Telecommunications Commissioner, Tristan Gilbertson, says MBNZ tests broadband performance to the router, while RealSpeed measures performance from the router to devices being used in the home – such as laptops, TVs, tablets and phones.

The results of the report show that, across all broadband technologies, speeds naturally drop between the router and devices being used in the home – but this drop is greater on faster plans, like Fibre and HFC (Hybrid Fibre-Coaxial), which drop more than 60%.

“While the top-tier plans delivered faster overall speeds to devices – and can support more bandwidth-hungry users in the same household – Wi-Fi performance can be responsible for much of the speed consumers are paying for being lost,” Mr Gilbertson says.

“It doesn’t matter how fast your connection is if your Wi-Fi set up isn’t up to scratch or if you’re being slowed down by an older device. You don’t want to buy a Ferrari-level of broadband and find yourself stuck in second gear – so consider the location of your Wi-Fi router or investing in a new mesh system to unlock the potential of your plan.” 

Mr Gilbertson says it is also worth considering what you use your broadband connection for as well as the number of users and devices you have at home – “Our results show that paying a premium price isn’t always necessary to get the speeds you need.” 

The RealSpeed report can be viewed here for further insights on how to make the most of your home broadband – including information on the speed limits of some of the most commonly-used devices.  

Consumers can also sign up to become an MBNZ volunteer and get their own RealSpeed results by going to https://measuringbroadbandnewzealand.com/sign-up. 

Mr Gilbertson says the Commission is working with Consumer NZ to test the performance of different routers available on the market. This will compare devices supplied by service providers as well as common off-the-shelf options available for purchase in New Zealand. 

The results of Consumer NZ’s router testing are expected to be released later this year.