Wireless broadband delivers home internet over the mobile network instead of a cable. You get a modem with a SIM card inside, plug it in, and it connects to the nearest 4G or 5G cell site. It is quick to set up and can be surprisingly fast on 5G, but it behaves differently from fibre in ways worth understanding before you sign up.
How wireless broadband performs in New Zealand
The Commerce Commission’s Measuring Broadband New Zealand programme tests real connections. Report 28, from tests in April 2026, gives these averages.
| Connection | Download (peak) | Upload (peak) | Latency (peak) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4G fixed wireless | 66 Mbps (52) | 23 Mbps (21) | 48 ms (56) |
| Spark Max Wireless (5G) | 412 Mbps (395) | — | — |
| Starlink Residential 100, for comparison | 130 Mbps (115) | 47 Mbps | 25 ms |
| Fibre 100, for comparison | 106 Mbps | 25 Mbps | 6 ms |
| VDSL copper, for comparison | 63 Mbps (62) | 21 Mbps | 20 ms |
Two things stand out. 5G wireless can outrun entry-level fibre on raw speed. And 4G wireless slows by about a fifth at peak time, because every home and phone near the tower shares the same capacity — fibre barely changes in the evening.
Measures your download, upload, ping and jitter against Cloudflare’s network (normally the Auckland edge for New Zealand connections). Nothing is installed and no personal data is stored.
| NZ plan type (MBNZ Report 28, Apr 2026 tests) | Typical download | Typical upload | Latency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fibre 100 | 106 Mbps | 25 Mbps | 6 ms |
| Fibre 500 | 508 Mbps | 109 Mbps | 7 ms |
| Fibre Max | 877 Mbps | 502 Mbps | 5 ms |
| 4G fixed wireless | 66 Mbps | 23 Mbps | 48 ms |
| Starlink Residential | 130 Mbps | 47 Mbps | 25 ms |
| VDSL (copper) | 63 Mbps | 21 Mbps | 20 ms |
Test server: Cloudflare (speed.cloudflare.com). Wi-Fi, VPNs and busy household devices all lower the result, so run it two or three times. Averages come from the Commerce Commission’s Measuring Broadband New Zealand programme.
Who sells it
- Spark sells 4G wireless broadband and, in selected areas, Spark Max Wireless on 5G.
- One NZ sells 4G and 5G wireless broadband with a 30-day money-back period, using TP-Link Deco modems — the BE48 on 5G and the X58 on 4G.
- 2degrees sells 4G and 5G wireless broadband.
- Energy retailers such as Mercury and Contact also resell wireless plans alongside fibre.
Plans are sold for a specific address. Providers check how much capacity the local cell site has before accepting a connection, so moving the modem to another town is not the same as taking a phone with you.
The 3G switch-off
All three networks have now retired 3G: 2degrees between December 2025 and February 2026, One NZ by 23 March 2026, and Spark by 30 March 2026. Any old wireless modem that relied on 3G stopped working and needs replacing with a 4G or 5G unit.
Getting the most from a wireless modem
- Put it by a window facing the nearest tower, up high. Moving a modem a few metres can double the signal.
- Check the signal readout in the modem’s app or admin page and try a few spots before settling.
- Use a cable for the television or console if the modem is far from them, or add a mesh unit — our mesh Wi-Fi guide explains how.
- Schedule big downloads overnight, when the cell site is quiet.
- Restart after outages: if the mobile network drops, the modem sometimes needs a power cycle to reconnect.
Wireless broadband goes down whenever the local cell site does, so a mobile network fault is also a home internet fault. The provider status pages in our outage guide cover both.
Wireless, fibre or satellite?
| Choose | When |
|---|---|
| Fibre | It is available at your address. It is faster at peak, far lower latency and unaffected by how busy the neighbourhood is. |
| 5G wireless | You rent, move often, or fibre is not installed yet, and 5G coverage is strong. |
| 4G wireless | You are a light user in an area without fibre, and the signal at your address is good. |
| Starlink | You are rural or the 4G signal is weak. Starlink is now 27 per cent of rural connections. |
Rural households weighing satellite should read our Starlink NZ guide. Copper users should plan a move: Chorus now aims to switch copper off by the end of 2028. To work out what speed you actually need, use our internet speed calculator, and see our provider guide for how the market fits together.
Disclaimer
General information only. Measured speeds are national averages from the Commerce Commission’s Report 28 (July 2026); wireless performance varies widely with location, signal and time of day. Check coverage at your address before signing up.
Reference sources
Frequently asked questions
What is wireless broadband?
Home internet delivered over the 4G or 5G mobile network through a modem with a SIM card, instead of a fibre or copper line.
Is wireless broadband as good as fibre?
5G can match or beat entry-level fibre on download speed, but latency is higher and speeds drop at busy times. Fibre is more consistent.
How fast is 4G wireless broadband in NZ?
About 66 Mbps down on average, falling to around 52 Mbps at peak, with roughly 23 Mbps upload and 48 ms latency.
Can I take my wireless broadband modem to another address?
Plans are sold for a specific address, because providers manage capacity per cell site. Ask your provider before moving it.
Where should I put a wireless modem?
High up, next to a window facing the nearest cell tower. Test a few positions using the signal readout in the modem’s app.
Does wireless broadband have data caps?
Some plans do and some are unlimited. Check the plan details, especially on 4G where heavy use slows everyone on the tower.
Links mentioned in this article
- Wikipedia (from the previous version of this article)
