New Zealand
Opensignal is the independent global standard for analyzing consumers' connectivity experiences. Our industry reports are the definitive guide to understanding what happens when people use their mobile and broadband connections in their daily life.
New Zealand
Opensignal is the independent global standard for analyzing consumers' connectivity experiences. Our industry reports are the definitive guide to understanding what happens when people use their mobile and broadband connections in their daily life.
Key Findings
Spark users see the fastest average overall download speeds
Spark is the outright winner of the Download Speed Experience award, replacing One NZ. Spark wins with a score of 44.9Mbps, and a lead of around 5.6Mbps, as 2degrees and One NZ share second place with statistically tied scores of 38.8-39.8Mbps. Spark’s victory was made possible by a 5.1Mbps increase in its score, coupled with a 3.8Mbps drop in One NZ’s. Our 2degrees users’ average overall download speeds have increased by 5.9Mbps compared to the last report.
2degrees users have the best 5G experience in New Zealand
2degrees wins all five 5G experience awards outright — 5G Video Experience, 5G Live Video Experience, 5G Games Experience, 5G Download Speed and 5G Upload Speed. However, 2degrees comes last for 5G Coverage Experience, so while our 2degrees users have the best experience when connected to 5G on average, they experience 5G in less locations than those on Spark or One NZ.
Spark comes top for Coverage Experience
Spark is the first Kiwi operator to win the Coverage Experience award — it does so with a score of 8.8 points on a 10-point scale, giving it a lead of 1.2 points over second-placed One NZ’s 7.6 points. 2degrees is in last place with 7.3 points. Coverage Experience measures the geographic coverage of populated areas from users on 2G, 3G, 4G, & 5G connections. It therefore represents the experience users receive as they travel around areas where they would reasonably expect to find coverage.
2degrees users have the best video streaming experience
2degrees is the outright winner of all four of Opensignal’s awards for the experience of our users when streaming video on mobile devices. The operator wins Video Experience and 5G Video Experience — which analyze users’ experience with on-demand video streams, across all generations of mobile technology and when connected to 5G, respectively. It also comes top for Live Video Experience and 5G Live Video Experience, which quantify the quality of real-time video streamed to mobile devices by measuring video streams over an operator's networks. They assess a number of technical parameters, including picture quality, video loading time, stall rate and live playback offset — the lag between the live event taking place and the viewer seeing it unfold on their device.
One NZ wins the 5G Coverage Experience award outright
One NZ comes top for the new 5G Coverage Experience award with a score of 2.53 points on a 10-point scale. It very narrowly beats Spark, given the latter’s score of 2.47 points. However, both operators are well ahead of 2degrees, as it places last with a score of 0.88 points. 5G Coverage Experience measures the geographic coverage of populated areas from 5G users on 5G connections only.
Mobile Experience Awards
Market Overview
2degrees once again picks up the most Opensignal awards for the mobile experience of our users in New Zealand. It wins all five 5G experience awards outright, while also being the sole winner for Video Experience, Live Video Experience and Upload Speed Experience. It is also a joint winner across four other categories, but places last for both coverage experience metrics. It recently launched 5G services in Nelson, Oamaru, Greymouth, Gore and Masterton and is planning to extend its 5G network to cover 50 towns by mid-2024. 2degrees announced back in July 2023 that will switch off its 3G network in late 2025.
One NZ is the outright winner of the 5G Coverage Experience award and is a joint winner across three categories. It shares the top spot alongside 2degrees for Games Experience, 5G Availability and Consistent Quality — which replaces the Excellent Consistent Quality and Core Consistent Quality awards. The operator announced in July 2023 that it has adjusted its 5G network to take advantage of the 3.5GHz spectrum that it had obtained from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).
Spark is the outright winner of the Download Speed Experience and Coverage Experience awards. The operator started deploying its 5G standalone access network in July 2023 — a move that will eventually enable network slicing and multi-access edge computing capabilities, which can be used to support demanding real-time applications.
This is the first report in which we have included Opensignal’s new coverage experience metrics — Coverage Experience and 5G Coverage Experience. These measure the geographic coverage of populated areas. Additionally, we have added two awards for the experience of our users when streaming real-time video — Live Video Experience and 5G Live Video Experience.
In this report, we’ve analyzed the national mobile network experience provided by New Zealand’s three operators — One NZ (formerly Vodafone), Spark and 2degrees — in the 90 days starting on July 1, 2023, and ending on September 28, 2023.
Overall Experience
National Analysis
2degrees wins the Video Experience award outright for the second report in a row. It wins this time around with a score of 66.1 points on a 100-point scale, while One NZ and Spark share second place with statistically tied scores of 62.5-62.7 points. All three operators remain in the Good (58-68) category. This means that our Kiwi users are, on average, able to stream video at 720p or better with satisfactory loading times and little stalling.
Definitions
Opensignal’s Video Experience quantifies the quality of video streamed to mobile devices by measuring real-world video streams over an operator's networks. The metric is based on an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach, built upon detailed studies which have derived a relationship between technical parameters, including picture quality, video loading time and stall rate, with the perceived video experience as reported by real people. To calculate video experience, we are directly measuring video streams from end-user devices and using this ITU approach to quantify the overall video experience for each operator on a scale from 0 to 100. The videos tested include a mixture of resolutions — including Full HD (FHD) and 4K / Ultra HD (UHD) — and are streamed directly from the world’s largest video content providers.
In addition to Video Experience, we report on the following metrics related to video experience:
- 5G Video Experience: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users when they were connected to an operator’s 5G network.
- Video Experience – 5G Users: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator's networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G video experience along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Video Experience: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 4G network.
- 3G Video Experience: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users on an operator’s 3G network.
National Analysis
The first operator in New Zealand to win the Live Video Experience award is 2degrees. It comes top with a score of 58.6 points on a 100-point scale, giving it a lead of 3.1 points over One NZ’s 55.5 points. Spark is in last place with 51.7 points.
Definitions
Opensignal’s Live Video Experience quantifies the quality of real-time video streamed to mobile devices by measuring video streams over an operator's network. The metric extends the existing International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach used for Opensignal's on-demand Video Experience metric, built upon detailed studies which have derived a relationship between technical parameters, including live playback offset, picture quality, video loading time and stall rate, with the perceived live video experience as reported by real people. To calculate live video experience, we are directly measuring live video streams from end-user devices and using this extension of ITU's approach to quantify the overall live video experience for each operator on a scale from 0 to 100. The videos tested include a mixture of resolutions and are streamed directly from the world’s largest video content providers.
National Analysis
2degrees and One NZ remain locked in a statistical tie for the Games Experience award. This time they share it with scores of 72.9-73.1 points on a 100-point scale, while Spark brings up the rear with 68.1 points.
The country’s three national operators continue to place in the Fair (65-75) category. This indicates that users find the experience to be ‘average’. In most cases the game is responsive to the actions of the player with most users reporting that they feel like they have control over the game. The majority of players report that they notice a delay between their actions and the outcomes in the game.
Definitions
Opensignal’s Games Experience measures how mobile users experience real-time multiplayer mobile gaming on an operator’s network. Measured on a scale of 0-100, it analyzes how our users’ multiplayer mobile gaming experience is affected by mobile network conditions including latency, packet loss and jitter.
Games Experience quantifies the experience when playing real-time multiplayer mobile games on mobile devices connected to servers located around the world. The approach is built on several years of research quantifying the relationship between technical network parameters and the gaming experience as reported by real mobile users. These parameters include latency (round trip time), jitter (variability of latency) and packet loss (the proportion of data packets that never reach their destination). Additionally, it considers multiple genres of multiplayer mobile games to measure the average sensitivity to network conditions. The games tested include some of the most popular real-time multiplayer mobile games (such as Fortnite, Pro Evolution Soccer and Arena of Valor) played around the world.
Calculating Games Experience starts with measuring the end-to-end experience from users’ devices to internet end-points that host real games. The score is then measured on a scale from 0 to 100.
In addition to Games Experience, we report on the following metrics related to games experience:
- 5G Games Experience: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users when they were connected to an operator’s 5G network.
- Games Experience – 5G Users: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator's networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G games experience along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Games Experience: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 4G network.
- 3G Games Experience: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO) network.
National Analysis
In a change from the previous report, our Spark users now observe the fastest average overall speeds in New Zealand. Spark replaces One NZ as the outright winner of the Download Speed Experience award. Spark comes top with a score of 44.9Mbps, while 2degrees and One NZ share second place with statistically tied scores of 38.8-39.8Mbps. Spark’s score has risen by 5.1Mbps from the previous report, while One NZ’s dropped by 3.8Mbps. Our 2degrees users’ average overall download speeds have increased by 5.9Mbps.
Definitions
Measured in Mbps, Download Speed Experience represents the typical everyday speeds a user experiences across an operator’s mobile data networks.
In addition to Download Speed Experience, we report on the following metrics related to download speeds:
- 5G Download Speed: The average download speed observed by Opensignal users with active 5G connections.
- Download Speed Experience – 5G Users: The average download speeds experienced by Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator’s networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G download speeds along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Download Speed: The average downlink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 4G.
- 3G Download Speed: The average downlink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO).
National Analysis
2degrees continues to come top for Upload Speed Experience, once again winning the award outright. Our 2degrees users observe average overall upload speeds of 11.8Mbps, while One NZ remains in second place with 8.9Mbps. Spark continues to bring up the rear, this time with a score of 8Mbps.
Definitions
Upload Speed Experience measures the average upload speeds for each operator observed by our users across their mobile data networks. Typically upload speeds are slower than download speeds, as current mobile broadband technologies focus resources on providing the best possible download speed for users consuming content on their devices. As mobile internet trends move away from downloading content to creating content and supporting real-time communications services, upload speeds are becoming more vital and new technologies are emerging that boost upstream capacity.
In addition to Upload Speed Experience, we report on five supporting metrics related to upload speeds:
- 5G Upload Speed: The average upload speed observed by Opensignal users with active 5G connections.
- Upload Speed Experience – 5G Users: The average upload speeds experienced by Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator’s networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G upload speeds along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Upload Speed: The average uplink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 4G.
- 3G Upload Speed: The average uplink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO).
5G Experience
National Analysis
2degrees is the outright winner of the 5G Video Experience award for the second time in a row. It comes top this time around with a score of 76.3 points on a 100-point scale, giving it a lead of 3.3 points over second-placed Spark. One NZ is in last place with 70 points.
However, all three operators continue to place in the Very Good (68-78) category. This means that our users are, on average, able to stream video at 1080p or better with satisfactory loading times and little stalling when connected to 5G.
Definitions
5G Video Experience quantifies the quality of mobile video experienced by Opensignal users on real-world video streams when they were connected to 5G. The metric is based on an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach, built upon detailed studies which have derived a relationship between technical parameters, including picture quality, video loading time and stall rate, with the perceived video experience as reported by real people. To calculate 5G Video Experience, we are directly measuring video streams from end-user devices and using this ITU approach to quantify the video experience observed by our users on each operator’s 5G network on a scale from 0 to 100. The videos tested include a mixture of resolutions — including Full HD (FHD) and 4K / Ultra HD (UHD) — and are streamed directly from the world’s largest video content providers.
National Analysis
2degrees wins the new 5G Live Video Experience award with a score of 69.1 points on a 100-point scale. One NZ and Spark are statistically tied for last place with scores of 63.6-64.3 points.
Definitions
Opensignal’s Live Video Experience quantifies the quality of real-time video streamed to mobile devices by measuring video streams over an operator's network. The metric extends the existing International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach used for Opensignal's on-demand Video Experience metric, built upon detailed studies which have derived a relationship between technical parameters, including live playback offset, picture quality, video loading time and stall rate, with the perceived live video experience as reported by real people. To calculate live video experience, we are directly measuring live video streams from end-user devices and using this extension of ITU's approach to quantify the overall live video experience for each operator on a scale from 0 to 100. The videos tested include a mixture of resolutions and are streamed directly from the world’s largest video content providers.
5G Live Video Experience quantifies the quality of mobile video experienced by Opensignal users on real-world live video streams when they were connected to 5G.
National Analysis
Our 2degrees users have the best available experience in New Zealand when playing multiplayer mobile games over 5G connections. This is the second report in a row in which 2degrees is the outright winner of the 5G Games Experience award. This time around, 2degrees wins with a score of 86.3 points on a 100-point scale, while One NZ and Spark share last place with statistically tied scores of 79.4-79.9 points, around 6.7 points behind the winner.
As was the case in the previous report, 2degrees places in the Excellent (85 or above) category for 5G Games Experience, while One NZ and Spark place one category lower — Good (75-85). An Excellent rating means that the vast majority of our users deem this network experience acceptable. Nearly all of them feel like they have control over the game and they receive immediate feedback on their actions. There is not a noticeable delay in almost all cases.
Definitions
5G Games Experience measures how mobile users experience real-time multiplayer mobile gaming on an operator's 5G network. It analyzes how our users’ multiplayer mobile gaming experience was affected by mobile network conditions including latency, packet loss and jitter. 5G Games Experience for each operator is calculated on a scale from 0 to 100.
5G Games Experience quantifies the experience when playing real-time multiplayer mobile games on mobile devices connected to servers located around the world. The approach is built on several years of research quantifying the relationship between technical network parameters and the gaming experience as reported by real mobile users. These parameters include latency (round trip time), jitter (variability of latency) and packet loss (the proportion of data packets that never reach their destination). Additionally, it considers multiple genres of multiplayer mobile games to measure the average sensitivity to network conditions. The games tested include some of the most popular real-time multiplayer mobile games (such as Fortnite, Pro Evolution Soccer and Arena of Valor) played around the world. Calculating 5G Games Experience starts with measuring the end-to-end experience from users’ devices to internet end-points that host real games.
National Analysis
2degrees is the new outright winner of the 5G Download Speed award — and by an impressive margin. It has gone from statistically tying with One NZ in the previous report with scores of 258.4-269Mbps, to winning alone with a score of 311.3Mbps and a lead of 80.8Mbps over second-placed Spark. This change in winner was partly driven by a 42.2Mbps increase in the average 5G download speeds seen by our 2degrees users.
Definitions
5G Download Speed shows the average download speed experienced by Opensignal users across an operator’s 5G network. 5G Download Speed for each operator is calculated in Mbps (Megabits per second).
National Analysis
For the third report in a row — and ever since we began reporting on the 5G experience of our users on its network — 2degrees is the outright winner of the 5G Upload Speed award. It comes top this time around with a score of 33.4Mbps, while One NZ and Spark are far behind with statistically tied scores of 19.8-19.9Mbps.
Definitions
5G Upload Speed measures the average upload speeds experienced by Opensignal users across an operator’s 5G network. 5G Upload Speed for each operator is calculated in Mbps (Megabits per second).
Coverage
2degrees
One NZ
Spark
National Analysis
Spark wins the new Coverage Experience award outright with a score of 8.8 points on a 10-point scale, giving it a lead of 1.2 points over second-placed One NZ’s 7.6 points. 2degrees is in last place with 7.3 points.
Definitions
The Opensignal Coverage Experience metric measures the extent of mobile networks in the places people live, work and travel. The metric represents the experience users receive as they travel around areas where they would reasonably expect to find coverage.
Traditional coverage metrics typically estimate either a percentage of land area covered, or a percentage of population covered; often neither will be an accurate measurement of the true user expectation and experience. In many markets there are areas where neither population density nor geographic area reflect the importance of coverage to users. For example, in a large mountain range most users will not expect coverage in the wilderness, but poor coverage in the relatively small area of a ski resort is critical for the enjoyment of a holiday. Estimates based purely on population give undue significance to coverage in the most densely populated areas.
Coverage Experience measures geographic coverage of populated areas and therefore more accurately reflects the coverage expectations and experience of typical users. It can give a result that is somewhat different to traditional estimates based on either geographic or population measures. The metric uses a scale from 0 to 10.
Map Definition
The coverage maps show the locations where we received measurements from users connecting with 3G or better mobile service. Each map provides an indication of the areas in which it is possible to obtain mobile service from that mobile operator.
National Analysis
One NZ is the outright winner of Opensignal’s new 5G Coverage Experience award. It comes top with a score of 2.53 points on a 10-point scale, very narrowly beating Spark’s score of 2.47 points. 2degrees places last with 0.88 points.
While Opensignal normally reports its metrics to one decimal place, in the rare instances with the coverage experience metrics where two operators share the same scores to one decimal place, we show them to two decimal places instead.
Definitions
The Opensignal Coverage Experience metric measures the extent of mobile networks in the places people live, work and travel. The metric represents the experience users receive as they travel around areas where they would reasonably expect to find coverage.
Traditional coverage metrics typically estimate either a percentage of land area covered, or a percentage of population covered; often neither will be an accurate measurement of the true user expectation and experience. In many markets there are areas where neither population density nor geographic area reflect the importance of coverage to users. For example, in a large mountain range most users will not expect coverage in the wilderness, but poor coverage in the relatively small area of a ski resort is critical for the enjoyment of a holiday. Estimates based purely on population give undue significance to coverage in the most densely populated areas.
Coverage Experience measures geographic coverage of populated areas and therefore more accurately reflects the coverage expectations and experience of typical users. It can give a result that is somewhat different to traditional estimates based on either geographic or population measures. The metric uses a scale from 0 to 10.
5G Coverage Experience shows the proportion of places Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription had an active 5G connection.
Map Definition
The coverage maps show the locations where we received measurements from users connecting with 3G or better mobile service. Each map provides an indication of the areas in which it is possible to obtain mobile service from that mobile operator.
National Analysis
As was the case in the previous report, 2degrees and Spark share the Availability award. They do so this time around with statistically tied scores of 99.1-99.2%. One NZ is in last place with 98.6%, despite its score increasing by 0.5 percentage points from the previous report.
Definitions
Our availability metrics are not a measure of a network’s geographical extent. They won’t tell you whether you are likely to get a signal if you plan to visit a remote rural or nearly uninhabited region. Instead, they measure what proportion of time people have a network connection, in the places they most commonly frequent — something often missed by traditional coverage metrics. Looking at when users have a connection rather than where, provides us with a more precise reflection of the true user experience.
We also keep track of the instances that leave mobile users most frustrated: when there is no signal to connect to at all. The most common dead zones users struggle with occur indoors. As most of our availability data is collected indoors (as that’s where users spend most of their time), we’re particularly astute at detecting areas of zero signal.
Our availability metrics take a user-centric, time-based approach that complements the user-centric and geographical-based methodology used by our reach metrics.
Availability shows the proportion of time all Opensignal users on an operator’s network had either a 3G, 4G or 5G connection.
Map Definition
The coverage maps show the locations where we received measurements from users connecting with 3G or better mobile service. Each map provides an indication of the areas in which it is possible to obtain mobile service from that mobile operator.
National Analysis
2degrees and One NZ share the 5G Availability award with statistically tied scores of 7.6-7.7% — the proportion of time that our 2degrees and One NZ 5G users spend with an active 5G connection. Spark is in last place with 5.5%. This is a change from the previous report when all three operators were on the winners’ podium. 2degrees’ score has risen by 1.9 percentage points from the previous report, while the other operators’ scores are statistically unchanged.
Definitions
Our availability metrics are not a measure of a network’s geographical extent. They won’t tell you whether you are likely to get a signal if you plan to visit a remote rural or nearly uninhabited region. Instead, they measure what proportion of time people have a network connection, in the places they most commonly frequent — something often missed by traditional coverage metrics. Looking at when users have a connection rather than where, provides us with a more precise reflection of the true user experience.
We also keep track of the instances that leave mobile users most frustrated: when there is no signal to connect to at all. The most common dead zones users struggle with occur indoors. As most of our availability data is collected indoors (as that’s where users spend most of their time), we’re particularly astute at detecting areas of zero signal.
Our availability metrics take a user-centric, time-based approach that complements the user-centric and geographical-based methodology used by our reach metrics.
5G Availability shows the proportion of time Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription had an active 5G connection.
Map Definition
The coverage maps show the locations where we received measurements from users connecting with 3G or better mobile service. Each map provides an indication of the areas in which it is possible to obtain mobile service from that mobile operator.
Consistency
National Analysis
2degrees and One NZ share the Consistent Quality award with statistically tied scores of 69.2-69.6%. Spark is in last place with 68.2%.
Definitions
Consistent Quality measures if the network is sufficient to support common mobile application requirements at a level that is ‘good enough’ for users to maintain (or complete) various typical tasks on their devices.
We combine different experience indicators such as download speed, upload speed, latency, jitter, packet discard, and time to first byte to calculate Consistent Quality. These components are evaluated against thresholds recommended by various more demanding common applications used for a range of common tasks.
To calculate the metric value, the proportion of tests that pass the requirements of Consistent Quality is multiplied by the test success ratio, which is the proportion of completed tests to all tests conducted. Tests that pass indicate that activities such as video calling, uploading an image to social media, or using smart home applications will be possible without noticeable lag or slowdown.
Related Analysis
Our Methodology
Collecting billions of individual measurements daily from over 100 million devices globally, Opensignal independently analyzes mobile and broadband user experience on every major network operator around the globe.
About Opensignal
Opensignal is the leading global provider of independent insights into consumers' connectivity experiences and choice of carrier. Our proprietary insights into mobile and broadband networks give operators the solutions they need to profitably compete and win, from executive level scorecards and public validation to pin-point level engineering analytics and consumer decision dynamics.
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Confidence Intervals
For every metric we calculate statistical confidence intervals indicated on our graphs. When confidence intervals overlap, our measured results are too close to declare a winner. In those cases, we show a statistical draw. For this reason, some metrics have multiple operator winners.
In our bar graphs we represent confidence intervals as boundaries on either sides of graph bars.
In our supporting-metric charts we show confidence intervals as +/- numerical values.
Why confidence intervals are vital in analyzing mobile network experience