Internet Service Providers - How To Choose The Right One

Having fast, stable internet at home is becoming more important than ever. Learn how to choose an internet service provider based on what they offer

20:37 09 July 2019

Choosing The Perfect ISP

Internet Service Providers are generally privately-run businesses that provide customers with internet accessibility directly, and will almost always have a different number of services available that customers can pick to best suit their needs. But with the ever-growing number of ISPs on the market, it can be difficult to choose one that will provide a combination of customer support, good accessibility, and cost effectiveness.

For those wanting to find a new ISP and upgrade their Internet lines, these are some factors to consider.

Internet Provides in The Area

This is the first stop for those wanting to find a new ISP. It should be noted that not every ISP in the country will provide access in every part of the country, and connectivity is often segmented and run by different companies. Many of them will allow the potential customer to check their address and see what services are available in that area. Along with this, many ISPs will offer varying prices, speeds, and special offers in a specific area. A good example is fibre: fibre may be cheaper for those living on the coastline, as it will often be closer to an exchange.

Prices, Speeds, Plans

Finding a local ISP is the first step; the next is to search through their different plans to select which would be best. There are a few categories to keep an eye on before making a selection. These can be broken down into:

• Plans and Pricing: Most ISPs will have full plans that are inclusive of all costs. These can often be customised depending on what the customer wants. Speed, data limits per month, additional extras, and more are almost always included in a full plan, which can be determined by usage: maybe it’s for streaming, gaming, or simply enjoying the odd bit of NZ betting. Many, however, will often have watered down versions of their plans, allowing the customer to choose something more specific.
  
  

• Speed: Speed is arguably the most important factor when it comes to an ISP. Not all companies offer the same speeds, while some will offer extremely high download speeds but may shape the speed during certain hours of the day. Others may have a set speed that is unaffected, but may be slower compared to others.
  
  

• Data: An ISP will allocate a set amount of data that can be downloaded in a single month, after which they will charge per gig or allow the customers to purchase a set amount of data. This is important, because it can depend on how many people are using the Internet, and how long it’s expected to last for a given month. Many will have night-time downloads switch to uncapped, meaning that between midnight and six in the morning, customers are able to make unlimited downloads without the worry of eating into their cap. Others may choose uncapped lines, meaning that there is no data cap at all, but this also means that their line may be privy to shaping, which is where the speed is throttled in order to ease the amount of traffic on the line.