Who really knows what they’re paying for? Telcos called out on transparency
Recent reports show that many New Zealanders are paying more than they should for phone and broadband services. Both the Consumer NZ and Commerce Commission’s 2025 mobile review and NZ Compare’s broadband research point to the same issue: a lack of transparency.
For mobile users, Spark, 2degrees and One NZ have all stalled on giving customers clear, useful information about their plans. The annual review found no improvement this year in helping people understand their data use, spending or switching options. We know Telcos hold detailed information about how we use data. It’s 2025 e hoa mā, we should have easy access to our own data, right? I mean, the scammers sure seem to know how to get our info.
2degrees’ new app now shows less information than before, Spark has paused its personalised “right-plan” tool and One NZ’s app limits customer usage history to just the current and previous month. Just have your compass ready, you’ll need to be a pretty tech-savvy captain to navigate those apps and find any data treasure chests buried deep in the drop-down oceans.
The picture is similar for broadband. NZ Compare found many broadband users don’t know the speed of their plan and many are paying for performance they just don’t need. A small household could comfortably use a 100 Mbps fibre connection, yet thousands of customers are on faster, more expensive plans that have no benefit.
Those who don’t regularly check or switch providers could be missing out on savings of up to $400–$500 a year. That’s enough to buy a BYOD device for a child starting high school, or a family laptop to use the Ministry of Education’s new Parent Portal. The portal, launched to give parents better access to what their tamariki are learning, depends on families having both devices and affordable internet. Without that, whānau risk being left out of the very system designed to include them.
Together, the report and research findings show how hard it still is for everyday consumers, especially our older, disabled, new migrant and low-income whānau, to make informed, confident choices about their connectivity.
For DECA, this is a clear digital equity issue. When people can see their usage and costs clearly, they can choose the right plan, save money and stay connected on their own terms.
