Rural Wireless Broadband Plan Terms / Offer Summary

Service Description

1. Rural Wireless Broadband connects your home to our network via a 4G wireless connection to your house.
   
2. Rural Wireless Broadband runs on the Spark mobile network.
3. We have six Rural Wireless Broadband packages:
   1. Rural Wireless Basic: This package comes with a landline and a phone number as well as your broadband. The landline connects you to the public phone network so you can make local, national, international and mobile calls from your Landline.
   2. Rural Wireless Lite: This is a standalone broadband only. You don't get a landline or phone number.
   3. Rural Wireless Basic + Antenna: This package comes with a landline, a phone number and antenna as well as your broadband. The landline connects you to the public phone network so you can make local, national, international and mobile calls from your Landline.
   4. Rural Wireless Lite + Antenna: This is a standalone broadband only. You don't get a landline or phone number, but you do get an antenna included.
   5. Rural Wireless Essential: This package includes 350GB of data, and is suitable for medium households who require more data.
   6. Rural Wireless Essential + Antenna: This package includes 350GB of data and an antenna, and is suitable for medium households who require more data.

4. Rural Wireless Broadband may be offered in certain areas within the Spark 4G coverage area. 4G coverage is not available everywhere. Spark does not guarantee that the service can be supplied at a particular location. Find out about our coverage

6. If you reach your monthly data cap, you will automatically receive 10GB of additional data for $10. This will be automatically charged to your account (unless you’ve set a spend cap to prevent extra charges).
   
7. Once you’ve used this 10GB, you can purchase up to five data extra(s) of 10GB of data for $10 through MySpark online. If you use all five data extras, you won’t be able to buy any more, and you will have to wait until your plan renews to get back online. Go to MySpark
8. If you are on a 350GB Rural Wireless plan, if you reach your monthly data cap you will automatically receive 50GB of additional data for $10. This will be automatically charged to your account (unless you've set a spend cap to prevent extra charges).
9. Once you've used this 50GB, you can purchase up to five data extra(s) of 50GB of data for $10 through MySpark online. If you use all five data extras, you won’t be able to buy any more, and you will have to wait until your plan renews to get back online. Go to MySpark

Set Up Charge

10. This plan requires a Spark wireless modem. If you signed up to your Rural Wireless Broadband before 16 November 2020, you had the choice of:
    • a 12-month contract and you received a free standard connection, and a modem; or
    • an open term, and you received a standard connection and modem to use, but you'll need to return the modem if you cancel your plan or a fee will apply. See further below.
      
11. If you sign up to Rural Wireless Broadband without an antenna from 16 November 2020, your plan doesn't include a modem. You can purchase one from Spark with a one-off payment for $150 or on Spark’s interest free payment term. Alternatively, you can choose to use an existing Spark wireless modem if you already have one.
12. A one-off $14.95 postage fee applies if we need to send you a new modem.

Find out about modem options

Find out about Spark's interest free payment options

Other Charges

13. You can add a landline to the following Rural Wireless Broadband plans for $10:
    • Rural Wireless Lite
    • Rural Wireless Lite + Antenna
    • Rural Wireless Essential
    • Rural Wireless Essential + Antenna

Find out more about Spark’s landline calling rates

14. If you order an antenna from us, an installation fee of $99 applies for a standard installation, or $199 for a complex installation. We’ll tell you which fee applies before you confirm that you wish to proceed. We’ll determine if it’s a standard or a complex installation at our sole discretion.
15. Please review the additional antenna information at the end of these Terms (see ‘Other Information’ section below).
16. A $43.50 reconnection fee applies if services are suspended for non-payment.

Performance

17. Broadband performance can be affected by many factors and the broadband speeds you experience could be different. For more information about this visit Understand broadband performance
18. View Independent information on broadband performance across different providers, plans and technologies

19. Your access type will be wireless. More information about access types and speeds can be found on the NZ Telecommunications Forum website.

Find out more about access types and speeds

Minimum Contract Period

20. If you signed up to Home Wireless Broadband before 16 November 2020, you had the choice of a 12-month term or an open term. If you sign up from 16 November 2020, you'll be on an open term where there is no minimum term.

Early Termination Fee

21. If you're on a 12-month contract, you'll need to pay a fee of $199 if you cancel the contract early. If you’re on an open term and you cancel your Rural Wireless Broadband before the end of any modem interest free term, you will need to pay the outstanding interest free payments when your plan ends. This is explained further in clauses 6.1 – 6.5 of our General Terms. 
22. If we supply you with an antenna and you terminate your Spark Wireless Broadband service within 24 months, you’ll be charged an early termination fee of $350. This replaces (and is not additional to) the early termination fee mentioned above.

24. You’ll need to give us 30 days’ notice to end your plan, as we’ve set out in our General Terms. 

25. If you purchase landline for your broadband plan, we require you to have your toll calling with Spark, in addition to your broadband and landline.

26. We manage traffic which may influence your broadband performance. This means we might have to pause, restrict, end or slow performance of your service if it’s necessary for us to protect our networks or manage traffic over our networks. See clause 6.6 of our General Terms for more details. 
27. As we’ve said above, you can buy extra data after you’ve used your allowance. However, if you need more than 50GB of data over and above your plan each month, we may end your service, or move you to a different plan or technology. Our General Terms set out what that means for you.

Fair Use

29. You need to use our services fairly – we’ve set out our rules on this at clause 2.6 of our General Terms.

30. Wireless modems are reliant on power. This means the landline and devices such as medical alarms or cordless phones won't work in the event of a power cut. So, it's important to have a mobile phone handy for emergencies. If you or someone at your place, don't have a means to contact 111 during a power cut and are at particular risk of needing to call 111, you can register as a Vulnerable Consumer. If your application is successful, we will provide you with a way to call 111 during a power cut, at no cost to you. You can apply by filling out an application form. Find out more about Vulnerable Consumers at www.spark.co.nz/vulnerable
31. If you have existing services you’re planning to use with your wireless broadband connection, you should check with the provider of those services to make sure they'll work. This could include medical alerts, monitored home alarms, and interactive features of Sky TV. Advise the provider of those services that your Rural Wireless service is delivered over wireless broadband (4G) technology to ensure their service is compatible with wireless technology.
    
32. If you want to make calls from a landline (including 111 calls), you'll need to sign up for Rural Wireless with a landline. Your landline will run over wireless. 
33. If you've ordered Rural Wireless Broadband with a landline, it's possible your existing landline will be disconnected for a few hours when your Rural Wireless Broadband connection is set up.

Disputes

37. Information about our disputes policy is available. View our disputes policy
38. Spark is a member of the Telecommunication Dispute Resolution (TDR) Scheme. Visit the TDR website

Other Information

40. By agreeing to an antenna installation, you understand we’ll send a technician to your property to install the external antenna. The antenna will connect to an internal modem inside your premises. You agree you own the property on which the installation is happening. If you don’t own the property, then you’ll need your landlord’s consent to complete the installation. You are responsible for obtaining all necessary consents.
41. The technician will perform checks to ensure there is adequate coverage at your property for Spark Wireless Broadband using an antenna and your building is suitable for an antenna. As every property is different, the technician will confirm work with you before going ahead. You have a right to proceed or not proceed with the installation. You won’t be charged an installation fee if you choose not to proceed, or if the technician decides that it won’t be possible to proceed.
42. If the installation can’t proceed, or you choose not to proceed, this may affect your ability to receive Spark’s Wireless Broadband service. Spark will decide this at our sole discretion. If we sent you a modem to be used with the antenna, and we can no longer offer you the Wireless Broadband service, you’ll need to return the modem to us. This will be at no cost to you and we’ll deactivate the SIM card in the modem. We’ll also discuss other options in getting broadband over alternative technologies.
43. Once the antenna’s installed, it becomes your property or your landlord’s property. Spark is not responsible for repairing or maintaining the antenna. If you interfere with the antenna and it stops working, then you’ll be responsible for the cost of repairs.