Bigpipe Broadband Review
We review Bigpipe broadband's six plans and outline the pros and cons of each, benefits and how to get the best price
Updated 16 July 2021
Summary:
How to get the best price on Bigpipe broadband plan:
Our review:
In this guide, we detail the pros and cons of the six plans, compare the plans side-by-side, and outline how to choose the right Bigpipe broadband plan. We cover:
- Bigpipe in a Nutshell: Bigpipe is one of the largest broadband providers in New Zealand known for offering a large number of plan for different needs
- Coverage: New Zealand-wide broadband using ADSL, VDSL, and UFB technologies
- Plans and Pricing: Bigpipe offers six plans:
- Fast Plan (from $79/month)
- Turbo Plan (from $89/month)
- Starter Plan (from $79/month)
- Expert Plan (from $89/month)
- Pro Plan (from $99/month)
- Elite Plan (from $109/month)
How to get the best price on Bigpipe broadband plan:
- New Customers: Plans with Bigpipe are cheapest when you sign up for 12-months and don't plan to change providers for at least 12 months (therefore avoiding the early exit fee).
- Renewing: If you're happy with Bigpipe and would like to continue, the best approach is to compare the pricing when your contract comes up for renewal. If Bigpipe is offering a better deal than the renew rate, contact their support team and ask for them to apply it to your account.
Our review:
In this guide, we detail the pros and cons of the six plans, compare the plans side-by-side, and outline how to choose the right Bigpipe broadband plan. We cover:
Christopher Walsh, Founder of MoneyHub, shares his views on comparing broadband providers:
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Bigpipe Broadband Set Up and Installation Charges
Know this first: When comparing broadband providers, service setup charges are an essential part of the deal. In the case of Bigpipe, the installation cost will depend on the type of contract you choose – the two choices are the leave-anytime option (open term) or the 12-month fixed term. The differences in cost are significant:
Important:
- Leave Anytime (Open Term): $49 standard connection fee plus a modem charge of $99 if wanting a Bigpipe supplied modem
- Fixed Term (12 months): Free standard connection and free Bigpipe modem
Important:
- Bigpipe services are not available in some areas of New Zealand. You can check broadband availability by typing in your address here.
- If your household does not have a pre-existing fibre connection, and it is more than 200 meters from the roadside, then you will have to pay a non-standard installation fee that will vary depending on each particular case. This fee is applicable regardless of the type of contract you signed
Bigpipe Broadband Customer Service and Outage Support
- Bigpipe' Customer Service Hours are 8 am - 8 pm, 7 days a week.
- Bigpipe does not have a customer service phone number. However, you can contact the New Zealand-based support team via an online form, live chat on Bigpipe’s website, or by means of the Bigpipe mobile app
- If there is a broadband outage, Bigpipe’s support team will be back with you within 2 hours during support hours
How fast is a Bigpipe broadband connection?
The speed of your internet connection will be determined by the type of line available in your area. Depending on your location, Bigpipe may have ADSL, VDSL, or Fibre lines available. Below is a reference of what to expect from each line:
- Bigpipe’s ADSL Speed: Up to 20Mbps download speed / 1Mbps upload speed
- Bigpipe’s VDSL Speed: Up to 60Mbps download speed / 18Mbps upload speed
- Bigpipe’s Fibre Speed (Starter Plan): Up to 100Mbps download speed / 20Mbps upload speed
- Bigpipe's Fibre Speed (Expert Plan): Up to 100Mbps download speed / 100 Mbps upload speed
- Bigpipe’ Fibre Speed (Pro Plan): Up to 200Mbps download speed / 20Mbps upload speed
- Bigpipe’ Fibre Speed (Elite Plan): Up to 900Mbps download speed / 500Mbps upload speed
Comparing Bigpipe Plans - Fast vs Turbo vs Starter vs Expert vs Pro vs Elite Plan
Bigpipe offers six fixed-line broadband plans, the Fast Plan, the Turbo Plan, the Starter Plan, the Expert Plan, the Pro Plan, and the Elite Plan. We outline the offering of each, as well as the pros and cons.
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Bigpipe Fast Broadband Plan ReviewSummary: The Bigpipe Fast plan is aimed at consumers with basic internet access needs looking for a fast and cheap broadband service without caps.
The Pros:
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Bigpipe Turbo Plan ReviewSummary: Bigpipe’ Turbo Plan is ideal for New Zealanders looking for a high-speed VDSL broadband connection at a very reasonable price.
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Bigpipe Starter ReviewSummary: The Starter Plan offers an excellent price/value ratio for New Zealand households with high bandwidth demand, such as homes using 2 or more simultaneous Netflix or Disney+ screens
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Bigpipe Expert Plan ReviewSummary: Bigpipe Expert Plan is ideal for YouTube content creators, video professionals, gamers, and streamers who require high upload speeds
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Bigpipe Pro Plan ReviewSummary: Bigpipe Expert Plan is a good alternative to consider if your household has serious bandwidth consumption, for example, multiple audio and video streaming services running at the same time
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Bigpipe Elite Plan ReviewSummary: Bigpipe Elite Plan offers the ultimate connection speed, which is suitable for content creators, professionals, and gamers in need of the best download and upload speeds currently available on the NZ market
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Which Bigpipe Broadband Plan is the Best?
- Our view is that, for most homes, the 'entry-level' Bigpipe Starter Broadband Plan offers the best value for your money.
- However, if fibre lines are not available in your area, Bigpipe’s Turbo Broadband Plan offers a better balance between price and speed when compared to the ‘Fast” Broadband Plan.
Choosing the Right Bigpipe Plan - Fast vs Turbo vs Starter vs Expert vs Pro vs Elite Broadband Plan
To determine which plan best suits your needs, consider the following specifications and features:
1. Connection Speed: In general terms:
2. Flexibility:
3. Set-Up Charges:
1. Connection Speed: In general terms:
- The Fast Plan is suitable for small families or individuals with basic internet needs such as checking emails, reading the news, watching YouTube videos, or watching Netflix on a single screen at a time.
- The Turbo Plan is more suitable for families who require additional bandwidth to simultaneously enjoy 2-3 streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ etc.
- The Starter Plan is a good choice for larger families who want to enjoy using more than 3 video streaming services simultaneously without any lag, along with other internet services such as YouTube, audio streaming, etc.
- The Expert Plan is without any doubt a plan designed with creatives, streamers and gamers in mind. Its particularly high upload speed makes it an ideal choice for any professional in need of ultra-fast content upload times.
- The Pro Plan is a special plan clearly aimed at professionals and large families that require a dependable and fast connection for bandwidth-hungry applications such as online gaming, video editing, VOIP, website development, or content creation
- The Elite Plan offers ultra-fast download/upload speeds for anyone who requires the best and most reliable connection on the market, whether for work or play. Hands down the best option if price is not a concern to you.
2. Flexibility:
- All Bigpipe plans have two options - open term (which Bigpipe calls Leave Anytime option) or fixed 12-month terms. Although in theory, this offers some flexibility, the truth is that the benefits of the fixed-term arrangement are unrivalled.
3. Set-Up Charges:
- The price structure used by Bigpipe reinforces the difference between a fixed term and an open term.
- If you decide to opt for an open term, you will have to pay much more - combining the standard connection fee, and the modem charge; you end up paying $148.
- In contrast, if you decide to sign up for a one year contract, both the Bigpipe modem and the standard connection will be free of charge
- Early termination: If you sign up for the fixed contract and terminate the contract before the agreed 12 month period, an early termination fee of $199 applies (if you received a Bigpipe modem).
- Our view is simple - opting for the open term contract only makes sense if you are willing to use your own modem and don’t plan to be a customer within 12 months. If that’s applicable, you will only pay $49 (the standard connection fee).
- Keep in mind that homes without a pre-existing fibre connection may have to pay a non-standard installation fee if they are more than 200 meters from the road. This fee is applicable regardless of the type of contract you choose.
Bigpipe Broadband Frequently Asked Questions
To help you decide if Bigpipe is right for your home, we've included several frequently asked questions to help you know more about the service.
Is Bigpipe available at my address?
Most likely - you'll need to type in your address to see if you're covered. You can do that here under See Availability.
Does Bigpipe offer a free modem?
Yes, Bigpipe offers the option of free modem rental with all its fixed term plans. If you prefer, you could also set up your own modem using these settings.
Does Bigpipe offer additional perks?
No, Bigpipe does not offer additional benefits. This is because Bigpipe defines itself as a company that offers "naked broadband plans" that do not require you to combine broadband with services such as electricity, gas, mobile telephone, etc. Unfortunately, this also means that Bigpipe is not able to offer some additional benefits and discounts as other broadband providers do.
Does Bigpipe offer an open term contract?
Yes, Bigpipe offers an open-term contract, but to access it you will have to pay several additional fees. Our view is that this may be impractical for most customers.
Does Bigpipe offer discounts for broadband plans?
No - Bigpipe does not offer discounts for broadband plans.
Who owns Bigpipe?
Bigpipe is owned by Spark and launched in 2014.
Does Bigpipe offer a home phone add-on with its broadband plans?
No – despite being owned by Spark, Bigpipe only offers “naked” broadband plans.
