Get fibre if it's available where you live and you're not planning to move. It delivers the fastest, steadiest speeds and almost always comes with unlimited data. Choose 4G or 5G wireless when fibre isn't at your address yet, when you're in a rental or short-term situation, or when you want a connection that travels with you.
The Ultra-Fast Broadband rollout finished in December 2022 and now reaches 412 towns and cities, covering around 87 percent of the population, according to the National Infrastructure Funding and Financing agency. That same source puts fibre uptake at 73 percent of premises passed as of 30 June 2025. So most urban and suburban homes can get fibre, but a real share of the country still can't, and that gap is where wireless earns its place.
The first step is simple: check whether fibre is available at your exact address. If it is, and none of the wireless-specific reasons below apply to you, fibre is the pick.
Fibre wins on raw performance and data; wireless wins on flexibility, speed of setup, and reach beyond the fibre footprint. Here's the side-by-side.
Factor | Fibre | 4G / 5G wireless |
|---|---|---|
Typical speed | 100 Mbit/s or faster downstream, upgradable | 4G: below 25 Mbps up to 100 Mbps; 5G: below 100 Mbps up to 500 Mbps |
Consistency | Steady; does not degrade over distance | Varies by location, tower distance, and time of day |
Data | Usually unlimited | Often capped but unlimited is available |
Availability | Address must be on the fibre network | Needs mobile coverage and a clear signal path |
Setup | Plug in a modem/router; usually no install visit | Plug in a modem/router; no install visit |
Portable? | No, fixed to the property | Yes with Freedom Wireless |
Latitude Starting price | $69/month | $55/month |
The speed ranges for 4G and 5G above come from the Commerce Commission's Measuring Broadband New Zealand testing, which also states that fixed wireless should not be preferred to fibre on performance grounds. That's the honest position, and it's why we lead with fibre for homes that can get it. Fibre's other quiet advantage is stability: unlike copper or wireless, fibre speed doesn't drop off the further you are from the exchange.
Fibre is the better choice when it's available and your household leans on the internet daily. Streaming in 4K, video calls for work, online gaming, and several devices running at once all reward the steady speeds and unlimited data that fibre gives you.
A few clear signs fibre is your answer:
Latitude connects users on the nationwide fibre networks, so ordering Home Fibre Broadband & Wi-Fi uses the same national infrastructure the big providers run on, at $69/month to start. Business Fibre Broadband & Wi-Fi starts at $127/month if you're connecting a business address.
Wireless is the better choice in three situations, and each has a solid reason behind it.
First, when fibre hasn't reached your address. There's no point waiting on an install that may be years away when 4G or 5G can have you online today.
Second, when you rent or expect to move within a short time. Wireless needs no fixed install, so you take the modem/router with you and plug in at the next place. No booking a technician, no rewiring.
Third, when you want internet that moves. This is where Freedom Wireless stands out: it works at home and in a motorhome, caravan, or bach, so if you want to take your connection on the move, it's the natural fit. See the full range on the 4G and 5G wireless page.
Latitude's wireless plans start at $55/month. If you want a smaller, cheaper plan for light use or a second location, the Freedom Wireless Mini range runs from $18/month for 1 GB up to $40/month for 10 GB, each with a static IP address. For the main wireless plans you can order 4G Freedom Wireless or step up to 5G Freedom Wireless where 5G coverage reaches you.
One thing to plan for: wireless performance is genuinely address-dependent. Your speed depends on how far you are from the nearest cell tower and whether buildings or hills block the path. That's why our quick connect turnaround matters here. You can get wireless running fast and see the real speeds at your address rather than guess.
If you're rural and off the fibre network, Fixed Rural Wireless is built for you. Running long fibre lines past widely spaced properties has never stacked up cost-wise, which is why rural New Zealand leans on wireless, as the National Infrastructure Funding and Financing agency notes about fibre being better suited to higher-density areas.
For a permanent rural home connection, Fixed Rural Wireless comes in three tiers:
Plan | Data | Price |
|---|---|---|
Fixed Rural Wireless 200 | 200 GB | $95/month |
Fixed Rural Wireless 400 | 400 GB | $110/month |
Fixed Rural Wireless Unlimited | Unlimited | $135/month |
Each includes a static IP address. On a rural property, a rooftop antenna kit (priced from $150) often makes the difference between a weak signal and a usable one by lifting the aerial above obstructions and pointing it at the tower. That's the piece most people overlook when they say wireless "didn't work" at a rural address.
Wireless broadband needs a modem/router that matches your plan, and it's included with your service rather than sold on its own. Latitude supplies two TP-Link units: the X58 for 4G, which runs Wi-Fi 6 $350, and the BE48 for 4G and 5G, which runs the newer Wi-Fi 7 $495.
Fibre, by contrast, needs a physical connection installed to the property by the network operator, plus a router for the Wi-Fi inside your home. There's no antenna to align and no cell-tower distance to worry about, which is part of why fibre is the steadier long-term connection once it's in. Latitude can supply a range of Wi-Fi Modem/Routers to suit various circumstances priced from $130.
Wireless starts slightly cheaper at $55/month against $69/month for fibre, but the better-value question is data. Fibre's usual unlimited data suits heavy households, while wireless plans with caps can work out cheaper for light users and more expensive for streamers who blow past their limit.
Here's the quick cost picture across Latitude's home options:
Service | From | Data |
|---|---|---|
Home Fibre Broadband & Wi-Fi | $69/month | Unlimited |
4G & 5G Wireless Broadband & Wi-Fi | $55/month | 60GB to unlimited |
Freedom Wireless Mini | $18/month | 1–10 GB |
Fixed Rural Wireless | $95/month | 200 GB to unlimited |
Home Phone (VoIP) | $8.50/month | Add-on |
Payment is by all major credit cards online. If you're weighing it up, ring 0800 528488 and we'll check what's available at your address before you commit.
Fibre is faster and more consistent for most homes. It starts at 100 Mbit/s downstream and holds it's speed regardless of distance. Wireless speeds vary widely: the Commerce Commission's Measuring Broadband New Zealand testing records 4G between below 25 Mbps and up to 100 Mbps, and 5G between below 100 Mbps and up to 500 Mbps, depending on location and time of day.
Yes. 4G and 5G wireless works wherever there's mobile coverage and a clear signal path to a cell tower, which covers most of the country including many rural areas fibre never reached. Latitude can connect a wireless service quickly, and a rooftop antenna kit (from NZD 150) helps in weaker-signal spots.
Most wireless plans do, unlike fibre, which is usually unlimited. Latitude's Freedom Wireless Mini plans run from 1 GB to 10 GB per month, and Fixed Rural Wireless offers 200 GB, 400 GB, or unlimited. Heavy streaming and gaming households should check the cap carefully or choose an unlimited option.
Yes, with Freedom Wireless. It works at home and in a motorhome, caravan, or bach, so you can take your connection on the move. Fibre is fixed to the property and can't travel, which is the main reason people on the road choose wireless.
Check your specific address rather than assuming your suburb's coverage, since availability is address-by-address. You can look up your street address on a broadband availability map, or call Latitude on 0800 528488 and we'll confirm whether fibre reaches you and what wireless options exist as a backup.
For more information please contact us
Author : David Gabites