Skinny Broadband & Fibre Plans Review
We review Skinny Broadband's plans and weigh up the pros and cons of the service
Updated 29 August 2026
Summary:
Our review:
In this guide, we detail the pros and cons of all of Skinny's plans, compare them side-by-side, and outline how to choose the right broadband plan for you. We cover:
Summary:
- Owned by Spark, Skinny Broadband offers the best aspects of a full-service provider with the benefits of being a low-cost service.
- Offering both 4G plans (capped) and unlimited fibre (with download speeds as fast as 900 Mbps), Skinny Broadband has something to suit the needs and budgets of many New Zealanders. Best of all, all plans are offered in either open or fixed-term versions, making Skinny Broadband more affordable.
Our review:
In this guide, we detail the pros and cons of all of Skinny's plans, compare them side-by-side, and outline how to choose the right broadband plan for you. We cover:
Christopher Walsh, Founder of MoneyHub, shares his views on comparing broadband providers:
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Christopher Walsh
MoneyHub Founder |
Skinny Broadband Plans, Setup Charges and Add-ons
| Plan name | Monthly price (Open term) | Monthly price (Fixed Term) | Mobile discount? | Download Speed (Mbps) | Contract type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wireless 60GB [4G] | $45 | $45 | $10 | 4G | Open / Fixed | 60 days free on a 12-month term. |
| Wireless 300GB [4G] | $50 | $50 | $10 | 4G | Open / Fixed | 60 days free on a 12-month term. |
| Wireless Unlimited [4G] | $55 | $55 | $10 | 4G | Open / Fixed | 60 days free on a 12-month term. Fair use policy applies. |
| Fibre Unlimited [UFB] | $93 | $93 | $10 | 500 | Open / Fixed | 1 month free on a 12-month term. BYO modem saves $5 per month for 12 months. |
| Fibre Ultra Unlimited [MAX] | $108 | $108 | $10 | 900 | Open / Fixed | 1 month free on a 12-month term. BYO modem saves $5 per month for 12 months. |
| ADSL/VDSL Unlimited | $105 | $105 | $10 | ADSL / VDSL | Open / Fixed | 1 month free on a 12-month term. BYO modem saves $5 per month for 12 months. |
*Please note: Skinny constantly updates the estimated download speeds on their website so there might be a slight variation from the speeds mentioned in the table above.
| Plan type | Contract | Connection fee | Modem | Modem delivery | Early exit fee | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4G Wireless | Open term | None | Buy outright ($199). Skinny modem required, no BYO option | $10 | None | No installation, plug and play. |
| 4G Wireless | Fixed (12 months) | None | Free. Skinny modem required, no BYO option | $10 | $249 in the first 6 months, $124 in the last 6 months | Modem is yours to keep. |
| Fibre | Open term | $49 standard install | Buy outright ($199) or BYO | $10 | None | Non-standard fibre installations may cost extra. |
| Fibre | Fixed (12 months) | Free standard install | Free, or BYO ($5 off per month for 12 months) | $10 | $249 in the first 6 months, $124 in the last 6 months | Non-standard fibre installations may cost extra. |
| ADSL / VDSL | Open term | $49 standard install | Buy outright ($199) or BYO | $10 | None | |
| ADSL / VDSL | Fixed (12 months) | Free standard install | Free, or BYO ($5 off per month for 12 months) | $10 | $249 in the first 6 months, $124 in the last 6 months |
*Please note: Set up charges change often, and the ones mentioned in this table might not be the latest, please always check the costs on the provider's website.
Skinny Broadband Customer Service and Outage Support
Skinny offers phone and online support seven days a week from a team that has won Consumer NZ and Canstar service awards; check Skinny's contact page for current hours.
Skinny offers phone and online support seven days a week from a team that has won Consumer NZ and Canstar service awards; check Skinny's contact page for current hours.
Skinny's Wireless 4G Broadband Plans
The Skinny Wireless 4G Broadband plans use Spark's 4G network. In general, depending on where you live, the speed should be higher than ADSL broadband but, in most situations, slower than Fibre.
We break down Skinny's 4G Plans:
We break down Skinny's 4G Plans:
- Fixed data: Other than the Unlimited plan, the other Wireless plans have a fixed amount of data, as outlined in the table above.
- No contract option: You don't have to choose a 12-month term if you don't want; Skinny customers can pay monthly.
- Skinny's 4G connection is simple: Customers plug in the modem and turn it on for instant 4G connection. There are no wires, connect fees or technicians, and a shipping fee applies to the delivery of the modem. If you switch from Skinny, you get to keep the modem.
- A fair use policy applies to the Unlimited plan: Basically, you can't use overly excessive amounts of broadband or use the service unreasonably.
Skinny's Fibre Broadband Plans
If your address has fibre, Skinny offers two unlimited fibre plans: Fibre Unlimited (500 Mbps tier) and Fibre Ultra Unlimited (900 Mbps tier). Both run on Spark's network. If fibre isn't available, the same unlimited plan structure is offered on ADSL/VDSL.
Skinny's Fixed Line Plan:
Skinny's Fixed Line Plan:
- Unlimited data: All fixed-line plans are unlimited.
- No contract option: You don't have to choose a 12-month term if you don't want to; Skinny customers can pay monthly.
- Choice of connection speeds: Choose between various fibre speeds.
Broadband, TV, Phone and Mobile Bundles
Unlike most ISP and telecommunications companies, Skinny doesn't offer add-ons like phone or TV. The maximum you can pay is the plan price.
Our view: Skinny's focus on a no-frills broadband and fibre service means what you sign up for is what you'll pay. Unless you need a 24/7 sports channel or a home phone with unlimited calls, Skinny offers some of the best broadband and fibre deals within New Zealand.
Our view: Skinny's focus on a no-frills broadband and fibre service means what you sign up for is what you'll pay. Unless you need a 24/7 sports channel or a home phone with unlimited calls, Skinny offers some of the best broadband and fibre deals within New Zealand.
Skinny 4G Broadband and Fibre Review: Coverage
Fibre reaches around 87% of New Zealand homes, but not every street or rural area. To find out if you can access Skinny's Fibre service, click on the broadband map and enter your address on Skinny's website. If you can't get Fibre, then the 4G plans or ADSL/VDSL are the next-best-thing.
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Advantages and Disadvantages of Skinny 4G Broadband and Fibre
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
- Attractive Pricing - Skinny positions itself as a value-for-money provider. We believe Skinny delivers value with reliability.
- Phone Support - Despite no-frills pricing, Skinny offers phone and online support seven days a week from a team that has won Consumer NZ and Canstar service awards; check Skinny's contact page for current hours.
- No risk of big bills - If you exceed your data on a 4G plan, there are no overage rates or charges on the account either so you will not be charged any extra. You can top up or re-purchase the plan to get back online. All fibre plans are unlimited, so there's no issue with additional bills.
- 4G alternative to fibre - If your location isn't fibre-ready, or you are living outside of an area with fibre, Skinny offers fixed-price 4G data plans that are affordable and operate from the (reliable) Spark 4G network.
Disadvantages:
- 4G broadband is tied to your registered address - you can move it to a new home, but only after checking the new address is eligible and telling Skinny first.
- 4G broadband requires you to use the Skinny modem - you won't be able to bring your own modem, as Skinny 4G modems are made specially for Skinny (wireless) Broadband. On an open-term plan this means paying for the modem upfront; at the moment of writing, it's free on a 12-month term.
Skinny Broadband and Fibre Review: Verdict
- Skinny Broadband brings a competitive 4G broadband and fibre connection with open-term options on every plan.
- Skinny Broadband is competitive when it comes to value for money.
- Skinny's Wireless 4G Unlimited plan is only marginally more expensive than the capped plan, so we believe this is better value for money, especially for large families wanting to stream high quality videos.
- Skinny Broadband keeps things simple - there are no TV add-ons, no music packages, and no lock-in contracts unless you choose a 12-month term.
- We believe the technical support offered is reasonable given the no-frills pricing. It's arguable that Skinny Broadband offers some of the best-value fibre plans in New Zealand.
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