Compare broadband providers in New Zealand at Canstar Blue. Sky Broadband, NOW, Skinny, 2degrees, Slingshot, MyRepublic, Spark, Orcon, Nova Energy and One NZ were compared on Overall Satisfaction, Bill Clarity, Clarity of Contract, Customer Service, Flexibility of Contract, Network Performance and Value for Money.
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Winners of the Most Satisfied Customers for Bundled Utilities award in 2023. Sweet Fibre from just $2.65 per day, with no contracts or sneaky notice periods.
See our Ratings Methodology.
Sky Broadband rated No.1 for customer satisfaction for its great broadband deals.
Our review compares broadband providers on customer satisfaction, so you can discover what other Kiwis think about our compared broadband providers before you sign on with one of them. Think of it like asking hundreds of your closest mates which broadband provider they think is best!
Canstar Blue surveyed 3229 Kiwis who have an account with a broadband provider and asked for their feedback on their broadband provider.
Respondents rate their satisfaction with their providers from zero to ten, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and ten is extremely satisfied. Brand satisfaction was rated by respondents on the following criteria:
The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall Satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall Satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
Find more information on our Most Satisfied Customer methodology.
Sky Broadband is a newcomer to the broadband market, but it has made a big impact on Canstar Blue’s awards, winning our Most Satisfied Customers Award in its first year of eligibility.
Of all the providers in our award survey, Sky Broadband is the only one to earn a top 5-Star rating for Overall Satisfaction. It’s a score it replicates in four other categories, giving it the same number of 5-Star ratings as all the other providers combined. What a result!
Sky Broadband is available for both Sky TV subscribers and non-subscribers. There are three fibre plans to choose from, all of which are available on 12-month contracts. The basic details for each plan are:
Plan | Monthly data | Download/upload | Cost (per month) |
Fibre Pro | Unlimited | Up to 900/400Mbps |
Sky TV subscriber: $90 Non-subscriber: $110 |
Fibre Everyday | Unlimited | Up to 300/100Mbps |
Sky TV subscriber: $80 Non-subscriber: $90 |
Fibre Starter | Unlimited | Up to 50/10Mbps |
Sky TV subscriber: $60 Non-subscriber: $60 |
As the final column shows, the price difference for Sky TV subscribers and non-subscribers works out to $20 per month for the Fibre Pro plan and $10 per month for the Fibre Everyday plan.
Of course, keep in mind the additional Sky TV subscription costs when weighing up the bundle price. Sky Starter (the base Sky TV package) is $25.99 per month. This means that the minimum bundle price per month is:
On top of these prices, if you’re a Sky TV subscriber there is the possibility of other costs: additional channel packages, the new Sky Box and added box functionality.
Clearly the value to be had with Sky Broadband is by bundling. And if you’re keen on a combination of broadband and Sky TV, it’s certainly worthwhile checking out the finer details of Sky TV’s packages.
Now is the proud winner of our last three broadband awards. And this year, once again, it earns top praise from its customers. Placed second on our awards table, it’s the only broadband provider to earn a top rating for Customer Service, which is testament to Now’s great home tech assist subscriptions.
Now has come a long way since its establishment nearly 20 years ago, as a rural provider in Hawke’s Bay. Since then, it’s grown into a nationwide company with offices across the country. NOW offers a range of VDSL and fibre broadband plans. Extra charges apply for a modem:
Now also offers an ‘extra-support’ package, to ensure you’re always online:
Given its great value prepaid phone deals, it’s perhaps no surprise that Skinny is the only broadband provider in our ratings to earn a top 5-Star rating for Value for Money from Kiwi consumers. It earns extra top ratings across categories concerned with contract flexibility and clarity and bill clarity, as well as a 4-Star rating for Overall Satisfaction.
Alongside its no-frills prepaid plans, Skinny offers a great range of broadband plans across wireless and unlimited fibre. Free modem on 12-month contract:
You can save $10 per month on all of Skinny’s plans if you have an active eligible Skinny $27+ four-weekly mobile plan.
2degrees’ no-frills broadband plans deliver the telco company a strong set of ratings across all categories, and a total of five 4-Star ratings. It earns 3 Stars for Customer Service and Network Performance, and places fourth overall on our awards table.
2degrees has a selection of no-frills broadband plans to meet all budgets and internet usage needs:
* Join and get $17 off for 12 months + 12 months’ free Prime worth $10.99/month = $335.88 over 12 months
Free modem on 12-month contract ($15 shipping fee), plus $10/month discount across all plans if you already have a 2degrees pay monthly phone plan
Slingshot earns just one 3-Star rating, for Network Performance, across all other categories, its very contented customers award it 4-Star ratings for consumer satisfaction.
Slingshot has been a player in the NZ broadband market since 2001. It’s now owned by Vocus, the same company that owns Orcon. It has a range of wireless and fixed broadband plans, plus great bundle savings:
All plans, except 150GB plan, available on pay weekly or fortnightly, at slightly different price points. BYO modem, or $5/month ($15 delivery fee) on fibre plans, wireless plans come with free modem. Add Slingshot power and mobile to save up to $30 a month on your broadband plan.
*$100 joining credit on a 12-month term.
MyRepublic was the first internet provider in NZ to launch 100/20Mbps unlimited broadband plans, and it still leads the way in offering super-fast unlimited broadband. And, from its ratings, its customers are obviously happy with its product offering. It scores a swathe of 4-Star ratings, and earns its lowest mark, 3 Stars, for Customer Service.
In July, 2023, MyRepublic was bought by 2degrees, and stopped retailing broadband services in New Zealand.
Spark is one of the country’s biggest telcos, and is the last on our awards grid to earn an Overall Satisfaction rating of 4-Stars. It earns further 4-Star ratings for its billing clarity, and the flexibility and clarity of its contracts. In all other categories it earns 3-Star ratings.
Spark offers a range of fixed and wireless unlimited broadband plans. Although it’s worth noting that a modem is an extra $150, or you can BYO on fibre plans:
*Benefits include Netflix Standard ($18.49/month) and McAfee Security Standard ($4.95/month).
Extras:
Orcon earns predominantly 3-Star ratings from its customers, plus two 4-Star ratings for bill and contract clarity. While a 3-Star Rating doesn’t reflect a very high standard of satisfaction, it by no way indicates dissatisfaction, and still shows that Orcon’s customers are content with the products and service they receive.
Orcon only provides unlimited fast broadband plans on 12-month terms:
All plans come with free routers, a $14.95 delivery fee applies. Exit fees apply. Hyperfibre not available in all locations.
Nova is another provider that is best known for its bundled broadband and electricity deals. While it scores one 4-Star rating for Value for Money, across all other categories, it earns 3-Star ratings.
Nova Energy offers broadband, electricity and gas. The broadband deals differ depending on what bundles you select:
Multisavers include broadband and electricity and/or gas. No fixed contract:
Bundle broadband and electricity on a 24-month plan to receive either a 43-inch LG TV on sign-up (upgrade to a 50-inch for $299 or 65-inch for $799), or a Samsung Galaxy A34 smartphone (upgrade to a Galaxy S22 for $699 or a Galaxy Z Flip5 for $999).
Plans come with free modem, delivery charge of $14.95 applies.
Formerly known as Vodafone, One NZ places last on our table of the country’s top-rated broadband providers. It scores a clean sweep of 3-Star ratings across all categories, including for Value for Money.
One NZ offers a range of fixed and wireless broadband plans:
12-month term with modem included, no delivery charge.
$79/month: Unlimited
12-month term with modem included, no delivery charge.
Modem rental $4 p/m on 12-month contract plus $14.95 delivery fee, or BYO.
Modem rental $4 p/m on 12-month contract plus $14.95 delivery fee, or BYO.
Note: All prices correct as of 29/02/2024 and don’t include special offers. For further details, visit individual providers’ websites. Approx 4G Speeds: 35/17Mbps | 5G speeds: 240/19Mbps
Not all broadband providers in the market qualify for our ratings (based on minimum survey sample size), but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth considering. Here are more broadband providers to check out before making a decision.
Bigpipe broadband is a no-frills broadband provider that is owned by Spark NZ. It was one of the first broadband providers to offer UFB with no data caps. It offers four unlimited-data broadband plans:
$79/month & $89/month
Modems cost $99 on an open-term plan or free modem when you sign a 12-month contract.
$49 connection fee on open term plans.
Compass is a smaller, independent Kiwi telco company. It is unique in offering prepaid, pay weekly broadband:
Four months half price and a free router on a 24-month plan. Two months half price on a 12-month plan.
One-off connection fee of $34.99 applies to weekly plans. Router fees apply.
Contact only provides broadband when bundled with electricity. It has four wireless and fibre plans:
NB: The above prices are for Contact’s fibre + power plans. Bundling broadband, power and gas earns an extra discount of $5 p/m per plan.
For more details of our bundled utilities award, click here.
Electric Kiwi offers no-frills broadband, only available if you bundle it with power.
There are two plans on offer, both with unlimited data:
You have the choice to buy, rent or bring your own modem.
In 2023 and 2024, Electric Kiwi was voted No.1 for customer satisfaction, winning Canstar Blue’s Bundled Utilities Award. For more details, click here.
Flip recently joined 2degrees and is no longer accepting new customers.
Starlink is a satellite broadband service from Elon Musk’s SpaceX Aerospace company. By using satellites, Starlink is able to cover locations where internet connectivity has traditionally been limited. Starlink has two residential broadband plans:
(Starlink also offers a high-speed, priority service for businesses for $426/month.)
To use Starlink’s service, you need a Starlink kit, which comprises a Starlink satellite dish, wi-fi router, power supply, cables and a mounting tripod. The tripod is designed for ground-level installation, if you require a roof install, roof mounts are available. You can buy the Starlink kit through the company’s website or from Noel Leeming.
The brands and companies that win Canstar Blue’s awards always excel in two fields: value and customer service. And, again, in our latest broadband award, they are two of the biggest drivers of consumer satisfaction with broadband providers.
What is surprising is that Network Performance also plays an important role, cited by a quarter of those in our survey. However, while performance isn’t an issue if you’ve fibre broadband, it is if you access the internet using a wireless phone network. And, indeed, 22% of respondents in this year’s award survey subscribe to wireless broadband, which can be affected by performance issues.
Overall, here’s what the consumers in our survey say are their most important considerations when rating their broadband providers:
First, it pays to run an internet speed test. Start by connecting a device straight into your router with a LAN cable. This will reveal if it’s a problem with your internet supply.
Then run the test on multiple devices in different parts of your home. If the problem isn’t restricted to just one area of your home, or a particular device, it could be that your household’s data demands could be too demanding for your internet plan (particularly if you’re not on fibre).
For example, 4G fixed wireless only hits around 40Mbps, which can struggle with even a single UHD Netflix stream. Although if you’re on fibre 300 and above, it’s unlikely you’re too demanding for your internet connection, unless you’re really pushing your bandwidth. For even fibre 300 can stream four UHD Netflix shows simultaneously without issue.
If the speed tests reveal your internet is, indeed, the problem, and your speeds are below where they should be, there are a few common reasons for this. Note that the problem could be a combination of a few issues:
Wi-fi routers aren’t the prettiest of devices. As a result, many of us tuck them away out of sight, or set them up in little-used rooms. But this is going to hinder your internet connection. When it comes to a strong wi-fi signal, walls and distances aren’t your friends.
Place your router high up, in an unobstructed location, and near your demanding devices, such as computers, smart TVs and gaming consoles.
Depending on the size of your property (or the density of your walls), it may be that one router isn’t up to the job. If your wi-fi is flying next to the router, but stuttering down the hall and in your bedroom, it may just be the signal is struggling to reach that far.
Wi-fi extenders can help. These don’t extend your wi-fi per se, rather they use your existing wi-fi connection to broadcast their own one. As a result, you’ll have more than one wi-fi network in your home. Your regular network, and the one broadcast by the extender(s).
Mesh routers, on the other hand, deliver a single cohesive wi-fi network that utilises a main router and then several nodes to boost the network around the home.
Mesh routers provide a better internet experience, but are more expensive than wi-fi extenders. However, some providers offer mesh routers as part of their broadband plans.
Router technology is constantly improving. An old router might still connect you to wi-fi, but it may do so at a slower rate. It can also leave your connection open to security risks, and might lack features that could improve your connection.
Modern routers feature a host of features that can improve your home’s wi-fi experience, such as:
If your router is getting old, it could be time to upgrade.
If your router has two networks for you to choose from – 2GHz and 5GHz – (as most routers do) this means you have a dual-band router.
Your router uses radio frequencies to transmit internet to your devices, and 2GHz and 5GHz refer to the frequency of those radio signals. To get the best out of your wi-fi connection, you need to utilise both in the correct way:
For this reason, it pays to set up your router close to your most demanding devices (gaming consoles, smart TV, work computers, etc.) so they can utilise the 5GHz network.
You can then connect most other things on 2GHz, which is perfect for devices far from the router, as well as things that don’t require much bandwidth. For example, most smart appliances can happily stay on 2GHz, even if they are close to the router.
Furthermore, try plugging demanding devices directly into the router via LAN cables. Not only does this improve the connection to those devices, but it frees up bandwidth for wireless devices. However, this may be impractical if your ONT and router are away from your bandwidth-hungry devices.
This report was written by Canstar’s Editor, Bruce Pitchers. Bruce has three decades’ experience as a journalist and has worked for major media companies in the UK and Australasia, including ACP, Bauer Media Group, Fairfax, Pacific Magazines, News Corp and TVNZ. Prior to Canstar, he worked as a freelancer, including for The Australian Financial Review, the NZ Financial Markets Authority, and for real estate companies on both sides of the Tasman.
Currently subscribe to a paid video streaming service: 56%
Broadband provides value for money: 47%
Worry about safety of online personal data: 40%
Spend more time socialising online than in person: 29%
Use personal social media at work (e.g. Facebook, Twitter): 36%
Get all entertainment online: 35%
Worry children can access unsuitable content too easily online: 33%
Been target of online scam: 32%
Spending more time working online at home: 22%
Worry about time their children spend online: 18%
Have used an online dating website: 17%
Fibre: 65%
Wireless: 22%
ADSL/VDSL: 9%
Satellite: 1%
Watch all TV online: 26%
Watch >50% TV online: 29%
Watch <50% TV online: 26%
Watch no TV online: 16%
Social media: 33%
Streaming: 28%
Work: 13%
Gaming: 8%
Shopping: 5%
Netflix: 66%
Amazon Prime: 22%
Neon: 18%
Sky Go: 14%
Disney+: 10%
Canstar Blue surveyed 5046 New Zealand consumers across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from respondents who have a broadband internet account. In this case, 3229 New Zealanders. Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criterion.
The past winners from Canstar Blue’s Broadband ratings:
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