Offer Summary
Lightwire Rural Wireless Internet
Fast reliable rural internet is in reach. Here’s what’s on offer.
Table of Contents
Service Description
Lightwire Rural Internet is a fixed wireless internet service that provides an internet connection to your home or business via our network of rural wireless internet sites (towers) located across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions of New Zealand.
We have three standard data plans (150GB, 300GB, and unlimited), as well as the option to add a phone line with unlimited calls to New Zealand and Australian landlines and mobile numbers.
We also offer three Lightwire Rural Extensions services (On-farm Extension, Coverage Extension and Solar Extension).
Availability
Lightwire rural wireless Internet towers are located across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty. To get connected with Lightwire, your property needs line of sight to a Lightwire tower and within reasonable distance (max. 20KM). A Lightwire Field Technician will verify onsite if line of sight to a tower is sufficient to achieve an internet connection for the property before proceeding with the installation.
If the Lightwire Field Technician cannot approve sufficient line of sight from your property and the connection cannot proceed, there are no charges to the customer, or further obligations from the customer.
If your property does not have line of sight to a Lightwire tower a Solar Extension or Coverage Extension service can be considered.
Installation
Details about the Lightwire installation process can be found here Lightwire Rural Wireless Installation. The following equipment is installed at the customer’s address to provide a Lightwire Rural Internet connection:
- A wifi-enabled router
- A PoE injector
- A CPE (radio)
- Cabling from the CPE to the router
This equipment is loaned by Lightwire to the customer and must stay with the property, including if the customer moves out. If the customer causes damage to the equipment, a replacement fee may be incurred.
Contract Terms
Lightwire offers two standard contract options:
- 12 months contract/minimum term – free installation
- 6 months contract/minimum term – $490 installation fee (including GST)
The contract term begins from the date the internet connection is activated for the customer.
Service Charges
| Data | Monthly Charges |
| 150GB | $95 (inc. GST) |
| Unlimited (24 month term) | $139 (inc. GST) |
| Unlimited (12 month term) | $155 (inc. GST) |
Lightwire Rural Customers may also add a Phoneline as VoIP (voice over internet protocol). The cost of this service is $19.95 per month
Speed guarantee
During off-peak periods we commit to providing a minimum download speed of 20Mbps, and during peak times we commit to providing a minimum download speed of 10Mbps.
On-peak is defined as 3 pm through to 10pm, essentially the period when the kids are home, the family is streaming Netflix and/or various other options, and the internet connection is getting a fairly good hit out.
Your speed guarantee means that any experience that falls short of this promise justifies the lodgment of a support case.
If an issue exists, we will ask you to measure the download speed from your Lightwire supplied router, ideally via a device connected to it via ethernet. If this is not possible, a portable device connected via wireless and positioned in close proximity to the router is the next best option.
Our support team will work with you to isolate any potential complicating factors such as WiFi coverage or 3rd party equipment from the mix so that we can focus on the performance of your connection. Our support team will ask you to run speed tests to our server and will look at a range of other diagnostic reports to resolve the issue.
In very (very) rare occasions, due to 3rd party interference for example, we may not be able to get your speeds to where we want them to be, but in such cases, we will not apply any early termination charges if you are in contract and choose to cancel your service. We can’t always control speed outcomes, but if that’s the case, we will take it on the chin.
Fixed Price Guarantee
Inflation is going up, but the price of our plans won’t. Sign up with us and rest easy knowing that we won’t be changing the price of your plan for the period of your initial contract term with us.
Additional Data Charges
If you reach your monthly data cap, you will automatically receive extra data (as used) in 1GB increments, at the rate of $0.50 per 1GB. Any data overage charges will be added to your next invoice issued on the first day of the next month.
Changing Data Plans
Lightwire customers may change their data plans without the need for contract renewal. A customer’s data plan (e.g. 150GB for $95 a month) can be increased at any time. However, data plans can be decreased only one time within the calendar month, and the plan change will take effect from the 1st day of the next month.
Account information
Lightwire invoices are sent via email on the first working day of the month, which are to be paid on or before the 20th of the same month. The customer’s first invoice will contain the following:
- Part-charge for the month in which you were connected
- One month in advance
- Installation fee (if applicable)
The following payment methods are accepted:
- Direct Debit: Request a direct debit form at https://account.lightwire.co.nz
- Credit Card: We can automatically bill your VISA or MasterCard when your invoice is due. Add you credit card to your account at https://account.lightwire.co.nz or phone our friendly HelpDesk team on 0800 12 13 14
- Online Banking / Direct Credit: Make your payment to Lightwire Limited, BNZ Bank 02-0316-0454455-01. Use your customer ID as the Reference
A late payment fee is charged on all accounts with an overdue balance.
Disconnections
If the customer wishes to disconnect, they must provide Lightwire with 30 days notice by phone call or by email. Their connection will be disconnected on the last day of the month. If the active Lightwire customer wants to disconnect before the end of their minimum term, then the contract is broken, and an early termination charge (ETC) will apply. The ETC is calculated as follows:
- Monthly plan charge multiplied by full billing months left in contract with a cap of $790 incl. GST
The early termination fees exist to help us to recover the setup costs we incur from installing a connection at your property.
If the customer signs up to a plan, but the installation is not successful, no early termination fees apply.
Moving address
If the customer is moving out of the address with an active Lightwire connection, they must provide Lightwire with 30 days notice by phone call or by email. The hardware installed by Lightwire for the Lightwire Rural Internet connection (including the router) must stay with the property, even if the customer is moving out.
There is no moving fee for existing customers who have fulfilled their contract term, but renewal of their contract term (12 months with free install or 6 months with $490 install) applies for the new connection at the new property. If the contract term has not yet been fulfilled, then a relocation fee of $490, as well as a contract renewal, will apply.
If the customer is not reconnecting with Lightwire at the new address, and the 6 or 12 month contract is not yet fulfilled for their connection at the address they are moving out of, an early termination fee will apply (see Early Termination Fees above).
Terms & Conditions
The service details outlined in this Offer Summary are for Lightwire Rural Wireless. Standard Lightwire Terms & Conditions are available at: https://www.lightwire.co.nz/terms-and-conditions.
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