Hibiscus Coast locals are being encouraged to review their mobile plans, as a new report highlights room for improvement among New Zealand’s leading mobile providers.

Spark, One NZ, and 2degrees have been assessed by Consumer NZ and the Commerce Commission for their efforts in empowering customers to make informed decisions about their mobile plans.

The annual assessment revealed varied performance across the three providers, with each capable of doing more to assist customers in choosing the most suitable plans.

Telecommunications Commissioner Tristan Gilbertson emphasised the importance of transparency, saying, “Mobile providers know a lot about their customers – from how much they talk on the phone to the amount of data they use each month and what this all costs. At a minimum, consumers should be able to easily access this information to make informed choices.”

Consumer NZ developed criteria to evaluate the providers’ mobile apps and annual email summaries, focusing on the quality and accessibility of information and whether customers were encouraged to explore alternative plans.

Provider Ratings:

Spark

Scored 80% overall, excelling in personalised recommendations through its “Made for You Review” feature, which uses AI to analyse customer usage patterns.

However, the feature only reviews six months of data and lacks detailed spending insights.

2degrees

Achieved an overall score of 79%, leading in app transparency by clearly showing usage and spending.

However, it does not offer personalised plan recommendations.

One NZ

Scored 67%, falling short on data access with its app limited to two-to-three months of information.

It provides plan suggestions only for customers with very low usage.

The findings come amid Consumer NZ’s push for “right-planning,” where mobile providers proactively suggest the best plan based on customer usage.

Nick Gelling, Consumer product test writer, noted, “The data is already there – telcos just need to use it to help their customers make better decisions.”

With 60% of New Zealanders remaining with the same provider for over five years, Consumer and the Commission recommend that customers review their mobile plans annually to ensure they are not overpaying.

“We hope to see all telcos take the next step in offering greater transparency and right-planning,” said Mr Gilbertson, adding that such efforts could save consumers money and improve overall satisfaction.