What Is Fibre Broadband & Why Do You Need It?

Are you wanting to connect to broadband? If you’re looking for a reliable connection with ultra fast speeds, forget about ADSL and VDSL internet - fibre broadband is the perfect option for you. 

Fibre broadband is the way of the future for New Zealand - it’s the latest and fastest broadband connection currently available in the country. With download speeds of up to 200Mbps, it’s no wonder so many Kiwis are taking advantage of this ultra fast internet.

Let’s take a further look into fibre broadband and why you need it for your home…

What exactly is fibre broadband?

Unlike other internet options that use standard copper lines to transmit data, fibre broadband uses lightweight fibre optic cables. These fibre optic cables can transfer data close to the speed of light, which is why it’s so much faster than ADSL or VDSL broadband.

How much faster is fibre?

Compared to standard ADSL and VDSL, fibre broadband is lightyears ahead in terms of speed. As well as providing a more reliable connection, fibre can produce download speeds of up to 200MBps and upload speeds of up to 100MBps. 

Compare this to ADSL and VDSL - that produces speeds of around 40MBps - and fibre is up to 10x faster! This can have a huge affect on how you spend your time online, allowing you to stream and download faster than ever before.

Who can get a fibre connection?

The most common question that gets asked with fibre is “can I get fibre internet in my home?” Luckily, it’s easy to check if it’s available in your area - simply enter your address into the glimp fibre broadband checker, and we’ll let you know if it is.

While not everyone can get ultra fast broadband in their area, the NZ government has bought out the ‘Rural Broadband Initiative’ (RBI), which aims to bring faster broadband to areas outside the fibre and copper networks. 

How much is a fibre broadband plan?

Fibre broadband plans vary in price, and depend on a range of factors including whether you need a landline or not, what kind of internet user you are and how many people are in your home. However, the average monthly price is around $85.00 per month.

Make sure you keep an eye out for the latest deals and offerings on the market, as many broadband providers offer great sign up perks such as half price broadband (for six months), free account credit and even free Apple devices.

For the latest broadband deals in New Zealand, head on over to our broadband comparison tool. We’ll show you all the best offers currently on the market, and you can sign up to your new plan within minutes!