No matter where your summer plans take you, One NZ has connectivity options to allow you to keep in touch, stay productive and enjoy the best things our country has to offer.

A sustained infrastructure spending programme has allowed One NZ to extend and improve coverage around the country, with innovations aiming to remove dead zones entirely.

Here are ways One NZ customers around the country have been getting online and staying connected this summer.

Coverage where 99% of Kiwis live

Underpinning One NZ’s national network are around 2,000 mobile base stations and an additional 500 access points it has deployed in partnership with other mobile players as part of the Rural Connectivity Group.

The extensive network of base stations offers 4G coverage to 99% of the population, with 5G providing superior transfer speeds and functionality to 53% of the population and coverage set to rapidly expand. One NZ will shut down its legacy 2G and 3G networks from December 2025, allowing it to focus on its other high-performance and more energy-efficient networks.

“A big focus has been preparing for the 2G and 3G switch off so that we can retire these legacy technologies and customers don’t experience any service loss,” says Thaigan Govender, General Manager of Mobile Network at One NZ.

Not only is One NZ’s network footprint extensive, but its mobile service is also leading the market according to independent testing by Umlaut, a unit of global consulting firm Accenture. Independent benchmarking of One NZ’s mobile network performance against competitors resulted in it being awarded the Best in Test Mobile Network by Umlaut in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

“In the latest benchmark conducted in May last year, we had a clean sweep with the best data network, best voice network, the best network for app-based experiences and the best in terms of reliability,” says Govender.

That network also serves up wireless broadband, which allows customers equipped with a

Smart Wifi modem access to unlimited data plans and high-speed internet access over 4G, or 5G where available. Whether you are learning, streaming TV shows or running your business, wireless broadband is a great option, particularly in areas beyond the reach of ultrafast fibre broadband.

Wired for speed

With over 11,000 kilometres of fibre optic cables traversing its network, and partnerships with other companies to deliver fibre-based broadband and phone services to households and businesses, One NZ also offers fast internet access in cities and towns the length of the country.

Call in the COWs

If you’ve visited a holiday hotspot or got into the groove at a music festival this summer, you may have come across a One NZ Cell on Wheels (COW). One NZ had COWs deployed all over the country, from Rhythm & Vines in Gisborne to Auckland’s Christmas in the Park concert, and Coromandel’s favourite New Year’s gathering spot Whangamata, boosting mobile capacity to meet surges in demand for connectivity.

One NZ works with event organisers, local authorities and emergency services to plan the deployment of COWs, which also come into their own when extreme weather events disrupt parts of the mobile network. With diesel generators and satellite connections, COWs can keep thousands of people connected in an area while power is restored, and mobile services are brought back online.

The Starlink option

For our tourism and hospitality sectors, summer is the time to make hay while the sun shines. Reliable connectivity to enable e-commerce transactions, run social media marketing campaigns and keep in touch with customers is essential.

Starlink high-speed broadband is now used by tens of thousands of Kiwis for internet access delivered via satellite and available anywhere in the country. It means any business beyond the reach of fibre or fixed wireless broadband services can be connected, and One NZ offers 24/7 support.

Filling in coverage dead zones

Available exclusively to One NZ customers this summer is a new option to stay connected in the 40% of the country beyond the reach of the networks mentioned above.

The trailblazing One NZ Satellite TXT service offered via Starlink Direct to Mobile allows customers on eligible handsets and plans to send text messages via satellite from anywhere in the country, as long as they have a clear line of sight with the sky. The service will even work for boaties up to 20 kilometres out to sea.

Satellite TXT is available on eligible Pay Monthly Plans and a growing range of compatible smartphones, including iPhone 14 or later, Samsung Galaxy S23 and later, including the new Samsung Galaxy S25 Series, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6, and OPPO Find X8 Pro.

“This fills the last gaps in mobile coverage in isolated areas of the country where people are working and enjoying the outdoors,” says Govender.

“It ushers in the era of full coverage regardless of location and will not only allow mobile workers to boost their productivity but offer a crucial lifeline in emergencies.”

One NZ has you covered

A One NZ-led initiative to extend 5G cover throughout the tunnels and underground stations of the Auckland City Rail Link, and Hourua, the joint venture with Spark to supply seamless mobile voice and data services to 35,000 frontline emergency responders, are just two exciting projects underway at the New Zealand-owned telecommunications provider to improve connectivity even further..

A relentless focus on innovation and meeting the evolving needs of customers will see connectivity options only increase for One NZ customers in 2025 and beyond.