Bigpipe will join the gigabit cool kids when faster wholesale services go online next month.Spark’s no-frills ISP says it will offer an unlimited, naked, gigabit plan for $129 a month.
Bigpipe says those customers already on the company’s Elite plan,*will be upgraded to Gigabit speed free of charge. At present Big Pipe’s Elite plan customers get 200 Mbps up and down. This will move to 1 Gbps down and 500 Mbps up.
The ISP says it has already started upgrading customers in the Enable and Ultrafast Fibre areas. The Chorus customers will get their upgrades next month when the Chorus gigabit fibre service begins operating.
There’s no word when Bigpipe’s parent company will offer gigabit plans. Officially it is coming “over the next few months”. We do know the price will be $140 a month.[1] Interested customers are invited to pre-register for the service at Spark’s website.
Yes! Bigpipe will be upgrading customers on our Elite ($129 per month) plan to Gigabit speeds wherever available https://t.co/7SopJneF1m
— Bigpipe Broadband (@BigPipeNZ) September 7, 2016
From a consumer point of view, 1 Gbps is effectively infinite. When coupled with an unlimited plan its means there are no constraints on your internet experience.There’s been some talk along the lines of no-one needs a gigabit connection. While there is something in this, having plenty of headroom means there is alway enough bandwidth on hand for the few moments when you need it. Required speeds might be well under 1 Gbps most of the time, but streaming video and other demanding apps can cause temporary demand spikes.

Bigpipe to offer gigabit fibre was first posted at billbennett.co.nz.Filed under: Telecommunications Tagged: fibre, gigabit, Spark