Getting Broadband Connected
If your unit has been remediated, then you can get a new Fibre connection. All units have been preprepared for a fibre install. It would be a good idea to request your fibre connection about 2 months before your unit is available, to ensure you can have it installed on the first business day. It may be difficult for new tenants to get a connection quickly if you have not had the lines provisioned by Chorus via an early request through your preferred ISP.
If your unit has not been remediated yet, then you can get VDSL, and it is very fast, up to 30Mb speeds can be achieved. It is not permitted to get Fibre before the remedial works, as the works will wreck the connection, and duplicate installations will cause additional cost to the owner.
Who should you get your internet connection from?
You can get your internet connection from any ISP, eg Spark, Vodafone, TrustPower, MyRepublic, BigPipe. They all offer different deals, but in the end, it is Chorus who will install your connection. Different ISPs offer free months, free modems or other special deals. I'd like to recommend a few providers that you may not have originally considered. I have found the support from the smaller ISPs is better than the big well known telcos.
MyRepublic - Fibre or VDSL
Reuben recommends MyRepublic for those who want a very fast fibre connection, for business, or Netflix, for lots of video streaming. This is where I am getting my connection at #14.
I have a special relationship with this ISP, so that I can help progress all the connection orders to happen together on the same day, so long as you order your connection at least 2 months in advance. (No fee until connected) Please use the following link to ensure i can track and help manage your order.
MyRepublic offer great signup specials like "half price for 6 months" with freebies including a higher quality Free Modem if you go on a contract.
I have found their support great, as they seem to know who you are and where you live without you telling them..
All connections have unlimited data, and 100Mb high speed connection, perfect for running a business downstairs and concurrent home use upstairs. No worries about high usage...
When searching for your address, try either 386 Richmond Road, or 59 Sackville Street, as you may not get a result with one or the other, depending on your unit number.
View Deals or get MyRepublic Connection
Big Pipe - Fibre, VDSL, ADSL
BigPipe is a great option if you don't want a contract, but you need to supply your own modem. There is a small setup fee, then the first month is free. Please use the following link to signup, and your local playcentre will get a $20 discount on their internet account.
Skinny Broadband - 4G (no install required)
Skinny are offering a $55 deal for 60GB data on a modem that uses the cellular 4G signal. 60GB is not alot of data, but enough for email and facebook etc. The speeds are probably only good for 1 video stream per modem (if that), and you might run out of data if you watch more than an hour of on demand TV per day.
Remember to Order Early
Remember to order your fibre connection at least 6 weeks before you move back in. This will ensure they can guarantee a Chorus technition will be on site on the first business day after you move in. All copper lines are being removed from units 1-17 as they got in the way of building works, and are no longer necessary.
Notes on Fibre Connection and Cat6 Owner Option
Your ONT (optical network terminal) will ordinarily be situated already in your living room, near the coaxil TV aerial point (unless your owner has specified otherwise. This is because TV devices normally require the greatest bandwidth.
The ONT is where the fibre terminates, it looks like a modem, but it is not a modem. The ONT is normally screwed to the wall, and it needs power with a cable/plug similar to a modem. The ONT is supplied and installed by Chorus. The modem is later supplied by your ISP, although these might happen at the same time.
I highly recommend the "owner option" for "Cat6 run over building, with additional jack points". (Cat6 is a special type of internet cable that connects modems to computers and network switches) This will allow you to keep your ONT and modem out of site, or to situate your modem away from your ONT, and relocate your modem in different locations in the future. For example, you can choose to have your ONT installed in your garage, where your old copper telephone lines exist, and then the Cat6 option above, can be used to distribute the the connection around your home. You might request a jack point in your TV zone, and another in your office. Each of those locations might require more than 1 wired connection, and the modem usually has space for 4 wired connections. Having your modem centrally located in your building will provide better wifi connections. The owner option includes 2 runs of cat6, which means you can choose 2 jack points initially. Note, each run of cat6 cable can only provide a single jack point. However, with 2 wires up and over the whole building, you can potentially situate your modem centrally, and distribute your connection to 3 jackpoints, plus 1 jackpoint being the feed from the ONT.
Notes about traditional telephones
These days phone lines are an optional extra as part of a broadband installation.
The old copper telephone lines are being disconnected. If you want a traditional phone line, it will come through the fibre line and back feed the copper lines throughout your home. The ONT (fibre termination point) can provide ordinary telephone service to your existing copper lines, if a telephone jack point or copper line is near to the ONT, otherwise the Chorus technician will need run cable capping along your walls to join the two. Ask your telco for more information.
Alternatively, you can plug an ordinary cordless phone into your modem if your ISP provides voice lines as part of their package.
If you want really great priced voip services and 0800 numbers, where you can receive calls at work, or on mobile, i can recommend 2talk.
Keeping Phone Numbers
Yes you can keep your existing phone numbers and move it to a new ISP.
However, we encourage all businesses to port their phone numbers to 2talk and get naked internet. There is no reason to get your phone and internet from the same provider any more... and more over, it's easier to change internet providers, or redirect your landline to your mobile, if you don't have your phone number linked.
Notes About On Demand TV
With your new fast fibre connection, you can enjoy watching great TV shows on demand, in high definition. It is a great compliment to free view services. If you like sport, then keep SkyTV on, but ditch the movie channels and move to ondemand services.
- Netflix is about $13 a month, and offers the largest collection of TV shows, and has a broad range of content for kids as well.
- Lightbox is provided free with BigPipe and Spark connections, and is only $10 a month otherwise, and it has some fantastic dramas and BBC mini series. Despite having less content that Netflix, I end up watching lightbox more due to the newer content it carries.
- Neon is a service provided by SkyTV, it is about $20 a month. The quality of their streaming is only standard definition, and is not as good as the other 2 services.
Notes About Tenants
If you take the Cat6 owner option, you can deliver wired internet around all the rooms in your home. These days you can get really fast unlimited internet, and a business downstairs with other tenants upstairs can easily share an internet connection, without bandwidth or excess usage implications.
You might consider setting up an internet connection in advance, so that your tenants can move in with the internet connected on day 1, and not wait a month for their own connection to take place.
Author Note:
This page is authored by Reuben Jackson, #14, Website World. www.website.world. And yes i get a small commission if you sign up to MyRepublic. You can signup with any ISP, but i can only help coordinate orders in the MyRepublic system.
If you want additional help with selecting the right plan or provider, please let me know. I am happy to provide paid consultation if you want the ultimate internet/phone/fax solution for your business needs.