Recently there has been much discussion as to whether investment in broadband should be targeted (super high speed for a select few) or across the board (mediocre speeds for all). To add to the debate we now have some significant price drops for satellite broadband here in New Zealand.

Managing director of Bay City Communications (and my neighbour!) Tony Baird, announced this week new pricing for their satellite service,

  • 49.95/month for 256Kbit/s down, 128Kbit/s up, 500MB data cap
  • 89.95/month for 512Kbit/s down, 128Kbit/s up, 1GB cap
  • 109.95/month for 1Mbit/s down, 256Kbit/s up, 2GB cap

Sure pricing is more than for those of us with good copper (or heaven forbid fibre!) incoming lines – but for those in the backblocks it’s a pretty compelling offering. Bay Cty also claims to cover all of New Zealand via the IPSTAR satellite.

Big new however are the start up costs – formerely customers had to pay $1900 for the hardware and connection, this has been slashed to a $149 flat rate. Apparently a digital phone service is due to roll out next month – create a point to point satellite communications offering.

Ben Kepes

Ben Kepes is a technology evangelist, an investor, a commentator and a business adviser. Ben covers the convergence of technology, mobile, ubiquity and agility, all enabled by the Cloud. His areas of interest extend to enterprise software, software integration, financial/accounting software, platforms and infrastructure as well as articulating technology simply for everyday users.

5 Comments
  • Dear sir/madam,
    I live at the back of the new plymouth air port, I might as well live in Ohura, I can only get dial up and a lot of the time it might as well be dial out.
    I have a global business and communicate with people in the USA ,England. We are basicaly just starting out on a most interesting venture. I would love to say good bye to Telecom but at the moment I still need to use a telephone.
    What can you offer me? when I talk I use calling cards to keep the costs down and when I use my Lap Top it is like watching grass grow.

  • Brent,

    Have a look at the Rocket Broadband Plan which we have worked to give a competitive product for rural NZ. We will be introducing Voice commercially very soon with low cost international calling and you can get a good broadband plan as well.
    Once you sign up to a plan we would come and install a satellite dish. The indoor modem has a physical 10/100 port or you can plug it into a wireless LAN which is what I have done.

    My contact:
    tony@baycity.co.nz
    Best Regards
    Tony

  • Dear Brent,

    Wireless Nation offers wireless broadband as well as broadband phone service nationwide. Wireless Nation’s phone service also provides DDI number from Auckland and Wellington as well as other countries including Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London and Manchester.

    Incoming calls are free. Outgoing calls to UK would cost 10 cents a min at this stage. Broadband plans are also very competitive. Wireless Nation utilizes Kordia Extend Wireless Network as well as IPStar broadband Satellite so truly natinwide coverage.

    Please contact sales@wirelessnation.co.nz or visit Wireless Nation website for more info.

    Kind Regards,
    Tom Linn
    Wireless Nation

  • Would you tell me where did you download your website template ?

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