Having speedy internet connection has been a struggle for rural New Zealand households for quite some time. Starlink's low-cost satellite broadband plans is shaking up the rural broadband landscape – set to deliver speed and low latency to regional areas of Aotearoa!
For households, they offer two plans:
Both these plans deliver unlimited high-speed, low latency broadband. Their deprioritized plans are prioritised after the standard plans, which means that during peak hours, their broadband speeds will be slower.
Starlink users, even those of the deprioritised plans, are reporting speeds of 200 and 300 mbps – which is still a lot faster than most rural broadband speeds. Starlink is also delivering low latency to rural homes, as low as 20ms, which is insignificant to most apps.
So, with Starlink plans, even those on deprioritised plans are seeing performances close to that of low-end fibre broadband, making them a great choice for those in rural areas who need wireless plans that deliver!
There have been lots of reports that more and more rural households are making the switch from limited, fixed wireless plans that often deliver poor quality broadband, to Starlink’s unlimited plans. Similarly, those who use older satellite technology for their internet connection are making the switch to Starlink.
It is clear that regional New Zealanders are interested in getting connected to faster speeds and lower latency.
Starlink’s new rural broadband plans comes as a statement from One New Zealand reveals that they will be pushing out their 3G shutdown to March 2025 to give rural Kiwis more time to make changes and get prepared. It’s a good time to consider upgrading your phone, and also consider switching your broadband plan to one that aligns with future-focused technology and will deliver you the speeds and latency that the modern digital age needs, even if you live on a farm!
