Slingshot Broadband Review
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Updated 5 October 2026
Summary:
How to get the best price on a Slingshot broadband plan:
Our review:
This guide details the pros and cons of each plan, compares them side-by-side and outline how to choose the best Slingshot broadband plan for you. We cover:
- Slingshot in a Nutshell: Slingshot is one of New Zealand's leading broadband, power and mobile service providers, whose main strength is concentrating its efforts on offering the best bundle price for its services.
- Coverage: Slingshot broadband services are not available in all areas. To find out what type of service is available in your area, visit their website and enter your address.
How to get the best price on a Slingshot broadband plan:
- New Customers: Plans with Slingshot are cheapest when you bring your own modem, pay weekly or fortnightly rather than monthly, and bundle your broadband with Slingshot mobile or insurance. Every plan has a minimum term, so only sign up if you expect to stay that long, otherwise an exit fee applies.
- Renewing: If you're happy with Slingshot and would like to continue, the best approach is to compare the pricing when your contract comes up for renewal. If Slingshot offers a better deal than the renew rate, contact their support team and ask for them to apply it to your account.
Our review:
This guide details the pros and cons of each plan, compares them side-by-side and outline how to choose the best Slingshot broadband plan for you. We cover:
Christopher Walsh, Founder of MoneyHub, shares his views on comparing broadband providers:
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Slingshot 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fibre broadband Unlimited [UFB] | - | $101 | $10 | 500 | Fixed (12 or 24 months) | $10 off per month for the first 12 months. Standard installation included. |
| Fibre broadband Unlimited Gigantic [MAX] | - | $116 | $10 | 900 | Fixed (12 or 24 months) | $10 off per month for the first 12 months. Standard installation included. |
| 4G 300GB Wireless Broadband | - | $60 | - | 4G | Fixed (12 months) | 300GB data. Free modem rental, $14.95 delivery. |
| 4G Unlimited Wireless Broadband | - | $65 | - | 4G | Fixed (12 months) | Free modem rental, $14.95 delivery. Not eligible for Slingshot's bundle discounts. |
| Standard Broadband 150GB [ADSL/VDSL] | - | $94 | $10 | ADSL / VDSL | Fixed (12 or 24 months) | 150GB data. Datablocks are added automatically when you reach the cap. |
| Standard Broadband Unlimited [ADSL/VDSL] | - | $109 | $10 | ADSL / VDSL | Fixed (12 or 24 months) |
Please note: Slingshot does not offer open term plans. Every plan carries a minimum 6-month term, and the fibre and copper plans are sold on 12 or 24-month terms. Prices shown are the standard price before any discounts. Slingshot also lets you pay weekly or fortnightly rather than monthly, which can work out cheaper over a year. Speeds shown are the plan tiers, and Slingshot publishes its own average peak time speeds on each plan page.
Know this first:
Know this first:
- When comparing broadband providers, set-up charges are an essential part of the deal. Slingshot keeps this simple, as a standard installation is included on every plan. The modem is the thing to watch. On fibre and copper plans no modem is included, so you either rent one from Slingshot or bring your own. The wireless plans come with free modem rental, though the modem stays Slingshot's and has to go back when you leave.
- Slingshot's other draw is bundling. Adding mobile, power or insurance to your account each take money off your broadband bill every month, and the discounts stack. Slingshot also lets you pay weekly or fortnightly instead of monthly, which works out cheaper over a year.
- Slingshot offers flexible billing terms on some of their plans. You get the choice to pay weekly, fortnightly or monthly, and paying weekly or fortnightly might save you money.
| Charge | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard installation | Included | Standard fibre and copper installations are included in the plan price. Wireless plans need no installation at all. |
| Modem, fibre and copper plans | $5 a month rental | No modem is included. You either rent one or bring your own. |
| Modem, wireless plans | Free rental | Rental is free for the life of the plan, but the modem stays Slingshot's and must go back when you leave. |
| Bring your own modem | Free | Fibre and copper plans only. Saves both the rental and the postage fee. |
| Modem postage | $14.95 | Charged whenever Slingshot sends you a modem, including the free wireless rental. |
| Mobile bundle discount | $10 a month | Not available on the wireless broadband plans. |
| Power bundle discount | $20 a month | For adding Slingshot Power to your account. |
| Insurance bundle discount | $5 a month | For taking a Slingshot insurance policy. House, contents, landlord and combined options are available. |
| Home phone add-on | $10 a month | Calling packs are priced separately. Easy Phone features such as call waiting and caller ID are a further $5 a month. |
| Protection Plan add-on | $3.95 a month | Covers problems with your home wiring or broadband hardware. |
| Family Filter add-on | $5 a month | Makes browsing more child friendly. |
| Early exit fee | Applies | Charged if you leave before your term is up. Slingshot's "No Dramas Contract" means the fee can be waived where there is a legitimate reason, such as the service underperforming. |
Please note that while we try to keep all these fees up to date, there might have been changes since the time of writing. Check all the fees that would apply to your plan before you sign up.
Slingshot Broadband Customer Service and Outage Support
- Slingshot offers support by email, chat, phone, help centre and social media, seven days a week. Their contact page has the current hours. Slingshot's app also lets you check your balance, scan your WiFi for problems and video chat with their support team.
Choosing the Right Slingshot Plan - Standard Broadband vs Wireless Broadband Plans vs Fibre Broadband Plans
Slingshot's plans are geared toward the typical New Zealand family looking for reliable broadband service at a reasonable price. The possibility of combining broadband with the other services offered by Slingshot (electricity and mobile) and obtaining a discount on each of them might be an advantage over other providers. In this sense, choosing the best Slingshot broadband plan has a lot to do with your home or work bandwidth requirement and the type of service available in your area.
1. Connection Speed: In general terms:
2. Flexibility:
3. Set-Up Charges:
4. Monthly Costs:
1. Connection Speed: In general terms:
- Slingshot’s Standard Broadband Plans: These run over copper rather than fibre, so these plans are not intended for households using bandwidth-intensive applications such as 4k video streaming or gaming. This is especially true in the 150GB plan, which is, in our opinion, a rather limiting plan. Since the price difference to the unlimited plan is only a few dollars, we really don't see the point in having a capped plan. Their fibre and wireless plans are better value so Standard ADSL / VDSL should only be chosen if there is no other option.
- Slingshot’s Fibre Broadband Plans: Slingshot’s Fibre Broadband Plans: Slingshot sells two fibre plans and both are unlimited. The standard Unlimited plan runs at around 500 Mbps, which is more than enough for a household streaming on several screens, gaming and working from home at the same time.
- Slingshot’s Unlimited Gigantic Broadband Plan: This is a step up over Standard Fibre Broadband and is currently the fastest broadband plan offered by Slingshot. From a speed/bandwidth perspective, this is hands down the best choice since it allows you to stream multiple 4k screens and other bandwidth-intensive applications simultaneously.
2. Flexibility:
- One of Slingshot broadband’s biggest disadvantages is that it does not offer open term plans. Every plan has a minimum term, the wireless plans are sold on a 12-month term, and the fibre and copper plans on 12 or 24 months, so you are committing for a while.
- A positive aspect of the plans offered by Slingshot is the possibility to choose between weekly, fortnightly, and monthly payments, which provides additional savings.
If you can bundle broadband with mobile, power or insurance, the discounts stack and add up over the length of the term. However you should check the market and make sure the mobile and power rates are competitive.
3. Set-Up Charges:
- Something that makes Slingshot stand out from the rest is its low setup fees. In most cases, the only thing you will have to pay is the modem shipping costs.
4. Monthly Costs:
- Slingshot is one of the few broadband providers that offer the ability to choose how to make your payments. The way to get the lowest price is by making weekly or fortnightly payments.
Slingshot Broadband Frequently Asked Questions
To help you decide if Slingshot is right for your home, we've included several frequently asked questions to help you know more about the service.
Is Slingshot available at my address?
To check what plans are available in your area, enter your address on the Slingshot page
Does Slingshot offer a free modem?
On the 4G Wireless plans the modem rental is free, though the modem stays Slingshot's property and must be returned when you leave. For their Fibre and ADSL/VDSL plans you either rent a modem for $5 a month or bring your own. A postage fee applies either way. To set up your own modem, you can follow the Modem Setup Guides on Slingshot’s help page.
Does Slingshot offer additional perks?
From time to time, Slingshot offers sign-up bonuses.
Does Slingshot offer an open term contract?
No, you must sign up for a minimum term. Their wireless plans are sold on a 12-month term, and their fibre and copper plans on 12 or 24-month terms.
Does Slingshot offer discounts for broadband plans?
Yes, Slingshot offers discounts when you bundle broadband with some other of their services like electricity, mobile or insurance.
Who owns Slingshot?
Slingshot is part of the 2degrees group, following the merger of 2degrees and Vocus New Zealand. Its mobile service runs on the 2degrees network.
Does Slingshot offer a home phone add-on with its broadband plans?
Yes, Slingshot offers the option to add a home phone with a broadband plan.
