Spark New Zealand's low-cost mobile brand Skinny Mobile has entered the nation's residential broadband market with the launch of the 4G-based Skinny Broadband service.
The company is undercutting its rivals with the launch of a pre-paid broadband service for NZ$55 ($36) for 60GB of data, with a one-off modem purchase price of NZ$199.
As a promotional exercise Skinny Broadband will offer the first month free. Customers can buy 10GB top-ups for an extra NZ$20, and unused data carries over to the following month.
The service is available in certain 4G areas nationwide, the company announced.
Skinny Mobile's launch marks the first time an operator has offered residential 4G broadband services in urban centers.
ISPs do offer 4G services in rural areas as part of the government's Rural Broadband Initiative, and mobile operators including Vodafone New Zealand offer 4G mobile broadband over pocket Wi-Fi devices.
“At Skinny we listen to our customers and we are a nimble business, which means we can always keep one-step ahead of the competition and make the most of new technology,” Skinny Mobile general manager Ross Parker commented.