Vodafone Broadband Review
We review Vodafone's broadband plans and outline the pros and cons of each, benefits and how to get the best price.
Updated 10 May 2022
Summary:
How to get the best price on a Vodafone broadband plan:
Our review:
This guide details the plans pros, and cons compare the plans side-by-side and outline how to choose the right Vodafone broadband plan for you. We cover:
- Vodafone in a Nutshell: Vodafone is the second-largest broadband and mobile provider in New Zealand, with a market share of approximately 24% and 37%, respectively. This places Vodafone in an interesting position, in which it constantly seeks to improve its service offerings to close the gap with current market leader, Spark.
- Coverage: Vodafone 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: Vodafone offers several plans. We believe the following are most relevant:
- Unlimited Fibre Broadband Plan (from $79/month)
- Unlimited FibreMax Broadband (from $99/month)
- Wireless 4G and 5G Broadband Plans (from $55/month)
How to get the best price on a Vodafone broadband plan:
- New Customers: Plans with Vodafone are cheapest when you bring your own modem, sign up on an open term contract and bundle broadband with Vodafone’s mobile plans. Interestingly, Vodafone's monthly rates are lower on Open Term plans than on a 12-month Term, although you do receive a free Vodafone modem on a 12-month plan.
- Renewing: If you're happy with Vodafone and would like to continue, the best approach is to compare all broadband plans when your contract comes up for renewal. If Voyager is more expensive than the best offers listed, we suggest contacting the Voyager support team and ask for a credit or cheaper price to stay.
Our review:
This guide details the plans pros, and cons compare the plans side-by-side and outline how to choose the right Vodafone broadband plan for you. We cover:
Christopher Walsh, Founder of MoneyHub, shares his views on comparing broadband providers:
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Vodafone 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 Vodafone, all plans share the same set-up fees.
Important:
- Installation cost: Standard installation is free of charge in all Vodafone plans. In other words, if your household already has a phone line and/or ADSL connection, or the fibre access point is within 200 meters from your house, then you will not have to pay for installation.
- Modem cost: All plans have the option to rent a Vodafone modem for $4/month (a one time $14.95 postage fee applies). Vodafone’s 4G/5G wireless broadband plans already include a modem.
Important:
- Non-standard installation fees may apply if your household requires a new ADSL, VDSL, or Fibre connection.
Vodafone Broadband Customer Service and Outage Support
- Vodafone's Customer Support hours related to billing or switching plans are from Monday to Friday, 7 am - 8 pm, and Weekends and Holidays from 8 am - 6 pm. Outage support is 24/7 via phone, live chat, and TOBi digital assistant. Alternatively, you can browse ‘Help with Broadband’ FAQs.
How fast is a Vodafone broadband connection?
You can find the latest table of speeds on the Vodafone website here.
Comparing Vodafone Plans - Unlimited ADSL/VDSL Broadband vs Unlimited Fibre Broadband vs Wireless Broadband Plans
Vodafone offers three fixed-line broadband plans, the Unlimited ADSL/VDSL Broadband Plan, the Unlimited Fibre Broadband Plan, and the Unlimited FibreMax Broadband Plan. Additionally, Vodafone offers a Wireless Broadband Plan. Also, during the signing up process, you have the option to choose to pick a mobile plan. We outline the offering of each, as well as the pros and cons.
What plan is right for me?
It depends on what you need. To help you decide, we suggest reading our broadband comparison guide to determine what kind of broadband plan you're looking for (fixed term vs open term, standard fibre speed vs high speed) etc. We've shortlisted a number of providers and plans for each category. Vodafone ranks well in some (4G/5G etc) but not in others. We suggest cross-checking our results with the current Vodafone plans here.
What plan is right for me?
It depends on what you need. To help you decide, we suggest reading our broadband comparison guide to determine what kind of broadband plan you're looking for (fixed term vs open term, standard fibre speed vs high speed) etc. We've shortlisted a number of providers and plans for each category. Vodafone ranks well in some (4G/5G etc) but not in others. We suggest cross-checking our results with the current Vodafone plans here.
Choosing the Right Vodafone Plan - Standard Broadband vs Fibre Broadband vs HFC Broadband vs Wireless Plans
Vodafone offers a huge range of plans ranging from ADSL to cutting edge 5G Wireless. Most plans share the same add-ons, discounts, and extra benefits, so when choosing the right Vodafone plan, it all comes down to your speed and bandwidth needs.
1. Connection Speed: In general terms:
2. Flexibility:
3. Set-Up Charges:
4. Monthly Costs:
5. Additional perks:
1. Connection Speed: In general terms:
- Vodafone’s Standard Broadband Plans Vodafone ADSL and VDSL plans are designed for families and individuals with modest internet requirements. This is why the speeds of up to 50/10 Mbps offered by these plans are more than enough for light activities such as reading the news and browsing the web.
- Vodafone’s Fibre Broadband Plans Fiber plans definitely provide a noticeable improvement over ADSL/VDSL plans. With speeds up to 200/20 Mbps, these plans can easily handle multiple Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Disney+ screens at once without a sweat. Moreover, their incredible bandwidth and high reliability make them an ideal choice for professionals working from home and content creators using applications that require fast connection.
- Vodafone’s Fibre Max and UltraFast HFC Broadband Plan Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (FibreMax) plans are a quantum leap over traditional fibre connections. With speeds of up to 900/450 Mbps on Fibre Max and 900/95Mbps for UltraFast HFC, these plans provide 10x the speed and bandwidth of standard fibre broadband, making them attractive to large families and professionals who need ultra-fast connections.
- Vodafone’s Wireless Broadband Plan Vodafone has invested a great deal of money in expanding its 5G network in New Zealand and for good reason. For a fraction of the cost required to deploy HFC fibre lines, 5G technology offers almost the same performance. Its incredible speed of 750Mbps and its low monthly cost makes it a very attractive alternative for all types of users, from couples to large families who want to use several 4k screens simultaneously. Note, however, that this technology is only available in some areas. Currently, Vodafone wireless broadband is mostly based on its 4G network.
2. Flexibility:
- Vodafone is one of the broadband providers that offer more flexibility in their plans. Except for Wireless and UltraFast HFC plans, you have the option of choosing between fixed or open term contracts without having to pay more for it. Interestingly, many of Vodafone's open term plans are slightly cheaper than their fixed term plans, though this comes at the cost of renting a free modem. All this makes Vodafone a great alternative for many users, including landlords and tenants looking for this kind of flexibility.
3. Set-Up Charges:
- From an installation cost perspective, Vodafone also demonstrates its leadership by providing the option to rent a premium modem for as little as $4/month, along with zero set-up charges for customers with pre-existing ADSL, VDSL, and fibre connections.
4. Monthly Costs:
- In our opinion, all Vodafone wireless and fibre plans are competitively priced. However, when making up your mind, consider that you get the best value by choosing UltraFast HFC Broadband or Wireless 5G plans.
5. Additional perks:
- As for additional perks, Vodafone currently has a great variety of them. For starters, the Vodafone/TP-Link SuperWifi guarantees wall-to-wall Wifi coverage or $100 account credit. There are also the Vodafone Rewards that give you discounts and exclusive offers only for Vodafone customers.
Vodafone Broadband Frequently Asked Questions
To help you decide if Vodafone is right for your home, we've included several frequently asked questions to help you know more about the service.
Is Vodafone available at my address?
There is a good chance that broadband service is available at your address as Vodafone 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 Vodafone page.
Does Vodafone offer a free modem?
Yes, Vodafone offers the Vodafone Ultra Hub modem for anyone with a 12-month term plan on Fibre, UltraFast HFC, VDSL or ADSL. Alternatively, you can bring your own modem (BYO) as far as it’s compatible with Vodafone plans. To set up your own modem, you can follow the Set up your own modem guide on Vodafone’s help page.
Does Vodafone offer additional perks?
Yes, it does. You have Vodafone Rewards, Vodafone SuperWifi, Vodafone Always Connected (available with eligible mobile plans), and Vodafone Ninjas Masters of Tech.
Does Vodafone offer an open term contract?
Yes, Vodafone does offer an open-term contract on all its ADSL, VDSL, and Fibre plans.
Does Vodafone offer discounts for broadband plans?
Yes, when you bundle broadband with Vodafone Mobile, you will receive $10 off your broadband plan bill. Moreover, you can get an additional $10 off per month for the plan’s life for most new plans.
Who owns Vodafone?
Vodafone broadband NZ is part of the Vodafone Group plc, a multinational telecommunications company with headquarters in Newbury, Berkshire, England.
Does Vodafone offer a home phone add-on with its broadband plans?
Yes, Vodafone does offer home phone add-ons with all its fixed-line broadband plans starting at $10/month.
