MATnet Broadband Review

If you’ve ever vacationed in a rural area, you’ll know how hard it is to get a decent internet connection in such places. Downloads and uploads are slow, reception choppy, and the whole ordeal tiring. 

While plenty of big providers offer coverage in hard-to-reach vicinities, not many of them make it their focus, which is why MATnet is such an anomaly. This modestly-sized internet business serves subscribers on farms, camping grounds, and other remote areas in the Mackenzie Basin area. The question is should you consider this provider as an option?

This MATnet broadband review aims to reveal what the New Zealand-based provider has to offer. We cover its plans, prices, customer service, and more.

About MATnet

MATnet is an internet service provider (ISP) based in Twizel, New Zealand. For over a decade, this business has operated in the Mackenzie Basin area, providing fibre broadband and related internet connection services to homes and businesses in the region. It serves 300+ customers and has a range of installation plans to suit every budget. 

The MATnet team comprises members who have a combined 40 years' worth of experience. Their know-how touches on every aspect of power industry telecommunications. Everything from wireless broadband to radio-based internet services falls under their umbrella of expertise.

This company is dedicated to serving residents of the Mackenzie Basin area. Additionally, its unique selling point is its focus on rural internet. These two qualities reflect in its name, MATnet, which is an abbreviation for Mackenzie Agricultural Technologies Limited.

Services Overview

 

Even though MATnet is a small company, it offers a range of services. They include:

• High-speed fibre and wireless broadband for home and business customers
• Camping Wi-Fi
• Personalised packages for companies
• Reliable broadband for farms
• Rural internet
• Internet for hunting lodges
• Internet-of-things access (through its MATnet LoRaWAN interface)

This wireless broadband provider also offers phone services in the form of voice over internet protocol (VoIP) telephony. It subcontracts this service to an unspecified supplier. 

Although MATnet offers over 4,450 sq km of site coverage, many of its services are subject to rollout and service area coverage. To find out whether your area is covered for fibre broadband, use our fibre checker to check. 

Subscription Type

MATnet offers capped and unlimited data bundles. It also has fixed-term contracts for businesses (up to 24 months).

You can include add-ons to the subscription package. The add-ons the company offers are email and static IP. Its static IP is excellent for customers who need to offer remote access to the wireless broadband network. 

According to the company’s Terms and Conditions of Service, MATnet will refund you in full if you’re unsatisfied with its internet services. The caveat is you have to cancel your subscription within the first 30 days of activation. 

You can terminate your subscription in writing, in which case you have two methods:

• By Fastpost: Send a Notice of Intent to Terminate through NZ Post to MATnet. Address your mail to PO Box 152 Twizel 7944.
• By Email: email gren@ghcomms.co.nz.

While you’re free to cancel your subscription at any time, MATnet may charge a fee for cancellations that occur outside the requisite 30-day notice period. 

Please note that the 30-day notice applies to individuals. Companies are required to give 15 days’ notice of cancellation. Where they don’t, MATnet will deem the contract as automatically extended and renew it. 

Installation Procedure

 

MATnet doesn't provide any information about its installation procedure on its website. For example, it's unclear whether the ISP restricts its fibre and wireless broadband subscribers to its routers or whether it has a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy. The best broadband providers usually disclose whether you can provide a router, and some go as far as to make recommendations.

Also, it doesn't state how long its installation process takes. Even its Terms and Conditions of Service is vague. In the document, MATnet alludes to arranging for the installation of equipment at the customer's specified site "as soon as reasonably practical." The trigger for its taking action is when it enters into an agreement with the customer.

With that said, we did gather (from its TCS) that MATnet allocates a username and password to its customers after connecting them to its network. You're expected to keep these details confidential at all times. The exception to this rule is when MATnet requests them, which will happen when you want to make changes to your account.

Speed

MATnet offers a range of connection speeds for its wireless broadband. Speeds start at 5 MBps and go up to 300 MBps. As is common with most fibre providers, the speed you get correlates to the subscription package you pay for. 

Note that the speed ranges stated above are MATnet’s advertised speeds. There may be occasions when your wireless broadband subscription package’s speed underperforms. When that happens, you can always use an internet speed tester to check how fast your broadband speed is.

Internet Connectivity (Uptime and Downtime)

MATnet touts its wireless broadband service as having 99.9% uptime. However, considering it also provides internet in hard-to-reach places, you’d be forgiven for doubting that all its customers enjoy such reliability.

Thankfully, the company has 31 radio repeater sites that keep the remote areas of Mackenzie Basin connected. If you think you’re suffering an outage, use an internet outage checker to confirm whether that’s the case. 

Customer Service

 

MATnet maintains a 12-hour helpdesk for its subscribers. You can receive support between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. While the company endeavours to respond to queries immediately, it acknowledges that there will be occasions when it'll be too busy to answer phone calls.

Also, the company maintains a Network Status Page where it posts any issues that impact its service. If you experience slow internet or you can't connect at all, visit it to check for updates on issues or scheduled maintenance.

Alternatively, you can contact the company by using the form on its website. Select the “A network fault” option in the drop-down for the form’s “Please contact me about” field. You can also contact the company's senior technician by sending an email to chris@ghcomms.co.nz.

Plans and Pricing

MATnet offers the following connection types:

Home or Business Fibre

 

With a Home Fibre or Business Fibre connection, you get wireless broadband speeds of 300 MBps at the minimum. They’re perfect for customers who use plenty of wireless data. Both connection types share the monicker Pukaki Cirrus Unlimited.

You get unlimited wireless broadband data with the two plans. Also, they include a free consultation and site inspection and on-demand email support.

You need to contact MATnet for the prices of these plans.

Rural Internet

The Rural Internet connection type has four broadband speeds: 

• 5 MBps (a.k.a., Ruataniwha Stratus Data Plus)
• 10 MBps (or Ruataniwha Cumulus Data Plus)
• 20 MBps (also called Pukaki Altostratus 150 or Pukaki Altostratus Unlimited)
• 30 MBps (a.k.a., Pukaki Nimbus Unlimited)

Depending on the one you choose, you have four data package options:

• Pay as you go (applicable to 5 MBps and 10 MBps speeds)
• 100 GB (5 MBps and 10 MBps speed)
• 150 GB (20 MBps speed)
• Unlimited (10 MBps upwards)

At the time of writing, the Rural Internet plans' costs are as follows:

• 5 MBps / pay-as-you-go: $51.75 per month
• 5 MBps / 100 GB: $103.50 per month
• 10 MBps / pay-as-you-go: $57.50 per month 
• 10 MBps / 100 GB: $113.85 per month
• 10 MBps / Unlimited: $131.68 per month
• 20 MBps / 150 GB: $148.93 per month
• 20 MBps / Unlimited: $163.50 per month
• 30 MBps / Unlimited: $195 per month

You can add Static IP to any of the above connection types for $8.05 per month, while the email support add-on will cost you $6.90 per month.

Rural Business Users

 

The connection type for Rural Business Users follows a similar pattern to the Rural Internet one. However, its prices aren’t stated on MATnet’s site. You’ll need to contact the ISP for prices.

Note that all the above plans incur a one-time installation fee amounting to $379.50.

Campground Wi-Fi

Finally, MATnet offers five Campground Wi-Fi packages for campers vacationing at the Lake Benmore camping ground. They include:

• 1 GB Getaway: $2.50 for seven days 
• 5 GB Getaway: $10 for seven days 
• 10 GB Holiday: $15 for 14 days
• 20 GB Holiday: $25 for 14 days
• 50 GB Long Stay: $60 for 31 days

All plans provide up to 10 MBps in download speed. 

Final Verdict

MATnet isn’t the biggest ISP around. However, its size means it can focus on its customers and provide the best service in Mackenzie Basin. If you live around there, you might want to consider subscribing to one of its plans.

Also, it earns points for packages that provide wireless internet while camping. Despite its size, MATnet’s range of subscription prices and willingness to customise packages mean it has a fibre broadband plan for everyone.