Rural living in New Zealand has been traditionally disconnected from the online world. Many Kiwis in remote communities trade-off having fast and stable internet for experiencing the pristine nature of the country every day. To add salt to the wound, some of the trusted broadband providers in NZ are not offering any plans in these locations.
Fortunately, rural broadband has improved over the years! No need to make trade-offs anymore. You can experience a fast and reliable broadband connection thanks to the Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI) as well as technological advancements in satellite broadband. Just recently, Vocus NZ has kickstarted building the earth satellite station for Elon Musk’s Starlink.
NZ rural living doesn’t have to disconnect you online! If you’re looking for the best rural broadband plans in the country, check out some of the top deals right now!
When looking for rural broadband plans, it's important to note the following:
Wireless Nation guarantees fast and reliable broadband wherever you are — even if you are in the most remote parts of New Zealand! Aside from their deals, home line and static IP address support are available for an extra $23 and $11.50 per month respectively.
Being one of the best tech companies in New Zealand, Spark offers one of the best rural broadband deals! Their wireless broadband plan boasts speeds that are typically faster than the regular ADSL. Even big households with up to 5 members can enjoy stable connection for all their online needs and activities. If you want an antenna included in your rural wireless plan,you can get it for an extra $10 per month.
Farmside focuses on rural internet through and through. They prioritise connecting far-flung communities to fast broadband. A home line is available for $20 per month, while a static IP address is available upon request. All of these internet services are backed by their customer service team based locally in Timaru.
Gravity is one of the leading satellite providers as well as pioneers for this internet technology in New Zealand! They have a wide range of plans, but their best of the best one maxes out at 100GB of data. This is an open term plan with no fixed term or contracts — perfect for Kiwis who live an on the go lifestyle.
Skinny offers a cheap alternative for an uncapped wireless broadband plan. The affordable price of $65 can get even discounted if you have an active eligible Skinny mobile deal. The best part is, the first month of your deal is free — it’s all on Skinny! Depending on your plan, you can even get the first two months free!
Vodafone is one of the largest broadband and mobile providers in NZ, so it’s no surprise that they have excellent bundles too! Their Superfast Wireless includes a broadband and mobile bundle with a $10 per month discount for the lifetime of your plan! If you’re looking for a simple way to handle your utilities in one place, this may be the best deal for you.
Unifone is passionate about connecting homes and businesses in Otago. If you live in an area where only 3G or 4G wireless signals are available, check out their offerings with off-peak data boosters available. Full installation costs $299, but you can choose to self-install to save on a few bucks. A separate phone line is also available, starting from $13 per month.
Aside from these excellent rural broadband deals, there are plenty of other great plans out there! Every district and region has specialised providers, offering a wide range of plans such as satellite, ADSL, 3G and 4G wireless. Some of them may also be a part of RBI, meaning you can trust their plan to accommodate most of your online needs.
Before finalising a plan, make sure to check out all available deals at your address. To narrow down your search, use our free comparison too here at glimp! We give you customised results based on your needs in just a few simple clicks.
Compare, switch, and save money using glimp’s free comparison tool.