85,000 New Zealanders are turning to satellite broadband for enhanced internet connectivity

With the help of low Earth orbit (LEO) technology, rural New Zealand communities are accessing reliable internet speeds that increasingly rival those in urban areas, enabling better connections for work, school, telehealth, local business and everyday communication. While rural areas were once left unreached or underserved, modern broadband technology is bridging the gap.

Leading the charge in New Zealand’s case is Starlink, a space-based satellite network. After five years of implementation in New Zealand, Starlink is now rural New Zealand’s largest internet service provider, with a 27 percent share of the rural broadband market. The Commerce Commission, New Zealand’s primary competition, fair trading and economic regulatory agency, releases an annual telecommunications monitoring report, which now indicates that the total number of satellite broadband connections rose from 56,000 to 85,000 over the course of 2025. The majority of these connections were from rural residential connections. The 46 percent increase in New Zealand customers using Starlink demonstrates the ability of satellite internet in areas to fill the gaps that fiber and copper lines previously left underserved.

Describing the important role LEO satellites play in connecting rural communities in New Zealand, Telecommunications Commissioner Tristan Gilbertson said:                                                                                                                                                        

“Satellite technologies are changing the economics of rural service provision, creating new options for consumers and intensifying competition across the market. For the first time, rural consumers can access broadband speeds that rival the urban experience. Consumers are responding to those new options and making active choices about the services that best meet their needs.”

While New Zealand’s 2025 Telecommunications Monitoring Report underscores rural consumers are rapidly adopting Starlink’s satellite broadband to meet their needs, the larger story is LEO technology’s ability to strengthen local economies, expand digital access and enable modern connectivity across difficult terrain. More connectivity means more opportunity.

LEO technology is also making connectivity accessible for on-the-go New Zealanders. Beyond household broadband, satellite networks can support boats, campervans and direct-to-cell phone service. For rural New Zealand and other hard-to-reach areas, this adds a layer of resilience during emergencies, outages and natural disasters, especially for backpackers, hikers, and drivers traveling long stretches where cell service may be unavailable.

New Zealand is an illustration of how quickly rural communities can embrace satellite broadband that delivers faster, more reliable service.

New Zealanders have seen first-hand how LEO satellite broadband provides more opportunities for connectivity in hard-to-reach areas. This is why New Zealand has one of the highest uptakes of satellite broadband per capita.