Kiwis are great innovators, powered by transformative modern technology, which allows us to live life on the run, working at work, working from home or, if we’re lucky, chilling out at the beach or the bach.
If you need, or simply just want the peace of mind of being connected around New Zealand, Spark’s Portable Broadband offering is a good option because it aims to resolve problems such as having to hot-spot from your mobile phone (which drains the battery swiftly) or trying to get onto a congested Wi-Fi connection at a camping ground.
When the first nationwide pandemic lockdown in 2020 was suddenly announced – practically out of the blue, employers were quick to see the advantages of setting their workers up remotely, says Chris Dunn, Product Marketing Manager at Spark.
“Some businesses purchased Portable Broadband for a second connection as back-up for those staff who were having to learn to work remotely.”
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Although more people are slowly returning to their workplaces, he says they value having a back-up connection at home and enjoy the freedom of being able to take it with them.
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“We did lots of surveys prior to launching Portable Broadband and discovered that there really was a great desire for broadband that can go with you on holiday to a range of places, or with you if you’re working on the road.
“Given Portable Broadband would often be a secondary connection and therefore not always in use, we came up with a pricing structure where you can use up to 40GB for $49.99, but on months when it’s not in use, or your usage is light: up to 1GB, the base rental charge is just $14.99. Modem costs may also apply.”*
Dunn says that Spark has removed its geo-lock, so that customers can easily move their broadband around the country to areas with Spark 4G wireless broadband coverage.
“Our Portable Broadband plan offers less data than a standard unlimited plan to avoid putting additional pressure on our network at peak times – especially in summer hotspots like Coromandel.”
Photo / Getty Images.
He adds that parents have told him having a cap on data actually works well because they don’t want their children to spend holiday times streaming endless movies when they could be enjoying outdoor activities.
Sometimes life is unpredictable and if you’re away for work or on holiday and circumstances see you unexpectedly using your 40GB allocation before the end of the month, additional data can be purchased through the Spark app.
Chris Dunn says that the future looks bright for Portable Broadband as the company rolls out its much-anticipated new 5G network across New Zealand.
How does it work?
You will need a Spark Wireless Modem and mains power connection in a Spark 4G wireless coverage area.
Power up your modem
Plug your modem into power using the black cable. The light will change from red to blue to show that you’re connected.
Connect to WiFi
Go on your computer, tablet or mobile to find the list of available WiFi networks. Next, select the Spark WiFi network SPARK-XXXX. It’s printed on the bottom of the modem along with the WiFi key.
* Spark wireless modems costs $106.20 if required or available on IFP. You can only use Portable Broadband where Spark has 4G wireless broadband coverage – not available everywhere.
