Can I update my internet during lockdown?

Slow broadband connection
Tuesday, 7 April 2020

As we settle into the Stage 4 lockdown period, you may be wondering what this means for your home broadband services. Especially as broadband is more important than ever as we work from home, and spend our days at home.Can you still switch to a new broadband plan, or a new provider? 

Fortunately, broadband and telecommunications is an essential services - this means that most internet providers are operating "business as usual", with some adjustments or delays to fit with lockdown regulations. This means that in most cases there are still steps you can take to save on your broadband plan, are upgrade to a higher speed plan. Read on to learn more!  

Here is a daily summary of latest updates and developments to help you understand what to expect from broadband in NZ.

Here’s how to make an informed choice about broadband during lockdown.

You can still switch to a new broadband plan:

In most cases, if you already have a broadband connection set up at your home, switching to a new plan can be handled remotely without a visit from a technician, for example switching from one VDSL plan to another VDSL plan, or switching from one Fibre plan to another Fibre plan. This means you can still switch to a new broadband plan to get a better deal during lockdown.

You can still switch providers for a better deal:

As with switching to a new broadband plan, you can also switch to a new provider as long as the switch can be handled remotely without a visit from a technician. This means you can switch to a plan with a different broadband provider if you wish to. Click here to see how different broadband providers are supporting their customers during lockdown.

You can still upgrade your plans:

If your home broadband connection is struggling, it may be time to consider upgrading your broadband plan. Especially if you have multiple people in your home working remotely, streaming content or gaming. For example, if you have a Fibre100 connection, you may find that a Fibre 200 or Gigabit fibre plan is better suited to your needs.

Most Internet Service Providers are operating “business as usual”

Your internet service provider is an “essential service”, that means they will continue to operate during the lockdown period. Most broadband providers have customer support services set up to work from home during lockdown, Most providers have announced measures to support their customers by removing data caps, and measures for customers experiencing financial hardship. Learn more.

Upgrades to new fibre connections are on hold in most cases

Lines companies like Chorus and Enable handle the technical side of setting up a new broadband connection, for example a technician will visit your home if you upgrade to fibre to set up the new line. New broadband connections are being prioritised for:

  1. Providers of essential services; or
  2. Entities supporting essential services; or
  3. Staff of essential services or entities supporting essential services; or
  4. Any other customer that does not have an existing home/business internet connection, including vulnerable persons or a home identified by the Ministry of Education requires a connection.

This means all customer connections where a customer is shifting to fibre from an alternative broadband technology for customers in category 4 will be deferred until the Alert Level is reduced.

Make an informed choice about broadband during lockdown

If you want to know more about changing broadband plans during lockdown our customer support team are ready to take your call and chat about your situations.

Call today on 0508 2COMPARE (0508 226672)

And during these uncertain times, many people are looking for ways to reduce their spending – this is a great time to compare plans and make sure you’re not paying more than you should for broadband.

COMPARE BROADBAND PLANS

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