Fast fibre let down by internet users’ lousy Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi performance can be responsible for much of the speed consumers are paying for being lost, the telecommunications commissioner said. Photo / 123RF

Paying for a premium broadband service could be a waste of money for consumers using Wi-Fi routers incapable of delivering top speeds.

The Commerce Commission’s RealSpeed report indicates broadband speeds naturally drop between the router and devices being used in the home, with losses on faster plans - such as fibre - dropping more than 60 per cent.

“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,” telecommunications commissioner Tristan Gilbertson said.

“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.”

Gilbertson said it was also worth considering how many devices use your broadband connection, as well as the number of users.

“Our results show that paying a premium price isn’t always necessary to get the speeds you need.”

Gilbertson said the commission was working with Consumer NZ to test the performance of different routers available on the market, with results expected to be released later this year.

The commission’s RealSpeed report included information on the speed limits of some of the most commonly-used devices and can be viewed here.

Consumers can also sign up to become a Measuring Broadband (MBNZ) volunteer for their own RealSpeed results.

-RNZ