Best Endless Data Phone Plans.

Best Endless Data Mobile Plans

2degrees, Mighty Mobile, Nova Energy, One, Rocket Mobile, Skinny and Spark all offer a range of endless data plans designed to keep you online at all times. So which endless data phone plan is best?

Sure, unlimited talk and text is all well and good (if pretty standard), but these days data is the real deal-breaker. Whether you’re video calling or streaming, Googling, TikToking, gaming or simply social-media scrolling, you need ample data to go the distance.

It’s therefore no surprise that connectivity and endless data plans have become the core focus of telcos’ offerings.

However, while unlimited data phone plans mean you’ll never be without data, there are often speed caps involved:

  • 2degrees, Nova and Skinny cap speeds on all their plans once you hit your allotted data limits
  • One and Spark cap speeds on most of their plans, but also offer more expensive truly unlimited max-speed plans
  • Mighty Mobile and Rocket Mobile take a different approach and permanently limit data speeds on their cheaper plans, offering unlimited data at max speeds only on their most expensive plans

In the following guide, we take a look at the range of endless data plans on offer from:

Plus we explore the data speeds you can expect, and some of the key terminology and what to keep in mind when shopping around for an endless data mobile plan.

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2degrees logo

2degrees’ endless data prepaid plan

2degrees has one prepaid unlimited data plan:

Plan Data Talk & Text Cost (monthly)
Endless Data Endless – 1.2Mbps speed cap after 120GB Unlimited NZ/OZ $85

2degrees’ endless data pay monthly plan

2degrees has one pay monthly unlimited data plan.

Plan Data Talk & Text Cost
Endless Data Endless – 1.2Mbps speed cap after 100GB Unlimited NZ/OZ $75

2degrees’ Endless Data plans also offer:

  • Free data hour – choose an hour every day, with all data used during that time free (capped max speed at 40GB p/m)
  • Hotspotting – free, with no limits
  • 5G – plan is 5G ready

Group plans – add up to three extra people onto 2degrees’ endless data pay monthly plan:

No. on plan Cost (per month)*
 2 people  $55 per person (save $20 each)
 3 people   $48.33 per person (save $26.67 each)
 4 people  $45 per person (save $30 each)

Mighty Mobile’s unlimited data plans

Mighty Mobile has three mobile plans that offer unlimited data. While all plans deliver unlimited data, its cheaper plans have lower capped speeds.

Plan Data Talk & Text Cost (monthly)
Fast Plan Unlimited data capped at 10Mbps Unlimited NZ/OZ $40
Faster Plan Unlimited data capped at 50Mbps Unlimited NZ/OZ $50
Fastest Plan Unlimited max speed data Unlimited NZ/OZ $80

Mighty Mobile’s plans all offer hotspotting. And there’s also the option to pay for 365 days upfront, which earns extra savings:

  • Fast Plan: $399/365 days ($33.25 p/m)
  • Faster Plan: $499/365 days ($41.58 p/m)
  • Fastest Plan: $799/365 days ($66.58 p/m)

Nova’s unlimited data plans

Nova offers unlimited mobile plans that feature four different max data speed caps, from 4GB to 32GB. It also offers discounts for bundles and group plans:

Plan Data Talk & Text Cost (monthly)
4GB Endless – 1.2 Mbps speed cap after 4GB Unlimited NZ/OZ $39
8GB Endless – 1.2 Mbps speed cap after 8GB Unlimited NZ/OZ $49
16GB Endless – 1.2 Mbps speed cap after 16GB Unlimited NZ/OZ $59
32GB Endless – 1.2 Mbps speed cap after 32GB Unlimited NZ/OZ $69
  • Hotspot – included with all plans
  • Bundle and save save extra $10 per person per month by bundling with power/gas/broadband

Below is how much the basic mobile plans cost, depending on the number of people in your group plan. Does not include further $10 per person bundle discount or current sign-on offer.

No. People  4GB Max Speed   8GB Max Speed   16GB Max Speed   32GB Max Speed 
1 person  $39 $49 $59 $69
2 people  $39 per person  $44 per person  $49 per person  $54 per person
3 people  $39 per person  $42.33 per person $45.67 per person  $49 per person
4 people  $39 per person  $41.50 per person  $44 per person  $46.50 per person
5 people  $39 per person  $41 per person  $43 per person  $45 per person

→ More info: Cheapest Shared Endless Data Plans in NZ


One’s endless data pay monthly plans

One has three Endless data plans. Its cheaper plans come with a speed cap, while its $100 plan has no speed restrictions:

Plan Data Talk & Text Cost (monthly)
Small Endless – 1.2 Mbps speed cap after 5GB Unlimited NZ/OZ $45
Medium Endless – 1.2 Mbps speed cap after 15GB Unlimited NZ/OZ $65
One Plan Uncapped Endless Unlimited NZ/OZ $80

One’s Endless Data plans also offer:

  • 5G – plans are 5G ready
  • Hotspot – included with all plans
  • International texts and calls – 250 txts and 50 mins to 20 intl. destinations on Medium & One plans
  • One NZ rewards

Group plans – One allows you to add up to three companion plans at a discount:

  • Medium plan: add up to three companion plans for $35 p/m per plan
  • One plan: add up to three companion plans for $40 p/m per plan

→ More info: Cheapest Shared Endless Data Plans in NZ


Rocket Mobile’s unlimited data plans

Like Mighty Mobile, instead of having max-speed data caps, Rocket Mobile’s cheaper plans have their data speeds permanently capped.

While the cheapest plan, Rocket Starter, isn’t fast enough for video streaming, it’s fine for light internet usage, and all the other plans are quite fast enough to watch Netflix in HD!

Plan Data Speed Talk/Text Hotspotting Cost (monthly)
Rocket Starter Unlimited: at 2Mbps Unlimited NZ/OZ 10GB $25
Rocket Unlimited: at 10Mbps Unlimited NZ/OZ 20GB $35
Rocket Plus Unlimited: at 40Mbps Unlimited NZ/OZ 20GB $45
Rocket Max (5G ready) Unlimited: no speed cap Unlimited NZ/OZ 40GB $70

Skinny’s unlimited data pay weekly plan

Skinny has one plan on a pay-weekly basis

Plan Data Talk & Text Cost
10GB Endless – 1.2 Mbps speed cap after 10GB Unlimited NZ/OZ $20

Skinny’s unlimited data 4-weekly plans

Skinny’s plans are charged four weekly, instead of monthly, like the other providers on this list. This means you’ll make 13 (52 weeks ÷ 4) payments in one calendar year, instead of 12 monthly payments.

Plan Data Talk & Text Cost
5GB Endless – 1.2 Mbps speed cap after 5GB Unlimited NZ/OZ $40
15GB Endless – 1.2 Mbps speed cap after 15GB Unlimited NZ/OZ $50
40GB Endless – 1.2 Mbps speed cap after 40GB Unlimited NZ/OZ $70

Skinny’s Endless Data plans also offer:

  • Hotspotting – is provided at no extra cost, max data limit applies
  • 5G – plans are 5G ready

Spark logo

Spark’s endless data prepaid plan

Spark has one prepaid unlimited data plan:

Plan Data Talk & Text Cost (monthly)
Endless Data Endless – 1.2 Mbps speed cap after 40GB Unlimited NZ/OZ $80

Spark’s endless data pay monthly plans

Spark’s cheaper pay monthly endless data plans come with a speed cap. However, its $100 plan has no speed restrictions.

Plan Data Talk & Text Cost
Endless Plan Endless – 1.2 Mbps speed cap after 18GB Unlimited NZ/OZ $70
Endless Plan Uncapped Endless Unlimited NZ/OZ $90

Spark’s Endless Plans also offer:

  • Entertainment – free Spotify Premium ($16.99) included with the Uncapped Endless plan (half-price on the 18GB plan); save 22% on Neon subscription, $13.99p/m instead of $17.99.
  • Hotspotting – both plans offer unlimited hotspotting, although max-speed data cap applies to 18GB plan.

Group plans – Spark’s new Team Up plans allows up to three additional people to sign up to a Spark Endless plan of their choice for a discounted rate:

  • 2 people – 20% saving
  • 3 people – 30% saving
  • 4 people – 35% saving

→ More info: Cheapest Shared Endless Data Plans in NZ


Which plan should you sign up for?

Of course, this depends on your phone usage. However, as long as you don’t sign up for a fixed-term plan, it’s easy to shop around and swap plans and/or providers if your needs change.

Although 2degrees plans come with very high data limits (100GB+), if you want truly unlimited max-speed data, there are only four choices:

  • Rocket Mobile: $70 p/m
  • One: $80 p/m
  • Mighty Mobile: $80 p/m
  • Spark: $90 p/m

Of these, Rocket Mobile has the best price, but One does offer good deals on group plans – add up to three companion plans for $40 p/m per plan. And although Spark is the most expensive, for that price you do get free Spotify Premium ($14.99), and good discounts on additional plans.

Also, while it comes with a cap, 2degrees’ $75 endless plan is worth consideration. For although it comes with a cap, it’s set at a high limit of 100GB per month, plus you get an extra 40GB full-speed data each month as part of its free data hour.

Ultimately, the best plan for you has to suit your budget and your data needs. So before you make a choice, it’s a good idea to review your recent data usage to ensure you don’t end up paying for more data than you need.

Note: Prices correct at time of writing (27/11/23). Further information on pricing can be found at individual provider websites. This should be used as a starter guide and not considered an actual quote.


Endless Data Speeds

As we mention above, endless data plans might offer unlimited downloads, but on most plans speeds are often capped, usually to speeds of around 1.2Mbps, once a data limit is reached. While this limit is fast enough for streaming music and surfing the internet, it’s not suitable for video streaming or video calling:

  • Netflix recommends a download speed of 3Mbps per stream for playing SD-quality TV shows and movies, 5Mbps for HD and 25Mbps for UHD
  • Skype recommends that HD video calling download/upload speeds are 1.5/1.5Mbps

Overall, 1.2Mbps is a crawl compared to average 4G speeds. According to the latest research from Opensignal, which analyses global phone network speeds, the average download speeds available on the three big mobile networks in NZ are:

Average 4G download speeds

  • One: 42.6Mbps
  • Spark: 39.8Mbps
  • 2degrees:  33.8Mbps

Average 5G download speeds

  • 2 degrees 5G: 311.3Mbps
  • One 5G: 215.7Mbps
  • Spark 5G: 230.4Mbps


Key terms to help you compare endless data mobile plans

Some terms you’ll likely come across include:

  • Open-term plan – is a plan with no fixed-term contract commitment (such as a 12- or 24-month commitment). This means that while you pay monthly, you can exit or change your plan at any time without incurring a cancellation fee.
  • Endless data – as advised above, this is a mobile plan that comes unlimited phone data. However, typically, it comes with a maximum speed data allocation, with internet speeds reduced (but unlimited) once this allocation has been exhausted (typically to 1.2Mbps).
  • Hotspot – this allows you to wirelessly share your smartphone’s internet connection with other devices, as if it’s a wi-fi modem. Some providers may cap your hotspot data usage or charge an additional monthly fee to use hotspotting.
  • Unlimited talk and text – typically applies to standard New Zealand and Australian numbers. However, keep in mind that not all numbers will be covered.
  • Group plans – usually comprise a primary plan (which customers initially sign up for), with the option to then add companion plans (often up to three additional plans) for a discounted rate. The more companion plans added, the lower the per-person cost per billing period.
  • MB/GB – data allowances are measured in MB and GB. It is worthwhile weighing up how much data you require from one month to the next, and whether reduced speeds will suffice.
  • Mbps – stands for megabits per second, which is the measurement of your internet speed. Average 4G/5G mobile speeds can vary depending on a range of factors, but keep in mind that reduced speeds of 1.2Mbps will be significantly slower (see below).
  • Auto-renew – some mobile plan add-ons will auto-renew, meaning they’ll automatically be added to your bill each month. Remember to cancel the add-on if you’re purchasing it as a one-off.

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About the author of this page

This report was written by Canstar’s Editor, Bruce Pitchers. Bruce has three decades’ experience as a journalist and has worked for major media companies in the UK and Australasia, including ACP, Bauer Media Group, Fairfax, Pacific Magazines, News Corp and TVNZ. Prior to Canstar, he worked as a freelancer, including for The Australian Financial Review, the NZ Financial Markets Authority, and for real estate companies on both sides of the Tasman.


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