New Zealand broadband comparison website www.broadbandcompare.co.nz today launched telephone and online chat support as it continues to expand its database of internet providers and broadband plans that are available in New Zealand. With over 2,800 different broadband packages listed on the site from 94 different New Zealand ISP’s the new support services will help those who aren’t entirely comfortable committing to a new broadband plan without discussing the options first.
August saw more than 13,000 Kiwis visit the free to use broadband comparison website to check the internet connectivity at their address and to compare broadband plans to ensure they are on the best internet package for their needs.
Since Broadband Compare officially launched on June 30th, at an event attended by senior industry figures including the Rt Hon. Amy Adams, Minister for Communications, Broadband Compare has grown and expanded with tens of thousands of New Zealanders using the site to compare broadband plans, save money and increase their knowledge around broadband connectivity.
Founded by Gavin Male and Alex Grace, Broadband Compare was launched after the new migrants arrived in New Zealand and had difficulty finding the best broadband plan for their needs. Since the launch, Broadband Compare is now helping more than 500 Kiwis a day find a more suitable broadband plan for their needs.
“Your best broadband plan won’t necessarily be the cheapest plan in the market,” says Male. “With New Zealand consumers now using more and more data due to the growth of online streaming services like Netflix, Lighbox and Neon, as well as multiple devices connecting to your home internet connection, it is important to understand the way your household uses the internet. That, more than price, will dictate the type of plan you need.”
“In just the month of August more than 13,000 New Zealanders used Broadband Compare,” adds Male. “Whilst some users have been pleasantly surprised at how much money they have been able to save, especially when switching to some of the new providers who are focussed on providing their services through the new ultra-fast fibre broadband network, almost everyone has been surprised at how many different options there are in the market for providing their broadband connection to home or work.”
Grace adds, “Some of the newer ISP’s have got great plans that really take advantage of the new UFB fibre network and with Gigabit speeds coming available country wide in October it’s well worth knowing your options. We’re passionate about getting Kiwis using fibre and when people aren’t sure about switching we remind them of the days they were on dial up and moved to broadband. The change to fibre really is just as big an improvement.”
At Broadband Compare, visitors to the site simply input their address and the Broadband Compare technology returns information on the type of broadband connection available at their property. This could be a new ultra-fast fibre connection, VDSL, ADSL or show that the address is not on the fixed line network and a wireless connection will be required. Users then apply simple filters to say what they use the internet for and if they need any extras like a telephone landline, free modem or the type of contract they are after. Once these questions are answered the Broadband Compare website returns the most suitable plans which can then be sorted by the Broadband Compare rating or according to price.
“The Broadband Compare website is incredibly easy to use and we hope that it demystifies some of those terms that you hear around the broadband market like megabits per second, VDSL and gigabytes,” says Male. “In addition, if you still aren’t comfortable switching online and making that final decision, the Broadband Compare team is now available to chat to over the phone on 0508 2 COMPARE and we also have an online chat function which is manned between 0900 and 1700 Monday to Friday as well as some hours at weekends. Jump on the site and compare plans, you never know what you might be missing out on.”
Compare NZ Broadband Plans here
