Orcon Broadband Review
We review Orcon broadband's four broadband plans and outline the pros and cons of each, benefits and how to get the best price.
Updated 17 February 2021
Summary:
How to get the best price on Orcon broadband plan:
Our review:
In this guide, we detail the pros and cons of the five plans, compare the plans side-by-side, and outline those most suitable for Orcon for broadband.
We cover:
- Orcon in a Nutshell: Orcon is the third-largest broadband provider in New Zealand with an approximate market share of 13%. Besides its leading position as a broadband provider, Orcon is also a top electricity and mobile operator in the country.
- Coverage: Orcon provides broadband services to most of New Zealand, to check availability in your area you can enter your address in Orcon broadband page.
- Plans and Pricing: Orcon offers four plans, the ADSL/VDSL Plan (from $89.95/month), the Fibre 100 Plan (from $89.95/month), the Gigantic Fibre Plan (from $94.95/month), and the Fibre 4000 Plan (from $199.95/month).
How to get the best price on Orcon broadband plan:
- New Customers: Plans with Orcon are cheapest when you sign up for 24-months and bundle your Broadband plan with other Orcon services.
- Renewing: If you're happy with Orcon and would like to continue, the best approach is to compare the pricing when your contract comes up for renewal. If Orcon 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 five plans, compare the plans side-by-side, and outline those most suitable for Orcon for broadband.
We cover:
Orcon Broadband Set Up and Installation Charges
Know this first: When comparing broadband providers, service setup charges are an essential part of the deal. Fortunately, in the case of Orcon, there are no major differences between its broadband plans since all have the same set-up costs.
Important:
There are no set up fees associated with standard ADSL/VDSL or Standard Fibre installations. However, you may have to pay a non-standard installation fee of $199 if your household does not already have an ADSL/VDSL or Fibre connection, and the technician needs to do all the necessary wiring. The same fee of $199 applies to new installations of Fibre 4000 connections.
- Set up fee: Orcon does not charge any set-up fee for standard installations, that is, when you already have an existing ADSL, VDSL, or Fibre connection at home.
- Modem: Regarding the modem, when signing up with Orcon, you have the option to either bring your own modem (BYO) or use the one provided by Orcon for free. Keep in mind though that a shipping and handling fee of $14.95 will apply.
Important:
There are no set up fees associated with standard ADSL/VDSL or Standard Fibre installations. However, you may have to pay a non-standard installation fee of $199 if your household does not already have an ADSL/VDSL or Fibre connection, and the technician needs to do all the necessary wiring. The same fee of $199 applies to new installations of Fibre 4000 connections.
Bigpipe Broadband Customer Service and Outage Support
- Orcon's Technical Team Hours are 8 am - 10 pm, during weekdays, and 8 am to 8 pm on weekends.
- Unlike other broadband providers, most support queries are taken by email instead of the phone. Nevertheless, Orcon does provide a free Technical Support phone 0800 13 14 15 if you are not able to use the email channel.
- Alternatively, you can use the Live Chat feature of the Orcon website from 10 am to 4 pm Monday to Thursday.
- Last but not least, you could also check Orcon’s knowledge base.
How fast is a Orcon broadband connection?
The speed of your internet connection will be determined by the type of line available in your area. Depending on your location, Orcon may have ADSL, VDSL, or Fibre lines available. Below is a reference of what to expect from each line:
- Orcon’s ADSL Speed: Up to 10Mbps download speed / 1Mbps upload speed
- Orcon’s VDSL Speed: Up to 50Mbps download speed / 10Mbps upload speed
- Orcon’s Fibre 100 Speed: Up to 100Mbps download speed / 20Mbps upload speed
- Orcon’s Gigantic Fibre Speed: Up to 950Mbps download speed / 500Mbps upload speed
- Orcon’s Fibre 4000 Speed: Up to 4000Mbps download speed / 4000Mbps upload speed
Comparing Orcon Plans - ADSL/VDSL vs Fibre 100 vs Gigantic Fibre vs Fibre 4000 Plan
Orcon offers four fixed-line broadband plans, the ADSL/VDSL Plan, the Fibre 100 Plan, the Gigantic Fibre Plan, and the Fibre 4000 Plan. We outline the offering of each, as well as the pros and cons.
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Orcon ADSL/VDSL Broadband Plan ReviewSummary: Orcon’s ADSL/VDSL plan is good for basic internet access, like web browsing, email, and watching occasional YouTube videos.
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Orcon Fibre 100 Broadband Plan ReviewSummary: The Fibre 100 Plan offers enough bandwidth and speed to meet the expectations of large Kiwi families requiring a fast and reliable connection to enjoy video streaming services in multiple screens simultaneously
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Orcon Gigantic Fibre Broadband Plan ReviewSummary: Orcon’s Gigantic Fibre Plan is ideal for large families, content creators and online professionals in need of a super-fast broadband service either for work or fun
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Orcon Fibre 4000 Broadband Plan ReviewSummary: This plan gives you the fastest internet connection currently available in New Zealand, ideal for content creators and professionals who work from home and need as much bandwidth as possible.
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Which Orcon Broadband Plan is the Best?
Our view is that, for most homes, the Fibre 100 Broadband Plan offers the best value for your money. Moreover, if you combine it with power or mobile services from Orcon, you can get an even better value which is always welcome. On the other hand, for professionals working from home, the value offered by the Gigantic Fibre Plan is difficult to ignore. For extra $5/month you can enjoy a considerably faster connection, ideal for bandwidth-hungry applications.
Choosing the Right Orcon Plan - ADSL/VDSL vs Fibre 100 vs Gigantic Fibre vs Fibre 4000 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:
4. Monthly Costs: One of the great advantages that Orcon offers are its rates. Although the ADSL/VDSL plans are not competitive, the Fibre 100 and Gigantic Fibre plans offer an excellent cost/benefit ratio. Furthermore, since these plans offer both the modem and the installation for free, they become an exciting alternative to consider.
1. Connection Speed: In general terms:
- The ADSL/VDSL Plan offers adequate speed for small families, couples, and individuals with light internet usage, basically, checking email, reading news, and browsing the web.
- The Fibre 100 Plan is more suitable for medium and large-sized families that require additional bandwidth to enjoy video streaming from services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ etc.
- The Gigantic Fibre Plan offers more than adequate speed for enjoying 4k video streaming in multiple screens, high-quality audio streaming, content creation, gaming, and more.
- The Fibre 4000 Plan is a one-of-a-kind plan, offering the fastest connection available in NZ. This plan will definitely meet the expectations of content creators, developers, gamers, and Kiwi families that require mind-blowing download and upload speeds.
2. Flexibility:
- Evaluating the flexibility that Orcon offers has two nuances, one very positive and the other rather negative. On the one hand, Orcon allows you to add a large number of additional services at reasonable prices, and even get discounts. But on the other hand, all plans require signing a 12 or 24-month contract, which can be a deal-breaker for many Kiwis, especially when you consider the $250 early termination fee.
3. Set-Up Charges:
- One of the great advantages that Orcon offers is that most plans come with free modem rental and free installation, the only thing you have to pay is $14.95 for shipping and handling of the modem. The exception is the Fibre 4000 Plan which comes that has a $199 set up fee.
4. Monthly Costs: One of the great advantages that Orcon offers are its rates. Although the ADSL/VDSL plans are not competitive, the Fibre 100 and Gigantic Fibre plans offer an excellent cost/benefit ratio. Furthermore, since these plans offer both the modem and the installation for free, they become an exciting alternative to consider.
Orcon Broadband Frequently Asked Questions
To help you decide if Orcon is right for your home, we've included several frequently asked questions to help you know more about the service.
Is Orcon 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 Orcon offer a free modem?
Yes, Orcon 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 Orcon Knowledge Base.
Does Orcon offer additional perks?
Yes, Orcon offers many perks with most of its plans. From free UE Boom 3 to a Google Nest Wifi, Orcon is one of the providers who add more value to its broadband plans.
Does Orcon offer an open term contract?
No, unfortunately, Orcon does not offer open term contracts.
Does Orcon offer discounts for broadband plans?
Yes - You can get 10% off when you bundle broadband and power services; additionally, you can also get $5 off for each mobile plan you add to your account (maximum 4 lines are allowed)
Who owns Orcon?
Orcon is owned by Vocus Group Limited, a telecommunications company based in Sydney, Australia.
Does Orcon offer a home phone add-on with its broadband plans?
Yes – Orcon does provide phone lines, as part of its portfolio of add-on services.
