Companies give free internet data

FRANCESCA LEE

Last updated 07:54 14/06/2012

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Christchurch internet users are happy with increased internet data allowances, but would prefer unlimited data.

Four major internet service providers, Telecom, Vodafone, Slingshot, and TelstraClear have recently increased their data allowances for residential customers.

Telecom doubled its allowance without increasing the cost this month. Vodafone gave its customers an extra 20 gigabytes for free, TelstraClear increased its data allowances last year and are reviewing them again, and Slingshot now offers unlimited data.

Christchurch law student Ryan Keen said he could use up to 180 gigabytes a month. His current Telecom plan gives him 120 gigabytes. While he was happy with the increase, he said unlimited data would be better.

''I've had unlimited broadband before, but Telecom took it away. The irony is I used less then because I wasn't worried about utilising all I had paid for.''

Greg, a postgraduate history student at Canterbury University, said he was happy about Telecom's increase.

''I used to use up my data allowance on a monthly basis, but then Telecom doubled my allowance,'' he said.

''I still tend to use the whole allowance but it doesn't throttle the feed if I go over.''

His allowance increased from 20 gigabytes to 40 gigabytes.

Telecom's chief marketing manager Jason Paris said increasing the data allowances would future proof internet users.

''We're conscious that the desire for data is only going to continue growing significantly thanks to ultra-fast broadband and more streaming services coming into play.''

Slingshot chief executive Mark Callander said the move towards larger data allowances and unlimited data was in response to an increasingly competitive market.

''Much more bandwidth is being used,'' he said.

''Customers increase their internet usage by 50 per cent each year fairly consistently.

''There are more devices in the house. Smartphones and iPads all plug into the home wifi. There's much more bandwidth being used, with YouTube and Facebook integrated screen cam and video cam, and there's a lot more video than before.''