An annual review by New Zealand’s Commerce Commission and Consumer NZ revealed improvements in giving customers relevant data to select appropriate mobile plans had stalled and in some cases backtracked.

The Mobile Retail Service Provider Transparency Review found no across-the-board improvements for the first time since it was initiated in 2022, said Nick Gelling, product test writer at Consumer NZ.

He insisted operators know exactly what their customers use and spend, and should not make it difficult for consumers to access this information.

Telecommunications Commissioner Tristan Gilbertson said “we hope this is a one-off dip” by mobile operators, but added it is concerned enough to consider issuing guidelines to industry.

Gilbertson said it is disappointing historic leader 2degrees had fallen to the bottom and Spark is planning to move away from its “right-planning initiative”, which the commission praised in 2024.

A new 2degrees app displays only daily usage data instead of the monthly view offered previously.

“These changes feel like a step in the wrong direction, knowing how much you’re spending or using over time is much more useful when choosing a plan than knowing what you’re spending on any given day,” Gelling said.

In another backward step, Gelling noted Spark’s new summaries do not include historical information.

Spark introduced a personalised recommendation advising customers to stay on their current plan or switch to another better suited to their usage patterns in 2024.

The review showed One NZ still has the most comprehensive annual summary email, which includes details of other plans.