We've been online more than ever this year and with holidays on the horizon, reliable internet will continue to be crucial to Kiwis as they unwind, from indoor gaming to beachside Netflix.
Speaking to Newshub, Chorus Spokesperson Kurt Rodgers said there is increasing demand for high-speed broadband at holiday hotspots, as New Zealanders take their online life on the road.
"People are now taking their digital habits with them on holiday. Things like Spotify and Netflix allow them to take their music and TV libraries with them wherever they go."
To make sure you're impartially informed about all your options, the folks over at the Commerce Commission do regular reporting on how different forms of broadband stack up, so you can be sure that you're getting the best service available to suit your needs this summer.
The most recent report covered July/August and measured key areas such as:
Speed
Latency (delay in data being received)
Consistency (speed at peak times vs off peak)
Capacity (how much bandwidth the connection can handle)
So how did the different broadband options stack up?
Fibre
Fibre is, simply put, the fastest and most reliable internet available. With speeds of up to 24 times faster than other forms of broadband, fibre consistently delivers whatever you're using it for. Whether it's streaming ultra high-definition (UHD) video content or online gaming, fibre performed the best across the board in every key metric measured by the Commerce Commission.
Kurt says what fibre really offers is peace of mind, making the internet more like a utility such as power or water. When you turn a light on in the kitchen, you don't expect lights in the living room to dim, and fibre offers that same dependability, allowing multiple people to use multiple devices on the same network with no slowdown.
"Fibre is head and shoulders above everything else," he said.
"Because of how frictionless and seamless it is to use. It's about the ability for people to do whatever they want online, and not care or worry about performance."
Aside from incredible speeds, fibre offers the most reliably low latency of any broadband examined in the report. Latency basically measures the delay in information going from point A to point B and is most obvious in general internet browsing, i.e how quickly a web page opens, or in competitive gaming, which depends on rapid responsiveness or 'zero lag' for games like Fortnite.
But the best part about fibre? It is generally free to install and it's monthly costs are generally comparable to other forms of broadband.
"Just because you're getting a Ferrari doesn't mean you're paying for one. In terms of speed, with fibre you're getting a Ferrari for a Toyota price," says Kurt.
Over a million Kiwi businesses and homes are now connected to Chorus' fibre network, which reaches over 80 percent of the country. Check if fibre is available in your area here.
VDSL/ADSL
Operating the original copper network used by phone services, these intimidating acronyms stand for 'Very High Speed Digital Subscriber line' and 'Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line service' respectively. Don't worry about the jargon, just know that there are some key distinctions in performance between them.
VDSL is the next best option after fibre, clocking in second place in essentially every area measured by the Commerce Commission report. Able to stream Ultra-HD Netflix almost 90 percent of the time, showing no drop off in performance during peak times and reporting low levels of latency, this is a dependable option for most every day internet users.
Comparatively, ADSL is what Kurt calls a 'legacy system', which can lag behind the others. ADSL was only able to stream UHD content 12 percent of the time and reported the slowest speed of any broadband. However it still reported low latency and no noticeable drop off during peak usage times.
VDSL plans typically don't cost more than ADSL, so it's worth giving your provider a call and asking what options are available.
Fixed Wireless
Fixed Wireless is broadband which depends on the mobile data network in the same way your phone does. This can be a good option for users where fibre or VDSL isn't available, and are looking for a quick setup to get online.
However the convenience of wireless does come with some tradeoffs. During peak times it can perform 18 percent slower based on how many other people are on the network and also struggles with streaming ultra high definition content, only able to stream 64 percent of the time based on the Commerce Commission report.
This couples with higher latency than any other form of broadband to mean if you're a household of gamers looking to stream content or work from home on zoom calls in high resolutions, this probably isn't the best option for you.
Overall, the numbers point to one clear winner this broadband summer season, fibre takes the top spot with VDSL coming in at a respectable second. Meanwhile ADSL/Fixed Wireless bringing up the rear depending on based on speed and reliability respectively.
But of course one size does not fit all, even online, and however you choose to relax this summer, your broadband of choice will be there to help.
Read the full commerce commission report here or head over to Chorus for more information.
This article was created for Chorus
