home (FTTH), or fibre to the premises (FTTP), is the installation of optical fibre cables all the way to your home. In comparison to fibre to the cabinet (FTTC), in which the fibre-optic cables only reach the roadside cabinet and the connection must then pass through copper wires to the house, FTTH promises less buffering and a much faster internet speed at up to 100 megabits per second.

The company recently formed a public-private partnership with Galway and other cities across Ireland in order to bring free wifi to the city centres, and with its 2019 acquisition of IT Group, it plans to further extend its range of business services.

Before we dive more into what the company has to offer, here is a brief timeline of its history:

• Timeline
• 2004 - Launch of Magnet.ie in Ireland.
• 2006 - Becomes first provider of 50 MB fibre to the home.
• 2009 - First Irish company to offer cloud solution for businesses.
• 2011 - AerTV launches as Ireland’s first online TV platform.
• 2013 - Ranks first in speed for Netflix Ireland.
• 2016 - Becomes Ireland’s third-largest provider of business telecoms.
• 2017 - Magnet.ie rebrands to Magnet Networks. 
• 2018 - Launch of national free Wi-Fi programme.
• 2019 - Launches the country’s largest connectivity network and Magnet Talk. 

What can Magnet Networks do for your Business?

Magnet Networks focuses more on the business market than most other providers in Ireland. It offers a wide variety of business services and guarantees to deliver high-speed connectivity to nearly anywhere in Ireland. The company has even said that:

 “the business-to-business market remains the key growth focus area.” source: (The Irish Times)

Business Broadband Services

Magnet Networks provides customized broadband and cloud solutions for businesses. These depend on the size, budget, data demands and location of the business. The company provides 24/7 support, and packages start at just €55 for 100 GB. We will discuss and compare broadband deals in more detail in our article on Magnet Networks broadband services (coming soon!). 

Business Phone Services

Magnet Networks’ Magnet Talk is ideal for businesses looking to cut costs on their phone plans. Rather than telephone wires, Magnet Networks uses business broadband connection to send calls, leaving you with no line-rental fee to pay. With Magnet Talk, you can also claim 10% off Magnet Networks standard broadband service charges. 

Magnet Talk operates as more than just your typical phone service. Its free smartphone app allows employees to access your business phone system from any location, and the free softphone service lets you use your computer as a desk phone. Customers can also rent or purchase desk telephones that connect to broadband for use. 

Let’s have a look at the Magnet Talk packages and what they include:

*Ireland, USA, UK (Orange Mobile, Vodafone, 3 Mobile, O2, T Mobile) mobile minutes.
**Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
***Hunt groups are groups of numbers set up to take incoming calls.  They essentially have extension numbers that direct incoming calls at one specific group. Any member in the group is able to answer the call. 

Other Business Services

With its acquisition of IT Group in 2019, Magnet Networks can now offer a more complete variety of services and products that all businesses can benefit from.

Are you a small business with little to no IT knowledge? Magnet Networks can quickly set up IT for the entire office and synchronize phones, desktops, and the rest of the office network. Does your business have expensive equipment? The company's comprehensive ICT support package will cover just about anything, from hardware to software faults. 

Through careful planning and off-site development, Magnet Networks even ensures that equipment installation will be on-time and as non-disruptive as possible.

What about Magnet Networks for your Home?

In addition to business services, Magnet Networks’ extensive optical fibre and copper cables network also serves thousands of residential customers. The company provides broadband, phone and TV services to homes in both urban and rural areas of the country. Below we discuss what these services really have offer. 

Home Broadband Offers

If your home is located within one of the company’s fibre-enabled areas, plans start as low as €14.99 per month. If you're not in a fibre-enabled area, their fatpipe-fibre-streaming plans start at just €20 per month for 24 Mb. 

Box: What is fatpipe fibre?Fatpipe fibre is superfast broadband with unlimited download usage.

Unlike other broadband network providers, Magnet Networks does not charge an exit fee for terminating a contract. The reason for this, as put by CEO Mark Kellet, is that “to win customer trust, you must provide transparency, choice and control.” source: (Business World)

It is important to pay close attention to the fine print in the contracts. Most prices will increase to even double the original amount after a few months of service. We will discuss these broadband plans more in depth in our article about Magnet Networks’ broadband services (coming soon!). 

Phone Offers

Phone add-ons are available if you already have a broadband contract with Magnet Networks. The following are the two options available:

*Supported countries for Infinity Phone plan: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

TV Offers

Like with the phone offers, TV add-ons are also available. Magnet Networks’ AerTV gives you access to live TV anywhere. It launched in 2011 as Ireland’s first online TV streaming platform. 

Customers can enjoy their first month free, and the price increases to only €4.99 per month after that. It’s always free if you’re a Magnet Networks Platinum customer. 

AerTV includes 20 TV channels that you can watch from your computer, tablet, phone or Smart TV. Channels include the following:

Magnet Network Customer Reviews

Trustpilot Ireland only has two reviews for Magnet Networks, and both of them have just one star. One customer complains about inconsistency in connection and speed. The other states that after signing up with Magnet Networks almost two months prior he is still without an internet connection. Both mention difficulty with contacting customer service. 

Rate My ISP(Irish Service Provider) has 64 customer reviews, ranging from one to five stars. Complaints generally concern connection losses, lack of customer support. Customers stated only being able to speak to customer service representatives, when what they really needed was technical support. They were guaranteed call backs from technical support, which they reported often didn’t happen. 

Customers who were satisfied with their Magnet Network experience stated that they had super fast internet speeds and generally no problems. 

Work at Magnet Networks

Are you interested in working at Magnet Networks? You can find job vacancies on  its website in the Careers section. The company states it looks for candidates who are driven, take initiative and are enthusiastic. Magnet Networks currently employs around 100 people.  

Employee Reviews

On indeed.ie, Magnet Networks has an overall rating of 4.0 based on seven reviews. On Glassdoor, the company’s rating drops to 2.5 stars with 19 reviews.  

Positive points include working with great staff members, selling appealing products, and having opportunities for growth. On the other hand, some employees complained about low pay and a lack of office amenities. 

How can I contact Magnet Networks?

Below you can find details about how to best contact Magnet Networks depending on your query. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Offices are also open on weekends and bank holidays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The company claims to answer 90% of their calls within 20 seconds. If you prefer to contact the company online, a live chat is available on their website. You can also email Magnet Networks, or contact them via Facebook or Twitter. Someone typically replies within a day. 

Business Customers

If you need business support, we recommend first contacting Magnet Networks by phone. The company’s general business support number is 1800 789 789. For sales enquiries, it’s best to call 1800 819 888.

If you find yourself on hold, try contacting the provider via email at the following email addresses:

Residential Customers

For residential support, we also advise that you first try calling Magnet Networks. The free phone number is 1800 819 999.

Customers can also email the support team at support@magnet.ie. For enquiries specifically regarding AerTV, sending an email to support@aertv.ie is the best option.

Do you have a Complaint?

While you can make a complaint via email, post or phone, email is generally the best method for getting faster results. The email address for complaints is complaints@magnetnetworks.com. If after ten working days your complaint has still not been resolved, you can escalate the complaint by emailing complaintescalations@magnetnetworks.com.

Magnet Networks: All Contact Information

You can refer to the table below to find the best way to contact your preferred department. If you’re still not sure, we suggest calling either the business or residential customer support number, depending on your query. A member of the team will be able to guide you in the right direction.