Skinny NZ’s Cheapest Broadband Deal

Unlimited broadband at 300mbps/100mbps for $52 per month. Yep, you read that correctly: $52 per month! No frills internet provider Skinny’s new deal really is that cheap. But is it a good deal, and is it the cheapest broadband when stacked up against the competition?

Up until the end of last year, the standard speed for fibre connections was 100mbps/20mbps. But Chorus’ recent fibre upgrade means that those speeds have tripled, to 300mbps/100mbps. And as competition in the broadband market grows, and more people opt for lightning fast broadband speeds of 900mbps/500mbps, the cost of regular connections continues to fall.

Skinny’s latest broadband plans are clear evidence of this. Last year, Skinny offered its unlimited 100mbps/20mbps plan on a 12-month deal for the crazy low price of $39 per month. Back then they were offering the first six months for free.

Now with the new speeds in place, Skinny has rejigged its plans and is offering four months fibre broadband for free. But once you crunch the numbers, as Canstar Blue has done, it still works out to some pretty cheap internet spread over a year:

Unlimited Fibre 300 (300mbps/100mbps)

Regular Price: $78 per month / $936 per year
Deal price (4 months free): $52 per month/ $624 per year

Unlimited Fibre Ultra (900mbps/500mbps)

Regular Price: $98 per month / $1176 per year
Deal price (4 months free): $65.30 per month/ $784 per year

These low prices also come with free connection, and a free modem. The only upfront cost is a pretty standard $10 shipping and handling fee for the modem.

Skinny’s cheapest broadband deal: the competition

But how does Skinny’s 300mbps/100mbps deal stack up against the competition? As you can see from the comparison table below, it’s still the most competitive deal around.

All plans are for 300mbps/100mbps with no home phone line. Unless indicated as an extra, all include a router, although a delivery fee can apply. It’s worth noting that most deals also include early termination fees, should you break your contract early. And many allow you to bring your own compatible router.

*$15 one-off modem delivery fee (Prices correct as of 23/03/22)

But with any great deal, there are always things to be aware of before signing up. So before you head on over to the Skinny website be aware that:

It’s the cheapest broadband deal for the first year

Skinny’s deal offers four months free if you sign up for a year. Spread over the 12-month period, you’ll pay the equivalent of just $52 per month. But once the year is up, you’ll revert to paying Skinny’s regular price, which is currently: $78 per month / $936 per year.

An early termination fee applies

If you have to quit your plan, or move to a different Skinny plan, within the first six months of your contract, you’ll have to pay a $199 early termination fee. Leave within 7-12 months, and you’ll pay $99.

Skinny is a no-frills provider

When looking at different broadband providers, look carefully at what’s on offer. Skinny is a no-frills provider. All it does is deliver broadband. And while its current deal is great, its regular plan price is $78 per month, in line with the other telcos. After a year, your savings will be minimal, unless you change providers – which Skinny hopes you’ll be too preoccupied to do.

If you don’t think you’ll be motivated to change plans again after 12 months to hunt down a better deal, opting for a provider that delivers ongoing savings could be a better option.

For example, sign up to Spark, and you get free Netflix Standard, worth $18.49 per month. So, if you’re already a Netflix subscriber, your Spark internet will effectively cost you just $66.51 per month. But it’s only a great deal if you want Netflix!

The same can be said for Sky Broadband, if you’re an existing Sky TV customer your broadband will only cost you $69 per month.

Or if you have a Vodafone pay monthly phone plan, Vodafone offers a $10 per month broadband discount. This reduces the cost of their current 300/100 broadband plan to just $69 per month.

If you’re willing to bundle your internet, adding either mobile phone plans or power plans, a world of extra savings awaits. But you need to do your homework.

So is Skinny’s cheapest broadband deal worth it?

At current prices, even with competitor discounts factored in, Skinny’s deal still beats the field: $52 per month for 12 months is a great price. And if you’re proactive after 12 months, you’re free to search out an even better deal. It’s just up to you to do your research, because if you’re after the cheapest broadband, you have to shop around.

And that’s where Canstar Blue can help. For a clearer picture of broadband providers in NZ, Canstar Blue rates all the providers in the market annually. We survey thousands of broadband customers and ask them to score their providers across categories including Value for Money, Network Performance and Customer Service.

Canstar Blue’s latest review of NZ internet providers compares NOW, 2degrees, Bigpipe, Contact, MyRepublic, Nova Energy, Orcon, Slingshot, Spark, Stuff Fibre, Trustpower and Vodafone and awards the best our 5-Star rating:

See Our Ratings Methodology

The table above is an abridged version of our full research, so to find out more about NZ’s best broadband providers, just click on the big button below:

Compare broadband providers for free with Canstar!

About the author of this page

This report was written by Canstar’s Editor, Bruce Pitchers. Bruce began his career writing about pop culture, and spent a decade in sports journalism. More recently, he’s applied his editing and writing skills to the world of finance and property. 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.