Starlink NZ: Where Is It Available In New Zealand?

Starlink has been showing great results across New Zealand. Rural communities have endured slower speeds than in urban areas, but they're now getting speed bumps topping at 150Mbps in some locations.

Starlink's beta launch in NZ covered all regions in the South Island with selected areas across the North Island. Since then, it’s now made available in more locations across the country to service more Kiwis that need fast and reliable satellite internet service.

Where is Starlink available in New Zealand?

As mentioned, Starlink has been available in all regions of South Island since its beta launch. Currently, the broadband provider is now available in all parts of the country, including the entirety of North Island. 

While most of the country is covered, there are still some parts where this may not be available. To check availability at your address, use Starlink’s availability checker. Or, you can use glimp’s free comparison tool to find the best plan in your area.

Even in its beta launch, the satellite network has been delivering promised speeds and reliability. There are countless satellites over NZ skies, forming a constellation that was seen in Northland this month. Aside from low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, several ground satellites are located in Puwera, Te Hana, Clevedon, Hinds, Cromwell, and Awarua. 

Read: SpaceX’s Starlink In NZ: Is It Living Up To The Hype?

What are the plans and prices of Starlink?

For now, there’s only one plan from Starlink. It costs $159 per month, with a one-time fee of $913 for hardware and shipping costs. The plan also has no contract commitment, which means you can cancel anytime.

All in all, your plan breakdown is:

• Internet service - $159 per month
• Hardware - $799 one-time fee
• Shipping and handling - $114 one-time fee. 

Orders are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. The Starlink kit is shipped out within two weeks after you receive your confirmation email. If you wish to cancel your plan, you can return the hardware and get a full refund within 30 days of shipment. However, you may not be refunded for the shipping and handling. 

How does Starlink internet perform in NZ?

Beta test results show promising results across New Zealand. For the basics, it has:

• Speed - Download speeds averages around 50-150Mbps, but expect connection drops and disconnections as it’s still in its beta stages.
• Latency (Ping) - It varies from 20-40 milliseconds, which is even lower than the acceptable ping for gaming at around 60ms.
• Data caps - Starlink plan has no data caps even under the beta launch. Kiwis can enjoy unlimited data wherever they are.
• Contract - As mentioned, Starlink offers no contract commitment in its plan. However, it may not be a wise choice to cancel just within a short period, as hardware and shipping are on the expensive side.

In the future, expect better services from Starlink as they continue to improve in NZ. It's in line with their plan to launch over 42,000 satellites in LEO, helping not only New Zealand, but other parts of the world with a huge need for faster internet.

Read: How Much Is The Average Internet Bill In New Zealand?

Why should you choose Starlink?

Starlink is just beginning its expansive goal to provide better services all over the world. Regardless of whether you’re in a developed or developing country, you can connect to their services just the same. 

You should use Starlink if:

• You’re still connected to copper broadband - Speed-wise, Starlink offers better internet compared to copper connections. Even if you get the newer VDSL, it only tops at 60Mbps compared to Starlink’s 150Mbps.
• You want to use it for a long time - Beyond broadband, Starlink has a revolutionary goal. If you like to see improvements over time, offering just as fast and reliable internet as a wired connection, then sign up with Starlink.
• You enjoy a no-commitment plan - The great thing about Starlink is, it doesn’t lock you in with a broadband plan. This is something that not a lot of providers offer. It’s a great choice for Kiwis who value flexibility in their broadband.
• There’s only one plan - Having only one plan means you don’t have to figure out which one to subscribe to. It's pretty straightforward to subscribe, and unsubscribe. However, this may not be the best choice if you prefer a customised plan.

How does Starlink compare against other providers?

When it comes to the internet, wired connections always work better than wireless connections. While there have been plenty of improvements in wireless connectivity, it’s still not up to par with wired internet, at least in reliability.

However, that’s not to say that Starlink is a bad choice. For a lot of Kiwis in rural areas, it’s the solution that they’ve been looking for to shorten the urban-rural gap. Southlanders are experiencing almost a 15 times jump from their usual 10Mbps “on a good day.”

Comparing Starlink against other wireless services, it’s definitely an upgrade as it relies on satellites in LEO compared to ground satellites. This keeps it stable, even amidst long distances and physical disturbances such as strong winds and typhoons. While Starlink also has ground satellites, it acts as an added option for the highly-reliable LEO satellites.

If your address isn’t connected to any wired network, check out Starlink broadband services. If you think the price is too steep, check out the availability of the best Fibre300 broadband plans in your area today.

If you’re looking for the best broadband plan in your area, use our free comparison tool, right here at glimp! Simply fill out your basic details and it’ll show you customised results within just a few clicks.