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Contact Broadband Review

​We review Contact broadband's plans and outline the pros and cons of each, benefits and how to get the best price. Please note Contact must provide your energy for you to be able to sign up to their broadband
Updated 2 October 2023

Summary: 
  • Contact in a Nutshell: Contact is one of the largest broadband providers in New Zealand. As we will see in this guide, the broadband services provided by Contact can only be added if your power is supplied by Contact Energy.
  • Coverage: Contact provides broadband services to the whole of New Zealand
 
How to get the best price on Contact broadband plan: 
  1. New Customers: Plans with Contact are cheapest when you sign up to the Broadband Bundle plan, or if you are an existing Contact Energy customer, you add broadband onto your current energy plan.
  2. Renewing: If you're happy with Contact and would like to continue, the best approach is to compare the pricing when your contract comes up for renewal. If Contact 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 their plans, compare them side-by-side, and outline how to choose the right Contact broadband plan for you. We cover:

Christopher Walsh, Founder of MoneyHub, shares his views on comparing broadband providers:

  • Broadband plans have never been cheaper or faster, thanks to a nationwide fibre rollout, more competition and better technology.
  • That being said, we believe what matters is reliability, speed, price and support.
  • Our best broadband providers guide and this review help you make an informed choice. Our research team is committed to keeping everything up to date so you can easily find the best deal. 
  • We don't publish complicated tables or tools for comparing broadband. Instead, we focus on making you aware of the best deals where the pricing is fixed for at least 12 months.
  • If you have something we need to know about, please contact our research team - we would love to hear from you.
  • Unlike other broadband comparison websites, we have no relationship with any broadband company, and we're proud that our guides are 100% independent.
Christopher Walsh
MoneyHub Founder

Contact Broadband Set Up and Installation Charges

Plan
Monthly Price
Download Speed (Mbps)
Contract type
4G Wireless 300GB
$65
37
Open
4G Wireless Unlimited
$75
37
Open
Fast Fibre [UFB]
$80
315
Open
Max Fibre
$95
877
Open
Know this first: Your power must be provided by Contact for you to able to sign up to their broadband plans. When comparing broadband providers, service setup charges are an essential part of the deal. In the case of Contact, the installation cost is completely free of charge. We outline the most relevant information about Contact's broadband plans below.
  1. Connection cost: There are no set-up costs when joining any of Contact’s broadband plans
  2. Modem cost: There is no cost for the modem in any of Contact’s plans, you just need to pay a postage fee of $14.99
  3. Exit Fees:  All of Contact’s plans are Open-term so there are no exit fees
  4. Discounts: If you choose the “Broadband Bundle” as your energy plan, you can save $5 off per month if you have your power with Contact, and save $10 off per month if you they provide your gas as well. However, you should analyse your energy consumption and determine if that’s the best option for you, for example if you have an Electric Vehicle, you might save more from being on their Dream Charge plan, as night rates are heavily discounted.  
  5. Add-ons: If you are on a fibre plan, Contact lets you add a homeline through their VoIP service for $10 a month, this includes unlimited national calls (excluding calls to mobiles), you can also purchase individually-priced calling packs.
 
Important: 
  • Keep in mind that if your home does not have an existing fibre connection, your local fibre provider may charge extra for this connection.

Contact Broadband Customer Service and Outage Support

  • Contact' Customer Care Hours are 7 am -  7 pm, during weekdays and 8 am to 5 pm on weekends. There's a free phone number as well as a detailed FAQ designed to help you in case your internet is not working.

Comparing Contact's Broadband Plans

Contact offers various plans, we outline what each of them offers as well as the pros and cons.
 
Important: In order to join any Contact broadband plan, you must have a residential electricity account with Contact Energy registered at the same address.

Contact 4G Wireless Broadband Plans Review

Summary: The "4G Wireless 300GB" and "4G Wireless Unlimited" plans are a good option if you don't have fibre available or prefer the convenience of a wireless connection.  
The Pros: 
  1. Open-term contact with no exit fees
  2. Adequate speed for moderate internet usage
  3. Free installation and Modem when you sign up for broadband with Contact
  4. Competitively priced: 300GB as a cap is fairly generous for the price, and if you want to go Unlimited it's not too much more expensive
 
The Cons: 
  1. You must be an existing Contact Energy customer

Contact Fast Fibre Broadband Plan Review

Summary: Excellent choice for large families and professionals in need of 2x the speed of conventional fibre plans. Good for content creators, gamers, and other use cases demanding above average download speeds.   
The Pros: 
  1. Offers one of the lowest prices for that speed of connection
  2. Unlimited data transfer
  3. Open-term contact with no exit fees
  4. Free modem and installation when you sign up for broadband with Contact
 
The Cons: 
  1. Same as with other Contact broadband plans, you cannot sign up to this plan unless you already are a Contact Energy customer and even so, some conditions apply.
  2. This plan is not available in some areas of New Zealand. Visit Contact's website to check availability in your area.

​Contact Max Fibre Review

Summary: Incredibly fast fibre connection, ideal for content creators, professional gamers, and large Kiwi families looking for the fastest internet experience possible.   
The Pros: 
  1. Outstanding performance, definitely an excellent option for individuals or families in need of the fastest connection speed that Contact can offer
  2. One of the lowest prices available for this speed of fibre
  3. Unlimited data transfer
  4. Open-term contact with no exit fees
  5. Free modem and Free installation when you sign up for broadband with Contact
 
The Cons: 
  1. Same as with other Contact broadband plans, you cannot sign up to this plan unless you already are a Contact Energy customer and even so, some conditions apply.
  2. This plan is not available in some areas of New Zealand. Visit Contact website to check availability in your area.

Which Contact Broadband Plan is the Best?

Our view is that, for most homes, the Fast Fibre Broadband Plan offers the best value for your money, and if you need more speed, the Max Fibre plan would be a great option as well. Both of these plans are some of the lowest-priced in the market and if bundled with energy and gas, the price would be even lower.

Choosing the Right Contact Plan - ADSL vs VDSL vs Fast Fibre vs Faster Fibre vs Max Fibre Plan

To determine which plan best suits your needs, consider the following specifications and features:
 
1. Connection Speed: In general terms:
  • The 4G Wireless Plans offers adequate speed for moderate video streaming, VoIP services, gaming, and more.
  • The Fast Fibre Plan has twice the download speed of regular Fibre plans, which might be a deciding factor for professionals who require downloading large files.
  • The Max Fibre Plan is a top-tier plan, offering one of the fastest connections available in NZ. This plan will definitely meet the expectations of content creators, developers, gamers, and Kiwi families who require blazing fast download and upload speeds.

2. Flexibility:
  • All Contact broadband plans are open-term. Since there are no exit fees, you can stay for as long as you like and switch to another broadband provider anytime.
  • Contact does not offer "naked plans". All of their plans are subject to whether you already have a contract for electricity or gas (or both) at the address where you want the broadband service.
 
3. Set-Up Charges:
  • One of the great advantages that Contact offers is that the charges for setting up the service are practically non-existent. Both the installation and the modem are completely free, the only thing you have to pay is the shipping and handling of the modem.
 
4. Monthly Costs: Contact offers advantages that are difficult to overlook, such as offering both the installation and the modem free of charge, and their rates are some of the most competitive on the market.

Contact Broadband Frequently Asked Questions

To help you decide if Contact is right for your home, we've included several frequently asked questions to help you know more about the service.​

Is Contact 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 Contact offer a free modem?

Yes, Contact offers a free modem with every plan. If you prefer, you could also set up your own modem. For further information regarding using your own modem read this FAQ.

Does Contact offer additional perks?

No, unlike other broadband providers, Contact does not offer additional perks.

Does Contact offer an open term contract?

Yes, in fact, Contact does not offer fixed-term contracts. All its plans are open term with no exit fees. 

Does Contact offer discounts for broadband plans?

Yes - Contact’s Broadband Bundle Plan offers a discounted price when you bundle any of its Broadband plans with power and natural gas services.

Who owns Contact?

The vast majority of Contact (58.7%) belongs to the general public. Institutions hold 39.9%.

Does Contact offer a home phone add-on with its broadband plans?

Yes, through their VoIP service, it is possible to add a landline to their Fibre plans (not available on 4G Wireless plans).
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