Fibre is the best choice for most small offices, and I recommend checking your address for it before looking at anything else. Fibre delivers consistent upload and download speeds, which matters the moment you run video calls, cloud accounting, EFTPOS and a VoIP phone over the same line. Our Business Fibre Broadband & Wi-Fi starts at $127/month.
New Zealand is moving off the old copper telephone and broadband network onto fibre and mobile networks, as the Commerce Commission describes. If your office is on copper today, treat that as a prompt to plan the switch rather than a reason to delay.
Where fibre hasn't reached your street or building, wireless broadband is the practical alternative. 4G and 5G Freedom Wireless Broadband plans start at $55/month and $99/month for an unlimited plan. All Latitude internet plans include a static IP address, which you'll want if you host anything or run a VPN back to the office.
Here's a quick comparison of the connection types by fit:
Connection | Best for | Starts at | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
Business Fibre | Offices with fibre at the address, heavy cloud/VoIP use | $127/month | Availability by address |
Freedom Wireless | Offices without fibre, temporary sites, fast setup | $60/month | Coverage and data caps |
A basic small-office setup with business fibre and one VoIP line starts around $162/month before any add-ons, based on $127/month for Business Fibre Broadband & Wi-Fi and $35/month for a Business Phone (VoIP) line. A wireless-based office running 4G/5G broadband with the same phone line starts closer to $95/month.
Price alone is a poor way to choose. The Commerce Commission advises comparing offers on the level of service and the contract terms, not just the headline monthly figure. Two bundles at the same price can behave very differently once you factor in data caps, support response, and what you pay if you leave early.
When you tally the real cost, include:
Read the exit terms first, because that's where bundles catch people out. The Commerce Commission warns that if you take out a bundle and later cancel one service, it can change the amount you pay for the remaining services or attract cancellation charges. So a "great bundle price" can quietly unwind if your needs change in a year.
Before you sign, get clear answers on:
At Latitude we'd rather explain the exit terms up front than surprise you later, so ask us directly what leaving would cost. We require one months notice prior to the date you intend to cancel your services on and we do not charge any cancellation or early termination fees. Any gear supplied by Latitude Internet remains our property and must be returned in good working order at termination time.
A VoIP phone is the right fit for almost every small office now, because it runs over the same internet connection instead of a separate copper line. Our Business Phone (VoIP) starts at $35/month and give you the calling features a small team actually uses: multiple lines, call transfer, and voicemail without a physical exchange in the cupboard. A simpler Home Phone (VoIP) option runs from NZD 8.50/month for very light use.
Because copper phone lines are being retired, VoIP is where the network is heading anyway. The trade-off is power dependence, which is the next thing to plan for.
If your team is often out of the office, pair the fixed line with mobile. You can review mobile phone plans from $30/month and order a mobile phone plan alongside the office setup so staff on the road stay reachable on the same account.
Both fibre and wireless broadband stop working when the power goes out, and so does a VoIP phone that depends on them. The Commerce Commission states plainly that services relying on power, including phone lines and calls to emergency services such as 111, may not work in an outage.
For a small office, that's a real risk if you take card payments or need to call 111. Two backups cover most situations:
Decide which matters more for your office, the phone or the EFTPOS terminal, and make sure that one has a fallback.
Check coverage at your exact address before you sign, especially for wireless broadband and mobile. The Commerce Commission required mobile operators to produce standardised coverage maps so you can compare providers and, importantly, cancel without penalty if you hit connection problems the map didn't predict.
This is not a minor issue. The Commerce Commission reports that almost 20 per cent of residential consumers and 30 per cent of SMEs are not satisfied with their mobile coverage. For a business, poor coverage means dropped calls and a wireless connection that often can't carry your VoIP line reliably.
When you check coverage, do it for the specific building and, ideally, the room where the router will sit. Thick walls and rural distance both cut signal. Where wireless is your only option and signal is marginal, a rooftop antenna kit (priced from $150) single or sometimes dual antennas often lift a weak connection to a workable one. Talk to us about your address and we'll tell you honestly whether Fibre or Freedom Wireless is the sensible pick.
Yes. The Commerce Commission regulates number portability in New Zealand, so you have the right to keep your phone number when you move to a new provider. Tell your new provider you want to port the number before you cancel the old service, and don't cancel the old account until the port is confirmed.
Fibre is better when it's available at your address, because it gives more consistent speeds for video calls, cloud software and VoIP running together. 4G/5G wireless broadband (from $60/month) is the right choice when fibre hasn't reached you or you need a fast, portable setup. Check your exact address before deciding.
No, not automatically. The Commerce Commission confirms that fibre, wireless and VoIP phones all rely on power, so calls, including 111, may fail during an outage. Keep a charged mobile phone as backup, or fit a UPS to your modem and handset for short outages.
Check the early termination fees, what happens to the price of remaining services if you cancel one, and whether you can keep your number. The Commerce Commission advises comparing offers on service level and contract terms, not just price, and points to Telecommunications Dispute Resolution if a problem can't be resolved with your provider.
A business fibre connection with one VoIP phone line starts around $162/month with Latitude, based on $127/month for fibre and $35/month for the phone line. A wireless-based setup starts lower, from about $95/month. Add hardware and extra lines to get your true monthly figure..
For more information please contact us
Author : David Gabites