Trustpower Broadband Review
We review Trustpower broadband's five plans and outline the pros and cons, benefits, and how to get the best price.
Updated 21 July 2021
Summary:
How to get the best price on a Trustpower broadband plan:
Our review:
This guide details the five plans pros, and cons compare the plans side-by-side and outline how to choose the best Trustpower broadband plan for you. We cover:
- Trustpower in a Nutshell: Trustpower is the fourth-largest broadband, power, and gas provider in New Zealand and is focused on delivering the utmost convenience to its customer base by including all household services in one easy-to-understand bill.
- Coverage: Trustpower 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.
- Plans and Pricing: Trustpower offers five plans:
- Wireless Broadband Plan (from $69/month)
- Broadband Plan (from $84/month)
- Faster Broadband Plan (from $84/month)
- Ultra-Fast Broadband Plan (from $84/month)
- FibreMax Plan (from $119/month).
How to get the best price on a Trustpower broadband plan:
- New Customers: Plans with Trustpower are cheapest when you sign up for 24-months and bundle broadband with a power plan. This works if you don’t plan to change providers for at least 24 months (therefore avoiding the early exit fee).
- Renewing: If you're happy with Trustpower and would like to continue, the best approach is to compare the pricing when your contract comes up for renewal. If Trustpower 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 five plans pros, and cons compare the plans side-by-side and outline how to choose the best Trustpower broadband plan for you. We cover:
Christopher Walsh, Founder of MoneyHub, shares his views on comparing broadband providers:
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Trustpower Broadband Set Up and Installation Charges
Know this first: When comparing broadband providers, service setup charges are an essential part of the deal. In the case of Trustpower, the installation cost will depend on the type of plan you choose – ADSL/VDSL plans (Broadband or Faster Broadband), Wireless Broadband, or the Fibre broadband plans (Ultra-Fast Broadband or FibreMax).
Important:
- ADSL/VDSL Broadband: Households that do not already have active copper-based broadband or phone service will have to pay a minimum connection fee of $63 that can scale up to $263.53 if a technician is dispatched to the property. Additional non-standard costs may apply in some cases.
- Fibre Broadband: There are no set up costs associated with standard fibre installations, even if your home is not connected to fibre lines yet. However, if your home is more than 200 meters from where the fibre access point is, then non-standard costs will apply.
- Wireless Broadband: Due to its nature, wireless broadband plans do not have any associated setup fee; all you need is a compatible 4G wireless modem.
Important:
- Trustpower does provide a free modem for all broadband plans ($14.95 shipping and handling fee applies).
Trustpower Broadband Customer Service and Outage Support
- Trustpower's Customer Support Hours are from Monday to Friday, 8 am - 6:30 pm via their free number (0800 87 87 87). Also, you can chat online in real time with a member of their customer service team from Monday to Friday, 8 am - 6:30 pm, and weekends from 8 am - 5 pm.
How Fast is a Trustpower Broadband Connection?
The speed of your internet connection will be determined by the type of line available in your area. Depending on your location, Trustpower may have Wireless, ADSL, VDSL, Standard Fibre or the FibreMax lines. Below is a reference of what to expect from each line:
- Trustpower’s Wireless Speed: Up to 10Mbps download speed / 1Mbps upload speed
- Trustpower’s ADSL Speed: Up to 10Mbps download speed / 1Mbps upload speed
- Trustpower’s VDSL Speed: Up to 20Mbps download speed / 2Mbps upload speed
- Trustpower’s Fibre Speed: Up to 100Mbps download speed / 20Mbps upload speed
- Trustpower’s Fibre Boost Speed: Up to 950Mbps download speed / 450Mbps upload speed
Comparing Trustpower Plans - Wireless Broadband vs Broadband vs Faster Broadband vs Ultra-Fast Broadband vs FibreMax Plan
Trustpower offers four fixed-line broadband plans, the Broadband Plan, the Faster Broadband Plan, the Ultra-Fast Broadband Plan and the FibreMax Plan. Also, Trustpower offers a high-speed Wireless Broadband Plan. For an extra $10/month, any of the fixed-line plans can be upgraded with a home phone line that enables you to make local calls within NZ. We outline the offering of each, as well as the pros and cons.
Important: Unless stated otherwise, all prices are based on the 24-month fixed-term bundled broadband and power plans.
Important: Unless stated otherwise, all prices are based on the 24-month fixed-term bundled broadband and power plans.
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Trustpower Wireless Broadband Plan ReviewSummary: Trustpower's Wireless Broadband plans offer a relatively inexpensive alternative for households with basic internet needs where ADSL/VDSL and fibre connections are not available.
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Trustpower Broadband Plan ReviewSummary: The Broadband Plan offers a service suitable for couples and families with low bandwidth consumption who want the freedom to choose between the benefits of an unlimited plan or the reduced price of a limited data plan.
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Trustpower Faster Broadband Plan ReviewSummary: Trustpower's Faster Broadband Plan literally doubles the speed and bandwidth of the ADSL Broadband Plan, making it an interesting alternative for New Zealand families with moderate internet requirements.
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Trustpower Ultra-Fast Broadband Plan ReviewSummary: The Ultra-Fast Broadband Plan provides an excellent cost-benefit ratio along with enough bandwidth to meet the demands of large families, content creators, and home-based professionals.
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Trustpower Ultra-Fast FibreMax Broadband Plan ReviewSummary: If you are looking for a plan that offers unmatched speed and bandwidth, then the Ultra-Fast FibreMax Broadband Plan is for you. This plan allows you to enjoy multiple 4K video streamings and the convenience to work with applications that require high bandwidth.
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Which Trustpower Broadband Plan is the Best?
Our view is that the Ultra-Fast Broadband Plan is hard to beat for those who seek the best value. However, for large families and professionals requiring above-average bandwidth in their homes, the Ultra-Fast FibreMax Broadband Plan is a good alternative.
Choosing the Right Trustpower Plan - Wireless Broadband vs Broadband vs Faster Broadband vs Ultra-Fast Broadband Plan
Trustpower's broadband plans are not the fastest or cheapest on the market. However, when combined with other services such as power, gas, home phone, and mobile, they give you the convenience of having all your services on a single bill. Moreover, by combining all these services, you obtain additional savings not only on your broadband bill but also on gas and electricity services, which is an advantage that other providers cannot provide. Concerning broadband, though, given the similarity of prices and rewards between different plans, choosing a plan has a lot to do with the connection speed you need.
1. Connection Speed: In general terms:
2. Flexibility:
3. Set-Up Charges:
4. Monthly Costs:
5. Additional perks:
1. Connection Speed: In general terms:
- Trustpower’s Wireless Broadband Plans: These plans are not intended for households that want to use multiple Netflix screens or run bandwidth-intensive applications as they offer only 10/1Mbps speed. These are plans designed for couples and families who are just looking for a quick solution to meet their basic needs, such as checking email, browsing the web, or watching occasional YouTube videos.
- Trustpower’s Broadband Plans: ADSL plans are available both with and without data transfer limits. This is a notable advantage over Wireless plans that do not have an unlimited data option. So, although it shares the same base speed of 10/1Mbps, Trustpower's ADSL plans provide the ability to enjoy one or two Netflix SD screens without fear of exceeding the monthly data cap.
- Trustpower’s Faster Broadband Plans: A step up over ADSL, Trustpower Faster Broadband VDSL plans doubles the speed to 20/2Mbps, making it a good alternative for people and families with moderate internet usage.
- Trustpower’s Ultra-Fast Broadband Plan: Offers all the benefits of fibre's 100/10Mbps speed at a reasonable price. This is our favourite plan for large families who consume lots of data; think of multiple HD streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Disney+ used at once.
- Trustpower’s Ultra-Fast FibreMax Broadband Plan: In our view, the 900/450Mbps speed offered by this plan is ideal for developers, content creators, and families looking for a service capable of streaming multiple 4k Netflix screens simultaneously. Keep in mind, though, that this plan is not available in all of NZ yet.
2. Flexibility:
- One of the biggest disadvantages of Trustpower broadband is that it does not offer open term plans. To get the most out of the prices and rewards, you must sign a 24-month contract. This can be a real drawback for many Kiwis who do not want to commit to a broadband provider for 2 years. However, if it is okay with you to contract power and broadband with Trustpower, then you could save some money during those two years, in addition to taking advantage of the incredible rewards for new customers.
3. Set-Up Charges:
- Unlike many other broadband providers, Trustpower offers almost zero setup costs. If your home already has an ADSL, VDSL, or telephone connection, or if you want to contract the Ultra-Fast Broadband Plan, then the only thing you will have to pay is $14.95 modem shipping costs.
4. Monthly Costs:
- From the point of view of monthly costs, deciding on a plan is really easy. The difference between Trustpower's various broadband plans is relatively small, with Trustpower's ADSL/VDSL/Fibre plans all costing the same at $94/month. In other words, it doesn't make much sense to subscribe to ADSL, VDSL, or Wireless if the fibre service of the Ultra-Fast Broadband Plan is available in your area. This reasoning is valid whether you want to contract an unlimited plan or not.
5. Additional perks:
- Trustpower currently has two of the most exciting welcome promotions in New Zealand. Both the 12-month half-price broadband option and the welcome rewards are truly fantastic. Note, however, that to enjoy any of these promotions, you must sign a 24-month contract (broadband and power).
Trustpower Broadband Frequently Asked Questions
To help you decide if Trustpower is right for your home, we've included several frequently asked questions to help you know more about the service.
Is Trustpower available at my address?
There is a good chance that broadband service is available at your address as Trustpower is one of the top service providers in New Zealand. To verify what type of plans is available in your area, you just have to enter your address on the TrustPower page.
Does Trustpower offer a free modem?
Yes, Trustpower offers the option to rent a free modem with its bundle plans. Alternatively, you can bring your own modem (BYO) as far as it’s compatible with the service. To set up your own modem, you can follow the Configuring your modem settings FAQ on Trustpower’s website.
Does Trustpower offer additional perks?
Yes, it does. You can choose between half-price broadband for 12 months or free joining rewards when signing up. A minimum of a 24-month term, terms and conditions and exit fees apply, though. New customers signing up online can also enjoy a $50 account credit.
Does Trustpower offer an open term contract?
No, Trustpower does not offer an open-term contract on any of its plans.
Does Trustpower offer discounts for broadband plans?
Trustpower offers a $15 discount on all its plans when bundling broadband and power. Additionally, you can opt for additional perks depending on the type of broadband service you choose.
Who owns Trustpower?
Trustpower is a 100% publicly-traded company. The majority of these shares (51%) belongs to Infratil, while 26.8% is owned by the Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust (TECT), and the remaining 22.2% is widely held.
Does Trustpower offer a home phone add-on with its broadband plans?
Yes, you can add unlimited local calls for $10/month to any of Trustpower plans.
