An Ultimate Guide to the Fastest Broadband Plans in NZ

Long gone are the days of slow speed dial up internet - today, there are a range of fast broadband options from New Zealand’s leading internet providers. Whether you enjoy streaming the latest TV shows or gaming regularly online, it’s only a given that you want high, reliable broadband speeds.

Having fast broadband, especially in households or businesses with multiple users, can have a huge effect on your time spent online. A stable high speed internet connection eliminates those frustrating moments of dealing with buffering, freezing or long download periods.

The fastest broadband available in New Zealand at the moment is ultra fast fibre broadband (UFB). Reaching speeds of up to 200MBps, fibre broadband uses fibre optic cables that the old copper lines simply cannot compete with. For those on a ADSL or VDSL connection, speeds are comparatively lower.

Let’s take a deeper look into broadband fastest plans, and how you can ensure you get the right package for your internet needs.  

Why you should get a fast broadband plan

Fast broadband plans offer a range of benefits to any internet user. There are already more than 250,000 homes, businesses, schools and medical facilities throughout the country benefiting from fast fibre broadband!

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

Here’s what you can enjoy with a fast broadband plan: 

Fast upload/download times

With the fastest broadband plans, you’ll notice a huge difference in the time it takes to upload or downloading something. Speeds are much faster compared to its VDSL and ADSL predecessors. With fast broadband speeds averaging around 200MBps, it has left VDSL and ADSL speeds of up to 40MBps in the dust.

Multiple users can connect

The beauty of a high-speed connection is that multiple devices can be connected and still receive a great broadband performance. This is ideal for busy households that have many users with their tablets, smartphones and laptops all connected to Wi-Fi. Users can simultaneously download, game, stream and browse the internet without any issues.

Reliable connection

Your fast broadband connection offers a great internet experience with consistent, reliable speeds. That means you don’t have to deal with freezing or buffering, even at the busiest network times. It’s equipped to handle both multiple downloads and high definition streaming from multiple devices and users.

Great prices

Fast fibre broadband, despite offering much faster speeds than slower connections, is actually just as affordable an ADSL or VDSL broadband plan. With fibre broadband rolling out to more and more homes throughout the country, internet providers are now offering great sign up deals and offers to get more Kiwis on a fast fibre connection.

Read: NZ Broadband Deals: Where To Get Free Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime Video, And Disney+

Free installation

New Zealand’s leading broadband providers are not only offering great sign up deals on fast broadband, some are offering free installation of your connection too! Instead of worrying about expensive set-up and equipment costs, you can sign up to NZ’s fastest broadband and enjoy complimentary setup and installation. 

Who benefits the most from fast broadband? 

By now, it’s easy to understand why ultra fast fibre broadband is the way of the future for New Zealand. With fast speeds, reliable connections, enhanced capabilities and affordable plans, there is much to gain by switching over to a fast broadband plan.

While all internet users will enjoy the benefits of fast broadband, there are certain types of users that will get more from this type of connection:

Students: it’s not uncommon for students in flatting situations to be living with several other people. Fast broadband plans allow everyone in the flat to to connect their smartphones, laptops, tablets and other devices to the same connection, without any disruptions.

Families: for Kiwi families, especially those with teenagers, it’s only natural that most (if not all) of the family regularly enjoys online entertainment. Fast broadband lets the entire family enjoy streaming services like Netflix and YouTube - whether together or in separate rooms!

Gamers: online gamers are, very demonstrably, enthusiastic internet people - they’re often online at any time of the day or night. Streaming games can use anywhere from 3MB to 300MB per hour, so having a fast and reliable internet connection is essential for gamers. With the gaming industry rapidly moving to a multiplayer future, gamers can now benefit from having a connection that multiple users can connect to.

Businesses: Kiwi businesses are increasingly relying on a stable, reliable internet connection to successfully run their company. Fast broadband can lend a great advantage to businesses of all sizes, particularly companies that use and rely on the cloud for data storage.

Do you really need fast broadband?

Although there are plenty of positives to signing up for faster broadband, not everyone necessarily needs, or can get it. There are a number of factors that can affect whether you can get fast broadband, including your location, broadband plan, modem, wiring, copper quality and more.

Here are the types of internet users that may not suit a fast broadband plan:

Low internet users: while many of us are guilty of spending endless hours browsing the internet on our phones, there are still some out there who barely use it. For Kiwis who only use the internet for basic needs - like checking emails and keeping in touch with friends - having the fastest broadband connection isn’t a necessity.

Rural homeowners: for those living outside of urban areas, out in the countryside, they may not yet have access to ultra fibre broadband. This generally only leaves ADSL or VDSL as an option. Luckily though, Chorus is working hard to roll out more fibre-fed cabinets to rural areas throughout the country.

For those unable to get fast broadband where they live, there are some areas that can be looked into to try and improve the current internet performance. Here are some things to look at that can get you fast broadband. 

Who provides the fastest broadband in New Zealand?

When it comes to providing the fastest broadband in New Zealand, there are many leading internet providers out there all competing for the top spot. Here are the top ultra fast broadband providers: 

Orcon

Orcon wants to offer the world's best broadband experience right here, deliver the latest and greatest stuff to Kiwis. For all new customers that sign up with Orcon for 12 months, they’ll enjoy half price broadband for the first 12 months! They’re also currently offering a Google Wifi 3 Pack rental for customers who sign up to their fibre+ broadband plan. 

Slingshot

Slingshot is committed to making broadband easy, simple to use, and suitable for all types of internet users. Customers who sign up to their fastest broadband plan for 12 months will get 3 months of free broadband, as well as free setup and free modem rental! 

My Republic

MyRepublic is New Zealand's first fibre broadband-only ISP - they’re dedicated to delivering an awesome internet experience for all kiwis at mass-market prices. With their unlimited fast broadband plan package, you’ll get free installation and a free modem when you sign up.

Read: MyRepublic Promos: 6 Months Half Price, Welcome Credits, Customisable Deals, and Bigger Savings

Find the fastest broadband plans

With this information in mind, making the decision whether to get a fast broadband package or not should be an easy one! Fast broadband clearly can provide a lot of benefits to both home and business owners, with more Kiwis getting on board now more than ever!

Are you ready to find a fast broadband plan that suits your needs? We’ve got New Zealand’s best and fastest broadband packages right here! Head on over to our online comparison tool, enter a few of your details and we’ll show you all of the great value package deals out there on fast broadband.