NOW Broadband: Still New Zealand’s Favourite Broadband Provider

The internet has long been an integral part of our lives. And that means having a great internet connection, at a great price, is crucial. But what was once only crucial for buffer-free Netflix and seamless YouTube streaming, is now integral to our work life, too, as working from home looks set to stay in some capacity. Indeed, a quarter (26%) of those in our latest broadband awards survey say they’re spending more time working online at home.

But choosing the right broadband provider isn’t an easy process. While there are plenty of providers out there, trying to work out which offers the best service and value for money can be overwhelming. And this is where Canstar Blue can help. As part of our mission to help guide NZ consumers, each year we canvass the opinions of broadband customers across a range of categories to measure and track their satisfaction with their providers.

NOW: New Zealand’s favourite broadband provider

We asked 3210 Kiwis with a broadband internet account to evaluate their experiences across the following categories:

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

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

For the third year running, Hawke’s Bay-based broadband provider NOW is our award winner. And it’s no wonder why. It scores an incredible clean sweep of 5-Star results. That’s 5 Stars in every single category measured.

Even more impressive, is aside from NOW, Kiwi consumers aren’t handing out 5-Star results lightly. A 5-Star Value for Money rating for Skinny is the only other 5-Star result in our survey.

New Zealand’s favourite broadband providers

Here are New Zealand’s favourite broadband providers, based on our survey results:

1. NOW
2. Skinny
3. 2degrees
4. Slingshot
5. Orcon
6. Spark
7. Contact
8. Stuff Fibre
9. Nova Energy
10. MyRepublic
11. Trustpower
12. Customer Service
13. Vodafone

Also rated highly in this year’s award are Skinny, 2degrees, Slingshot, and Orcon, who each earn 4 Stars for Overall Satisfaction.

Top providers: broadband

Here’s an overview of what’s on offer from NOW and our top 4-Star rated internet providers:

NOW

The home-grown company 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. Customers are clearly happy with NOW’s offerings, with great local service and expertise, a reliable network, and fair contract terms.

NOW offers a range of VDSL and fibre broadband plans:

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.

Extras:

• 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

Skinny

While Skinny’s perhaps best known for its no-frills prepaid plans, it offers a great range of broadband plans across wireless and unlimited fibre. In this year’s survey, the provider scores great results. It earns the only other 5-Star rating in our survey (Value for Money) along with a clean sweep of 4-Star results in all other categories.

Its plans include:

Wireless Plans:

60GB Plan

$45/month

120GB Plan

$50/month

Unlimited Plan

$55/month

All of Skinny’s plans require the use of a Skinny modem, which is provided free if you sign up for a 12-month plan. Otherwise you’ll need to purchase one for $199.

Skinny Wireless 4G Broadband plans use Spark’s 4G network. So you can expect a solid broadband connection with a download speed of 29mbps, which is enough for HD video streaming.

Fibre Plans:

Unlimited Plans:

$78/month – 300mbps/100mbps

$98/month – 900mbps/500mbps

All the above plans offer a Skinny Smart Modem for free on a 12-month contract. Otherwise, you’ll need to purchase one for $99 and pay a $49 connection fee. You can’t use your own modem on Skinny unlimited plans.

Current deals:

Skinny currently has a deal offering four months free on all unlimited fibre plans on a 12-month contract, or one month free on its wireless broadband. You can also save $10 per month on selected 4G wireless broadband plans while you have an active eligible Skinny $16-plus four-weekly Skinny mobile plan.

Thanks to its great current deals, Skinny comes in as the cheapest broadband in the country right now, and is well deserved of its 5-Star Value for Money rating.

2degrees

In this year’s survey, New Zealand provider 2degrees scores 4 Stars in every category measured. It has a no-frills selection of three broadband plans:

Wireless Broadband

• 300GB: $65/month
• 600GB: $75/month
• Current offer: two months free on a 12-month term

Unlimited Fibre (300/100mbps)

• $75 per month
• Current offer: two months free on a 12-month term
• Optional home line
• Prime Video & NEON for six months when you sign up to a 12-month plan, worth: $143.94

Ultimate Unlimited Fibre (900/500mbps)

• $90 per month
• Current offer: two months free on a 12-month term
• Optional home line
• Prime Video & NEON for six months when you sign up to a 12-month plan, worth: $143.94

Extras across all plans:

• Free modem on 12-month contract ($15 shipping fee)
• $10/month discount across all plans if you already have a 2degrees pay monthly phone plan

Slingshot

Slingshot has been a player in the NZ broadband market since 2001. It’s now owned by Vocus, the same company that owns Orcon. In this year’s survey, it earns 4 Stars in every category measured.

Slingshot offers a range of fixed broadband plans:

150GB

$64.95/month – 300mbps/100mbps

Unlimited

$79.95/month – 300mbps/100mbps

Unlimited Gigantic

$94.95/month – 900mbps/500mbps

Extras:

• All plans, except 150GB plan, available on pay weekly or fortnightly, at slightly different price points
• All plans feature free standard installation and modem ($15 delivery fee)
• Choose a pre-used modem and Slingshot donates $25 to Keep NZ Beautiful

Orcon

Another Vocus owned brand, Orcon has been offering internet services since the late 1990s, and has been at the forefront of delivering new internet technology to Kiwi consumers. It is one of the few providers currently offering super-fast Hyperfibre plans.

Orcon only provides unlimited broadband plans:

Unlimited Fibre

$89.95/month – 100mbps/20mbps or 300mbps/100mbps depending on location

$99.95/month – 900mbps/450mbps

Hyperfibre

$149.95/month – 2000mbps (+$199 installation of new ONT required)

$184.95/month – 4000mbps (+$199 installation of new ONT required)

$274.95/month – 7700mbps (+$199 installation of new ONT required)

• On Orcon Fibre plans you get a free Google Nest wi-fi router rental for houses under 120m². $10 per month for houses 121-240m² and $20 per month for larger homes.

For our full broadband awards click here

About the author of this page

This report was written by Canstar Content Producer, Andrew Broadley. Andrew is an experienced writer with a wide range of industry experience. Starting out, he cut his teeth working as a writer for print and online magazines, and he has worked in both journalism and editorial roles. His content has covered lifestyle and culture, marketing and, more recently, finance for Canstar.