Welcome to Kiwi Money Savers

So what is broadband?

Broadband is faster, always on, internet and allows you to talk on the phone whilst using the internet so there are no engaged lines as there are with dial up internet.

Terms Used

Download limit (Gb)

How many websites or emails you view or music/video downloads you make

Download Speed

How quickly you RECEIVE information FROM the web.

eg How quickly a webpage opens or files/movies/music are downloaded on to your computer.

Upload Speed

How quickly you SEND information TO the web you send files/photos back to the internet.

eg. How quickly you can upload photos to an online photo site. 

Most broadband companies offer maximum download speeds as standard now but this all depends on what is on offer at your local telephone exchange how quickly this is.

Which Broadband Plan should I get?

It depends on how you are going to use the internet:

• If you download alot of music, movies etc then large download limit will be very important eg 5-10Gb.
• If speed of the internet is important then you should get fast download speeds  
• We think the download limit up to 5Gb unless is reasonable, unless you download alot of music or movies
• We find Max download speed best but upload speed doesn't matter too much to us as we dont send much information to the internet.
• If you use the broadband occasionally, a 2Gb plan is quite reasonable.
• Remember you may be able to increase or decrease the speed or download allowance depending on how much you find you use the internet but always check in terms & conditions of your particular plan before signing up
• Some packages include free national/international calls in their plan
• Check if the package cost includes the price of home phone line.

To work out the true costs of Broadband Package:

Total cost of broadband = Home phone monthly line rental + Broadband monthly charge

(Except Naked Broadband plans as noted below where no phone line is required)

Note: With any broadband deal always check the terms & conditions & early termination fees. Should you think you may need to cancel the contract early ie moving soon, these fees can add up to $199, if you break the contract.
So always check out terms & conditions of the deal!

COMPARING BROADBAND & PHONE PACKAGES

Deals can change frequently, so check on the latest deals before signing up:

CHEAPEST OVERALL PACKAGE

Woosh for full Speed Broadband

Full speed download & upload

$69 for 1Gb download limit

Home Phone Line

Telecom, Vodafone & Orcon all offer MAX speed broadband at $70 with 1Gb download limit.

Telstra Clear offer cable broadband in their cabled regions in Kapiti, Wellington & Christchurch for $71.90.

Slingshot if you're happy with slower broadband

What it includes:

256 kbps Download /128kbps Upload

$69.90 for 2Gb Download limit.

Home Phone Line

BEST VALUE MAX SPEED DOWNLOAD PACKAGE

Woosh phone & broadband package

$74/mth.
5Gb of data

MAX download/128k upload

Home phone line.

MAX SPEED DOWNLOAD & LARGE DOWNLOAD LIMIT PACKAGES

If you don't make many national calls or have VOIP phone calls:
Slingshot or Vodafone are the best value.

Slingshot: $94.90/mth gets you 25Gb of download

Vodafone: $90/mth but you only get 20Gb download

If however you make lots of national calls:

Telecom $99 incl 10Gb download 

Orcon: $100 incl 10Gb download

Both includes all national phone calls free!

This market is always changing so always check out latest deals at their websites.

If you already have broadband setup, at the end of your contract always call around the main competitors to see what deal they can offer you. They often provide a free broadband modem but this is not much use if you already have one. So ask if you can get a discount if you transfer to them.

COMPARE PHONE & BROADBAND PACKAGES

For more details of these plans see below under the individual companies.

Naked Broadband

The latest development in broadband is Naked Broadband. This is available in Auckland but spreading out to the rest of the country.

With Naked Broadband you only have the broadband and don't need a landline to use broadband (if you need a phone line, you can use a VOIP phone which makes calls through the internet but can phone any number in New Zealand or around the world just like a normal phone).

This can save you alot of money if you don't need a home phone as you don't pay for the line rental on your home phone. 

There are now companies (Orcon, Slingshot) that allow you to have a landline number operating through broadband so you can still make & receive calls without a landline.

NAKED BROADBAND PACKAGES

Wireless (NOT 3G MOBILE) Broadband

Woosh offers Wireless Broadband which is similar to Naked Broadband in that you don't need a phone line but as it is wireless you need to be in the Woosh Coverage.

This is currently limited to

To check out more about Woosh visit their wireless broadband page to check if you're in their coverage area.

We have found when used in Auckland that the reception can vary depending on where you live and doesn't work so well for VOIP calls.

My advice makes sure you try it out before signing up for long contract. Check to see if you can use the service for say 2 weeks and if not happy return it.

New Customer Offers

Broadband offer free MySky with Vodafone

Orcon Broadband & Home Phone Packages

Orcon Broadband Packages Page

They offer no term contracts, so don't need to sign up for 12 months, useful if moving soon!

Naked Broadband Plan (if live in Orcon Network area)

$79.95 15Gb No homeline

PACKAGES IN ORCON + AREA (ie Auckland)

PACKAGES OUTSIDE ORCON+ NETWORK

Broadband Only

(Pay for home line separately ie up to $46.35 on top of these figures)

PURPLE (with toll calls) 1GB $34.95 if have home toll calls via Orcon
PURPLE                       1GB $39.95 if keep toll calls with current provider (Telecom)

Broadband with Home Line

GOLD: 10Gb $109.95 includes homeline (unlimited National Calls)
PLATINUM: 20Gb $129.95 includes homeline (unlimited National Calls)

Slingshot Phone & Broadband

 
Slingshot Broadband Packages

Slingshot offers Free Off Peak Broadband.

Download or browse the internet in off peak hours and it wont count towards your monthly data cap. But how many people up at this time. Only useful if downloading overnight. Note: The off peak times vary between the plans too!

Naked Broadband (Rural Customers pay an extra $20/mth)

25Gb $79.95 with Home Phone Line with their iTalk system

iTalk enables you to make calls through your broadband connection, so you don't need a landline. It provides you with a local phone line number as before but all calls are routed through your broadband connection. This service which is a form or VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) offers substantial savings for calls abroad.

More about iTalk here

Telecom Broadband & Home Phone Plans

Telecom Broadband plans

The contract with Telecom includes free connection & Broadband Modem.

A 12 month contract applies.

$199 Termination fee if cancel before 12 month contract.

Broadband Plans only

ADD $46.35/mth most of New Zealand. 

For Customers in Wellington 04 calling region, Christchurch City & most suburbs add $38.30

FOR Customers in Auckland add $42

TELECOM TOTAL HOME PACKAGES

Check out Total Home Packages

The minimum contract period for Total Home is 12 months and an early termination fee of $199 applies.


Total Home plan is still beaten by Vodafones 20GB for $90 plan if don't make many national calls. You can upgrade this plan for free national calls anyway if you need it.

But if make lots of daytime national call may be worth looking at the 10GB Plan ($15 for unlimited national calls in evenings or $20 for anytime calls like with Telecom.)

Telstra Clear is probably the most confusing as they have 2 different prices depending on where you live.

They have cable installed in Wellington, Kapiti & Christchurch it is called the In Home Plan

Rest of NZ get a plan called Home Plan.

Current Packages

12 month contract applies

Cancellation fee $99 if before end of 12 month contract

HOME PLAN CHARGES for New Zealand

$5 less per month for Auckland, Wellington & Christchurch.

PLUS USAGE CHARGES:
ADD to above:

1GB - $4

3GB - $7

10GB - $15

25GB - $30

They also have cable broadband plans for those living in Cabled areas check them out here:

Telstra Clear Cable Broadband Package Prices

Vodafone Fixed Broadband with Home Phone Plans

Vodafone Broadband Packages

Vodafone offers 2 different types of pricing depending on where you live in New Zealand.

They only offer a combine broadband with home phone rental package (have to move your phone service from Telecom to Vodafone).

New Customer Offers:

Broadband offer free MySky

A 12 month contract applies.

Free Connection & Free Broadband Modem

$199 Termination fee if cancel before 12 month contract.

If moving house pay $99 to reconnect

"Vodafone's Red Zone"

This is an area where vodafone has installed their own equipment into the local phone exchanges. This is currently mainly in Auckland but is gradually rolling out to other cities)

Download Speed: MAXIMUM

Upload Speed: MAXIMUM

Vodafone Packages:

World Exchange (Xnet) 

World Exchange Broadband Plans

Once again offers a different range of broadband plans!!

To work out cost of broadband:

1. Choose how you want to use the internet:

1. Free 75GB Off Peak Broadband between 2am-8am ($1.54/GB in peak hrs)

So if you want to use broadband for downloading overnight

2. Flat Rate Broadband ($1.02/GB at all times)

If you don't download so much.

2. Select the Speed

3. Pay for download usage 

Torent: $1.54/Gb

Flat Rate: $1.02/Gb 

VOIP

They also offer a VOIP package as well.

If you already have broadband you can opt for this service with Worldxchange

$11.25/mth comes with phone number & line.

You can keep your existing home phone number or be supplied with a new number.

3G Mobile Broadband

Operated on 3G mobile networks, but can still get GPRS on their standard mobile network. The 3G Network is growing all the time so check back with the operators to see where there coverage is. I have listed the latest coverage below, but you must check with the operator to make sure you 're in range and maybe worth seeing if you can test the equipment before signing on to a long contract in case the coverage is poor in your area.

Both companies also offer international data roaming.

Vodafone 3G Mobile Broadband 

Vodafone's 3G Broadband (HSDPA) network currently covers areas in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Whangarei, Whangamata, Tauranga, Rotorua, Taupo, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Napier, Palmerston North, Nelson and Queenstown.

You have a choice between

1. Prepay 

if you only use it occasionally

For $99 you get the USB Vodem stick & get $40 bonus credit until March 2010.

Broadband Lite: $10 for 100Mb per month

Broadband Surfer: $30 for 0.5Gb per month.  

Once your broadband usage above has been exhausted you can either by another of the above top up (Lite or Surfer) or pay $1 per day for first 10Mb then $1 per Mb!!

2. On Account (pay monthly) 

If you want to use mobile broadband every month on a contract.

They will automatically double your bundle data in a month if you go over your data allowance.

Additional data after that costs $0.50 per Mb.

Plans:

Use a USB 3G Vodem Stick and get mobile broadband. This is free on selected contracts with Vodafone Mobile broadband but you'll need to pay with prepay!

Telecom 3G Mobile Broadband:

Current special for Telecom broadband customers:

Get a free USB 3G T Stick if you buy 500Mb Data for $29.95

Prepay Plan

No contract

Pay $99 for a USB 3G T Stick which includes 500Mb Data.

Then $29.95 for each 500Mb each month

or Casual Rate: $1 a day for up to 10Mb

Monthly Mobile Broadband Plans

Free USB Stick with 24 mth plan

Telecom currently has 3G coverage on its new XT network and covers 97% of the places where New Zealanders live. This includes all major centres, Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington & Dunedin and some smaller centres including Whangerai, Tauranga & Rotorua, Taupo, Taranaki, Napier & Hastings, Manawatu & Nelson.

Telecom latest national coverage maps

Telecom International Roaming Coverage costs & locations

Vodafones offer is much better, but remember either of these offers are only any good if you are always going to be in Auckland, Wellington & Christchurch as it cannot be used outside these areas and won't be as fast as landline broadband, even in these locations!