ISP New Zealand * Getting Online * Internet Connection * Dial-up * Broadband * ADSL
Want to get connected in New Zealand? Here’s what to do.
Decide whether you want a fast or slow connection.
A standard speed dial-up connection costs less than NZ$15 per month.
To surf 4 times faster than dial-up, you should get basic broadband for $40 per month.
To surf 40 times faster than dial-up will cost around $60 or $80 per month.
If you live in a more remote area and you want better than dial-up, you’ll probably need to consider more expensive options such as wireless (if there’s a local transmitter) or even satellite internet.
Compare the companies.
Telecom New Zealand dominates the country’s telecommunications. Despite its size, Telecom’s reputation with Internet customers is rather variable. People often complain of poor service.
Our own experience of the companies we’ve listed below is reasonably good. The internet connections they provide are reliable and their customer service is acceptable. If you have technical problems the chances are you will end up waiting in a queue before their technical support people can accept a phone call.
Internet Connections – The Choices
1. Dial-up
Dial-up Internet speed in urban areas is 52 Kbps. This is the norm for most countries. Dial-up Internet connections are available everywhere in New Zealand.
BUT, Telecom New Zealand has been criticised for allowing its rural network to deteriorate. The telephone cables in many rural areas can handle a maximum of just 33 Kbps. In practice many rural lines are even slower than this. For most people – particularly anyone used to a fast connection – these speeds are unacceptably slow.
Rural problems are exacerbated by Telecom’s habit of adding too many lines to rural exchanges and often further compounded by interference from electric fences.
Typical Dial-up Prices in 2012
| Provider | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| Orcon | $15 flat rate or $10.50 for 30 hours a month (additional hours $1.50 an hour). |
| Vodafone | $20.45 flat rate or $10.45 when bundled with a phone and calling plan. |
| TelstraClear | $16.95 flat rate or $12.95 (must be bundled with a phone and calling plan) for 150 hours a month (additional hours $2.50 an hour). Minimum 6 months subscription with each plan. |
| Inspire | $20 per 28 days or $10.00 for 20 hours each 28 days (additional hours $1.20 an hour). |
| Kiwi Online | $9.95 flat rate |
2. Broadband / ADSL
Telecom’s network delivers broadband to most New Zealanders. Smaller companies compete with Telecom but they still use Telecom’s network to carry their service. Many of Telecom’s rural lines can’t carry broadband.
You can test whether broadband is available in any location using a tool on Telecom’s website. You need to know a phone number in the area you are interested in. Enter a phone number to discover if Broadband is available in that area.
2012 Typical Landline ADSL / Broadband Prices – 256 Kbps to 7Mbps
| Provider | Monthly Traffic Allowed | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Inspire | 10 GB | $40 (256 Kbps) |
| Inspire | 50 GB | $60 (fullspeed) |
| Orcon | 15 GB | $85 a month for 12 months contract. |
| Vodafone | 20 GB | $90 per month (includes Vodafone fixed line home phone and free local calls, free wireless modem and connection). |
| Vodafone | 60 GB | $100 per month (includes Vodafone fixed line home phone and free local calls, free wireless modem and connection). |
| TelstraClear | 40 GB | $75 per month (includes home phone line, free local calls and free wireless modem.) 12 months contract. |
| TelstraClear | 60 GB | $155 per month (includes home phone line and unlimited national and international calls) |
| Telecom | 120 GB | $105 a month for 12 months contract (includes Telecom fixed line home phone and free local calls, free wireless modem and connection). |
Notes:
If you are reaching your data maximum, most ISP’s will send you a reminder and give you the option to increase your date allowance (for a fee).
TelstraClear automatically supply an additional usage pack for which you will be charged $2 per GB of extra use for 2GB / 10GB / 20GB & 40GB plans or $2 per 2 GB of extra use for 60GB / 100GB & 150GB plans.
Inspire give you an option to either throttle your connection back to 64 Kbps (slightly faster than dial-up) for the remainder of the month or to pay for extra data at $10 per 5GB of usage over your cap.
3. Naked Broadband / DSL
Another option is Naked Broadband. Naked DSL is a broadband service that does not require you to purchase a traditional land-line phone.
2012 Typical Naked ADSL / Broadband Prices – 256 Kbps to 7Mbps
| Provider | Monthly Traffic Allowed | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Inspire | 10 GB | $90 |
| Inspire | 50 GB | $95 |
| Orcon | 30 GB | $75 (plus home phone over the internet) |
| Vodafone | 20 GB | $55 per month with ON Mobile Account (plus free wireless modem). |
| Woosh | 20 GB | $69.85 |
4. Cable
Cable Internet uses fibre-optic cable to carry data. Cable is faster than the fastest broadband – 10 Mbps.
TelstraClear offer cable connections in and around Wellington, the Kapati coast and parts of Christchurch.
2012 Cable Price
| Provider | Speed (Downstream/Upstream) | Monthly Traffic Allowed | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| TelstraClear | Up to 15 Mbps / 2 Mbps | 20 GB | $65.95 |
| TelstraClear | Up to 100 Mbps / 10 Mbps | 40 GB | $115.95 |
5. Wireless
You don’t need a telephone line for wireless Internet, but you do need to be close to a transmitter. Several wireless companies operate in New Zealand. Some examples of 2012 prices are:
Vodafone offers mobile broadband. In a recent Epitiro survey of mobile broadband providers in Auckland and Wellington, Vodaphone had the fastest average download speed at 4.1 Mbps. The Vodem stick costs $79 and allows 2 GB of data with 2 months to use it. Further monthly extra 2 GB add-on bundles can be purchased for $50.
Woosh currently covers Southland and parts of Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington. They charge $39.95 for 7 GB of traffic or $59.95 for 20 GB. The Woosh router costs an additional $5 a month to hire. If you exceed your data allowance, you can either top up your data package or your connection speed will be slowed down.
Telecom also has pay monthly mobile broadband. Prices start from $30 a month for 750 MB of data and a monthly allowance of 2 GB of data costs $60. There are prepaid options as well starting with 500 MB for $25 (one month expiry).
2012 Wireless Prices
| Provider | Speed (Downstream/Upstream)* | Monthly Traffic Allowed | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vodafone | 4.1 Mbps / 1.5 Mbps | 2 GB | $79 |
| Woosh | - | 20 GB | $39.95 |
| Woosh | - | 20 GB | $59.95 |
| Telecom | 3.3 Mbps / 0.9 Mbps | 750 MB | $30 |
| Telecom | 3.3 Mbps / 0.9 Mbps | 2 GB | $60 |
* data from Epitiro 2011 survey. (pdf)
6. Satellite
Satellite Internet is the solution if you need a connection in a remote area. Installation costs are higher than standard broadband (approx. $200 – $300) and you will need a satellite dish. Farmside offers a satellite service. To increase data allowance they also have data booster and off-peak data booster packages.
2012 Satellite Prices
| Provider | Speed (Downstream/Upstream) | Monthly Traffic Allowed | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farmside | 1Mbps download / 512Kbps upload | 1 GB | $56 |
| Farmside | 2Mbps download / 1Mbps upload | 2 GB | $91 |
| Farmside | 3Mbps download /1Mbps upload | 4 GB | $114 |
| Farmside | ‘unleashed’ | 7 GB | $217 |