Broadband

NOW is NZ’s Best Broadband

The modern home is always on. Even when the lights are off and everybody is asleep at night, the chances are that somewhere, a modem’s lights are blinking as a device updates, or a security camera records the suspicious movements of a possum or neighbourhood cat.

And during waking hours, our lives revolve around the internet. It’s how we bank and keep our admin in check. It’s how we relax: stream, socialise and shop. And since the pandemic, for many, it’s increasingly about how they work.

But as our dependence on the internet grows, so does our reliance on our internet providers. The fibre cables that bring ultra-fast broadband into our homes might be standard across the country, but the many competing internet providers aren’t. So how do you discover which brand delivers the best value and customer service?

That’s where Canstar Blue can help. As part of our mission to inform consumers of the best NZ has to offer, this year Canstar Blue canvassed the opinions of 3210 New Zealanders with a broadband account, across a range of categories, to measure and track their satisfaction.

To decide which broadband provider offers the best level of customer satisfaction, each was rated across the following categories:

• Overall Satisfaction
• Bill Clarity
• Clarity of Contract
• Customer Service
• Flexibility of Contract
• Network Performance
• Value for Money

Coming out on top is NOW, the clear winner of Canstar Blue’s 2022 award for Most Satisfied Customers | Broadband.

This year marks the third year in a row that NOW has taken out our top award. The hat-trick is a great achievement, reflected by top 5-Star ratings across every measure of customer satisfaction in our survey.

Only one other broadband provider in this year’s survey earns a 5-Star rating. No-frills provider Skinny has one 5-Star rating, for Value for Money, along with 4-Stars in all other categories.

Also rated highly by their customers are the following internet providers:

• 2degrees
• Slingshot
• Orcon

Each earns a clean sweep of 4-Star ratings across all categories.

What Kiwis Want From Their Internet Providers

Cost, Performance, Service – for customer satisfaction, they’re the holy trinity. And for broadband providers, they are especially relevant. As the always-on utility is essential for day-to-day life in Kiwi homes, it’s expected to be always on and always reliable, and come at an affordable price.

But, if something goes wrong, we expect expert help to get it fixed … and fast. These qualities are reflected in what those in our survey say is important to them. Overall, the main drivers of satisfaction:

NOW is NZ’s Best Broadband

NOW is home-grown company that has come a long way since its establishment nearly 20 years ago, as a rural provider in Hawke’s Bay. Since then, it has grown into a nationwide company with offices across the country.

NOW prides itself on the high level of customer service and tech assistance that it offers its customers. Attributes reflected in the fantastic levels of satisfaction show by those on its broadband plans.

Across ADSL/VDSL and fibre it offers concise plan structures:

ADSL/VDSL

125GB: $75/month – 70mbps/10mbps

Unlimited: $85/month – 70mbps/10mbps

Fibre

125GB: $75/month – 300mbps/100mbps

Unlimited: $85/month – 300mbps/100mbps

Ultra Unlimited: $99/month – 900mbps/400mbps

Epic Unlimited: $115/month – 900mbps/400mbps. Includes: two in-home tech visits per year, unlimited access to home tech helpdesk and 10% off NOW’s smart-home product range.

For extra assurance of great home internet and service, NOW also offers extra care packages:

Remote home tech assist membership: $9.95/month

Home assist membership: $19.95/month or $16/month on Ultra plan. Includes two in-home visits per year, unlimited remote home tech assistance and 10% off NOW’s smart-home product range (12-month terms apply)

Whole home wi-fi router kit for coverage in large or multi-level homes: $20/month for 12 months, or a one-off payment of $240

So if you’re looking for the best internet, and not just in value for money data, but also customer satisfaction and care, let Canstar Blue guide your internet search to NOW: winner of our award for Most Satisfied Customers | Internet Provider for the third year in a row.