MyRepublic Broadband Review

Summary: 

• MyRepublic in a Nutshell: MyRepublic is one of the largest broadband providers nationwide whose main goal is to provide top-notch service, especially to professional gamers living in New Zealand.
• Coverage: MyRepublic offers both VDSL and Fibre broadband nationwide. To find out what type of service is available in your area, visit their website and enter your address
• Plans and Pricing: MyRepublic offers five plans, the VDSL Plan (from $85/month), the Fibre 100 Plan (from $85/month), the Fibre Pro Plan (from $90/month), the HyperFibre 2000 Plan (from $159/month), and the HyperFibre 4000 Plan (from $189/month). MyRepublic also offers special Gamer options for each of these five plans, priced between $5-$10 higher than the non-Gamer plan.
  

 
How to get the best price on MyRepublic broadband plan: 

1. New Customers: Plans with MyRepublic 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).
2. Renewing: If you're happy with MyRepublic and would like to continue, the best approach is to compare the pricing when your contract comes up for renewal. If MyRepublic 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 four plans, compare the plans side-by-side, and outline how to choose the right MyRepublic broadband plan for you. We cover:

• MyRepublic Broadband Set Up and Installation Charges
• How Fast is a MyRepublic Broadband Connection?
• Comparing MyRepublic Plans
• Choosing the Right MyRepublic Plan
• MyRepublic Broadband Frequently Asked Questions

Know this first: When comparing broadband providers, service setup charges are an essential part of the deal. In the case of MyRepublic, the installation cost will depend on the type of contract you choose – the two choices are open term or 12-month fixed term. 

1. Open Term: If you opt for a “month to month” plan then you will have to bring your own modem (BYO) or rent one from MyRepublic, being the most affordable the Tp-link VR1600v at $5/month. Keep in mind that to make out the most of MyRepublic broadband fibre and HyperFibre plans, you will need a top-tier modem which may cost you up to $350
2. Fixed Term (12 months): All VDSL and Standard Fibre fixed-term plans offer free rental of a next-gen modem that guarantees taking advantage of the full bandwidth available. Furthermore, for the delight of hardcore gamers, MyRepublic also allows you to rent an ASUS RT-AX3000 modem ($15-20 per month depending on the plan) or a TP-LINK AX89X modem (coming soon at $39/month), which are two of the most advanced ‘gaming’ modems currently available on the market.
   

 
Important: 

• MyRepublic does not charge for installation for its VDSL or Standard Fibre plans. However, all HyperFibre plans have a $249 installation fee.

The speed of your internet connection will be determined by the type of line available in your area. Depending on your location, MyRepublic may have VDSL, Standard Fibre or the newest HyperFibre lines available. Below is a reference of what to expect from each line: 

• MyRepublic’s VDSL Speed: Up to 70Mbps download speed / 10Mbps upload speed
• MyRepublic’s Fibre 100 Speed: Up to 100Mbps download speed / 20Mbps upload speed
• MyRepublic’s Fibre Pro Speed: Up to 950Mbps download speed / 500Mbps upload speed
• MyRepublic’s HyperFibre 2000 Speed: Up to 2000Mbps download speed / 2000Mbps upload speed
• MyRepublic’s HyperFibre 4000 Speed: Up to 4000Mbps download speed / 4000Mbps upload speed

MyRepublic offers five fixed-line broadband plans, the VDSL Plan, the Fibre 100 Plan, the Fibre Pro Plan, the Fibre 2000 Plan, and the Fibre 4000 Plan. In addition, for an extra $4-10/month, any of these plans can be upgraded to a Gamer Plan which provides gamers with a plethora of extra perks such as a dedicated Static IP address, exclusive access to MyRepublic’s Gamer Support Team, special deals, events, and more. We outline the offering of each, as well as the pros and cons.
 
Important: The pricing below assumes you are choosing a “standard” plan. Add $4-10/month to upgrade to a Gamer Plan.

Our view is that, for most homes (and gamers), the 'middle tier' MyRepublic Fibre Pro Plan offers the best value for your money. This opinion is based on the fact that most broadband providers charge more than $100 per month for the 950/500 Mbps speeds that this plan offers.

To determine which plan best suits your needs, consider the following specifications and features:
 
1. Connection Speed: In general terms:

• The VDSL Plan offers a connection speed adequate to perform most of the normal online tasks in any home, from reading the news and emails to watching YouTube videos or streaming services. Simply put, you can choose this plan if your home does not require heavy use of bandwidth-consuming applications.
• The Fibre 100 Plan is more suitable for larger families of 5 or more members that require more bandwidth to enjoy HD streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ etc. This plan also offers more than enough speed and bandwidth for most gaming enthusiasts.
• The Fibre Pro Plan was until recently the plan that offered the highest connection speed in New Zealand. With 950/500 Mbps this plan offers an ideal bandwidth for creative professionals, gamers, and large families who want to use several high definition streaming screens simultaneously.
• The HyperFibre 2000/4000 Plans arriving on New Zealand shores represent a significant leap forward in terms of speed, quality and stability of broadband services. In particular, the Fibre 2000 and Fibre 4000 plans offered by MyRepublic provide symmetrical upload/download speeds. This is a very important feature for professionals in many areas, and for hardcore gamers who may be interested in setting up their own Minecraft server and other similar game servers more reliably.

 
2. Flexibility:

• All MyRepublic plans have two options - open term or fixed 12-month terms. While it is true that both open term and fixed-term contracts offer the possibility of renting a top-notch modem, only VDSL and standard Fibre plans offer free rental of a basic modem as the default option.
  
• In addition to the type of plan (open term or fixed-term), you can choose from the different Fibre, HyperFibre, and Gamer plans available in your area, as well as adding voice services and router upgrades. These options make MyRepublic one of the providers that offer more flexibility when it comes to build and customize your own plan
  

 
3. Set-Up Charges:

• The pricing structure that MyRepublic uses differs in several ways from that used by other broadband providers.
  
• First of all, MyRepublic does not charge installation fees on the VDSL, Gamer VDSL, Fiber 100, Gamer Fiber 100, Fiber Pro, or Gamer Fiber Pro plans. This is true even if you opt for an open term contract.
  
• Conversely, MyRepublic charges a set-up fee of $199 for all HyperFibre plans (Fiber 2000, Gamer Fiber 2000, Fiber 4000, and Gamer Fiber 4000)
  
• Where the main difference between open-term and fixed-term contracts resides is in the router rental. With the exception of HyperFibre plans, when you choose a fixed 12-month plan you have the option of using a Tp-link VR1600v modem for free while in open-term plans you must rent it ($5/month) or use your own modem. (BYO).
  
• In our opinion, the little difference between set-up charges makes MyRepublic one of the most convenient broadband providers for those Kiwis who prefer not to commit to a long-term contract. Keep in mind though, that HyperFibre plans are only available for 12-month contracts.
  
• Also take into account, that if you sign up for the fixed contract and terminate the contract before the agreed 12 month period, you will have to pay an exit fee of $240

 
4. Monthly Costs: Arguably both the Fibre 100 Plan and the Fibre Pro Plan offer the best price/value ratios. However, since the cost difference is so small ($85 vs $90) and considering that the Fiber Pro Plan offers 9x the connection speed of the Fiber 100 Plan, we consider that the Fiber Pro Plan is a better option. Regarding the novel HyperFibre plans, our opinion is that their high price can be perfectly justified if you are a professional who works from home or if you are a hardcore gamer looking for a competitive advantage against your adversaries.
 
5. Additional perks: In the case of MyRepublic, what makes it stand out from other broadband providers are the Gamer Plans. For an additional $5-10 per month, you can upgrade the status of any plan to 'Gamer' which gives you a large number of benefits that you can see in more detail on the MyRepublic website. The combination of these benefits with a Fiber Pro Plan or HyperFibre Plan could be the ideal solution for professional gamers who need to do live streaming in Twitch with zero latency as well as for those who wish to offer their own game servers.

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

Most likely - you'll need to type in your address to see if you're covered. You can do that here under See Availability.

Yes, MyRepublic offers the option to rent a free Tp-link VR1600v modem with all its fixed-term VDSL and Standard Fiber plans. Alternatively, you can bring your own modem (BYO) using MyRepublic’s recommended setting.

Yes, MyRepublic offers the option to upgrade any plan to ‘Gamer’ status which gives you a lot of additional perks such as static IP address, exclusive gamer support, special deals, and more. For detailed information, visit the MyRepublic Gamer Pro page.

Yes, MyRepublic offers an open-term contract for its VDSL, Fibre 100, and Fibre Pro Plans. However, its Hyperfibre plans are only available on a 12-month fixed term.

MyRepublic does not offer a direct discount on any of its broadband plans, however, it does offer a “Refer a Friend” programme that gives you and your friend a $50 account credit with each signup. For more information visit Refer a Friend page.

MyRepublic Limited is a Singaporean telecommunication provider. Main shareholders include its co-founder Malcolm Rodrigues, as well as the Indonesian conglomerate Sinar Mas, Brunei telco DST Communications, private equity firm Makara Capital, and French billionaire Xavier Niel.

Yes, you can add unlimited local calls and Pay as You Go National, Mobile & International calls for $5/month or alternatively, you can add a residential voice plan with unlimited local calls and 500 National minutes, Pay as You Go Mobile & International calls for $10/month.