Electronics

Internet providers

Updated: 23 Dec 2009
Internet-providers-hero

Introduction

Our annual survey reveals which Internet Service Providers are loved and which are loathed.

If you’re looking at changing ISPs, the experience of customers is an invaluable guide. More than 15,000 of our members rated their ISP for overall performance, customer service, connection problems and more.

Find out which ISPs rated tops for 2009.

About our survey

Internet connection

15,421 online members completed our survey, the biggest response we’ve had. We asked about experiences with customer service and support, problems such as disconnections and slower than expected speeds, and overall ISP satisfaction.

Some survey stats

  • 82 percent of broadband respondents used ADSL, 11 percent cable, 5.5 percent wireless, and 1.5 percent satellite. 
  • Cable broadband received the highest satisfaction rate at 89 percent and wireless was second with 80 percent. Cable users were the least likely to experience disconnections or dropouts, while both cable and wireless users were the least likely to report slower than expected speeds.
  • 14 percent of broadband subscribers had switched from dial-up in the past year.

Our thanks to all the members who took part in the survey.
 

Changing ISPs

The world

Ten percent of our survey respondents changed providers in the past year. A constant theme was that they didn’t know whether the new ISP would be better – and they could only find out once they’d changed, which often involved being locked into a one-year contract.

Some had positive reasons for switching: finding a better plan (36%) or a cheaper plan (31%), or upgrading from dial-up to broadband (27%).

Others had negative reasons: poor customer service/helpdesk (30%), poor or unreliable access (26%), or billing problems (9%).

The experience

Over 25 percent of those who switched had set-up issues and delays with connection to the new provider, as well as billing problems with the old provider.

Member comments

  • “If it was less hassle to change I would. Are any other providers any better?”
  • “TelstraClear persuaded me to switch from Xtra, promising better service, higher speeds and lower cost, but there is sod all to pick between them on any of those measures.”
  • “Previously with Xtra and changed to TelstraClear. Unbelievable difference in performance. Telstra blows Telecom out of the water.”

 

Find the best ISP for you

Find the best ISP and broadband plan for your needs by checking our broadband plan selector. Compare the prices, claimed speeds and details of over 300 plans including ADSL, cable, wireless, satellite, and mobile broadband.

 

Settling disputes

If you have an issue with your ISP and haven’t been able to resolve it with the company, you could take it to the Telecommunications Dispute Resolution service (TDR).

TDR can’t consider complaints about companies that are not part of the scheme (but Telecom, TelstraClear and Vodafone are members). It also doesn’t deal with issues about mobile coverage.

More survey comments

5700 people made comments in our survey. Here’s a small selection reflecting concerns about ISPs or the internet in general:

  • The measured download speeds are often little better than dial-up. To charge broadband rates for this service verges on the fraudulent. I have complained, but received no reply. If anything, the service has deteriorated. I am contemplating a shift.
  • I intensely dislike speaking to a foreign call centre when I have a problem.
  • We were misled by the salesman as to service cost and speed. The price and internet service received were not what was signed up for. The speed is pathetic and customer services are unhelpful.
  • I am disappointed my ISP, along with all the others, seems to count disloyalty above loyalty. I can gain the best deals and promotions if I change providers regularly. If I stick with one provider I miss out on reduced rates, free wireless routers, those sorts of deals. I think it’s time ISPs rewarded existing customers with similar deals to stay connected.
  • Download and upload speeds have declined considerably recently. Using the Consumer broadband speed test yesterday gave me a download speed of 1.9 Mbps whereas a year ago it was averaging 3-3.5 Mbps. A similar drop off in upload speeds is apparent as well.
  • I told a Telecom salesman that if Telecom was the only telco I would do without a phone and I told Vodafone that they seemed to be trying hard to perform at least as badly as Telecom.
  • I have been with Telecom/Xtra for several years and cannot understand why it has had poor reviews over this time. I find it very satisfactory in all respects.
  • It is impossible to speak to anyone with any authority on the phone [at Vodafone]. This is phenomenally annoying.  The connection speeds and drop-outs have been very disappointing.   The website 'help' area is beyond useless. For a start, you have to sign up to use it. Why can't you just sign in with your username and password the same as you do in the rest of the website? And then, once you have signed up, it seems to 'forget' your ID. The next time you try to sign in you have to register again. If I could bear the effort of changing my email address after 10 years, I'd change ISPs with pleasure. Sadly, it doesn't seem any of the others are any better!
  • The speed of cable is awesome, I love it.
  • The response times on the Telstra-Clear help lines are so long that they are practically not contactable.
  • Still slow and expensive compared to most other countries.
  • I would love a little more speed, but who in NZ wouldn't?

Report by Marc Wendelborn and Bev Frederikson.