The New Zealand broadband market is populated by several providers vying to provide you with the best home internet service. Two of the most popular ISPs are 2degrees and Slingshot, both of which offer a comprehensive range of broadband plans to Kiwis all around the country.
Slingshot has been delivering broadband services in NZ for over 20 years, while 2degrees launched in 2009. Despite the provider’s relative youth, however, it hasn’t stopped it building its own nationwide broadband network to rival the best existing services. With both claiming to pride themselves on the personalised service they offer, and cutting through the ‘red tape’, which one offers the better home broadband plans?
What does 2degrees offer?
2degrees broadband plans are available on its own Ultra-Fast Fibre network. The Ultra-Fast Fibre network provides base download/upload speeds of 100/20 Mbps, which is more than twice as fast as typical fibre internet speeds of 30/10 Mbps. This makes 2degrees the perfect provider if you love streaming movies and playing video games, or perform a lot of large file transfers online.
If even these high speeds don’t satisfy you, you can add one of two Fibre Speed Boosters to your plan. The first boost is up to 200/20 Mbps for an additional $24.95, and the second is a simply unbelievable 1000/500 Mbps for $44.95 per month – that’s up to 1 Gigabit per second when downloading, fast enough to buy and download an HD movie in under 30 seconds.
2degrees offers two broadband plans, which you can subscribe to on an open term plan or a fixed 12 month or 24 month term; the plans bring the following inclusions to the table:
| Price per month | $75 | $95 |
| Data | 80GB | Unlimited |
| Plan terms | Open term – $165 modem, $99 connection fee
12 months – $15 modem, no connection fee 24 months – $15 modem, no connection fee, $59/month Unlimited broadband for the first year |
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| Home phone pack | Unlimited NZ and Aus landline calls: $15/month | |
| Bonus offers | $10 discount for 2degrees Pay Monthly mobile customers | |
What does Slingshot offer?
Slingshot provides a plethora of fully customisable broadband plans, available on both ADSL and fibre connections. There are three different data allowances to choose from, along with your choice of a Fibre speed boost (if available) and a homeline connection. Slingshot provides free installation at most NZ addresses, meaning hefty upfront costs are a thing of the past.
Bonuses include a free Google Chromecast for streaming media to your TV, and the ability to save $5 per month on a Slingshot Mobile plan when you bundle it with your broadband plan. There’s also data rollover with no expiry, meaning your unused monthly data builds up over the course of the year. You can choose from a 12 month contract ($20 modem fee) or a 24 month contract (free modem); check out the full plan options below:
| Price per month | $69.95 | $79.95 | $89.95 |
| Data | 100GB | 150GB | Unlimited |
| Download speeds | ADSL: 12/1 Mbps
Ultra-Fast Fibre: 30/10 Mbps Super-Fast speed boost: 100/20 Mbps (+$5 per month) |
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| Home phone options | Unlimited national calls ($5/month)
Unlimited national + 1000 mobile mins ($15/month) 100 hours of international calls ($10-$25, depending on country) |
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How do the two compare?
2degrees and Slingshot have some significant overlaps in their broadband offerings, in terms of price, data and extras. If you’re looking for an entry-level plan and don’t need too much data, then Slingshot currently seems to bring better value; the base plan is $5 a month cheaper and provides more data than 2degrees’ 80GB plan, and the next plan up offers twice the data of the 2degrees plan for only $5 more.
At the top end, there’s little to separate the two unlimited plans, with only $5 difference. Call packages are also similar, with both offering unlimited landline calls for $15 each month, although Slingshot also includes a swathe of mobile calls.
The big difference, however, is in the choice of download speeds. Slingshot offers base speeds of 30/10 Mbps, which is perfectly adequate for most households. However, it’s nothing compared the 100/20 Mbps speeds offered as standard by 2degrees; Slingshot charges you an extra $5 per month for that privilege.
2degrees then changes the game further by offering near-ludicrous speed boosts all the way up to 1 Gigabit downloads. If you’re one of a growing number of consumers who stream most of their media online, or you do a lot of downloading and uploading of large files, then the internet speeds offered by 2degrees make it the superior option by far.
Overall it’s perhaps fair to say that Slingshot edges 2degrees out in terms of value, especially at the bottom end, whereas 2degrees has an advantage in terms of download speeds which will attract more high-end customers. As expected, these two of New Zealand’s biggest providers are extremely competitive with what they offer – a rivalry which spells nothing but good news for consumers. For more on 2degree, Slingshot and other broadband providers, check out Canstar Blue’s star ratings.
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