My internet is slower than promised: what can I do in Ireland?
Your contract must state the minimum, normally available, maximum and advertised download and upload speeds of home broadband, or the estimated maximum and advertised speeds of mobile internet, and explain your remedies if speed problems are continuous or keep recurring.
Your contract states the speeds your provider promises. If the real speed falls clearly and repeatedly below them, you may be able to pay less or end the contract. A measurement with the official tool, where there is one, is the strongest proof.
📜 The rules in Ireland
What you can do
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022, if the service does not conform to the contract you can ask for it to be brought up to standard, a proportionate price reduction, or to end the contract for failure to supply.
The details
- To check, connect to your router with an ethernet cable and compare the speed you get with your package. Wi-Fi distance, walls, many connected devices and busy times can slow things down. (comreg.ie)
- ComReg has no certified speed measurement tool yet. Its 2026 open internet report (June 2026) says work continues on a project to deploy one. (comreg.ie)
- Under EU law, a significant continuous or regularly recurring gap between actual and contracted speed counts as non-conformity when established by a monitoring mechanism certified by the regulator. (comreg.ie)
- Complain to your provider first. If you get no reply within 10 working days or are unhappy with it, ComReg's Consumer Care Team can take up the complaint. (comreg.ie)
ComReg Consumer Care Team
Takes up your complaint with the provider if it has not acknowledged it, has not replied within 10 working days, or you are unhappy with its reply.
ComReg End-user Dispute Resolution
Formal out-of-court resolution of phone and broadband disputes. Apply by email to cdr@comreg.ie for the forms; €15 application fee.
🪜 Step by step
- Find the promised speedsYour contract summary lists the speeds, often as a maximum, a normally available and a minimum speed.
- Measure properlyUse a cable instead of Wi‑Fi, close other devices and measure several times on different days, with the official tool if there is one.
- Report it to the providerSend the results, ask for the problem to be fixed and keep a copy of everything you send and receive.
- Use your rightsIf nothing improves, ask for a lower price or to end the contract, and go to the dispute body if the provider refuses.
📇 Who to contact
Sponsor this page → One labelled block, €100 a month. Founding price €75 until 31 January 2027.
❓ Questions
Does a quick speed test in an app count?
It helps you spot a problem. As proof, a measurement made the way the regulator or your contract describes carries much more weight.
Does this apply to mobile internet too?
Mobile speeds change with place and network load, and the rules for mobile are often different. See the rules for Ireland on this page.
Is slow Wi‑Fi the provider’s fault?
Not always. Walls, distance and old devices slow Wi‑Fi down. Measure with a cable first.
📎 Sources
🧭 Is this still correct?
We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.
⚠️ Readers report that something here may have changed — we are checking it.
✅ Thank you — this keeps the page up to date for everyone.