There are not many places, let alone countries, that I consider to be magical.
But New Zealand might be the exception – it is a magical country.
And it is hard to explain the feeling to someone who never visited it (and I could not understand what people were talking about when they tried explaining it to me).
Just like Australia, which is my hub for 2022, New Zealand had strict border restrictions.
Luckily, they were all lifted in October 2022.
This was an excellent opportunity for me to visit New Zealand because all the mobile operators, including Spark, have been rolling out their 5G NR network during COVID times.
And you know I have to try out 5G NR networks when they are available to prepaid customers (as they are with Spark!).
When I was in New Zealand, I tested five New Zealand SIM cards, including 2degrees, four travel eSIMs & one travel SIM card to be used here.
I went to three cities (or two if you do not consider Lower Hutt to be an independent city… even though it has its own council) on North Island (worry not, I will do tests on South Island in 2023 or 2024).
I did more than 35 speed tests with each SIM card and (travel) (e)SIM (card) – – going to tourist attractions and off the beaten track so that you can have a solid idea of how each SIM card or eSIM performs depending on your style of travel.
So I spent about 500 NZD for my New Zealand SIM card review series – yeah, I am crazy 🤪.
But I have to tell you that New Zealand is expensive in terms of data.
In Oceania, only Tokelau, Tuvalu & the Solomon Islands have a higher cost of data rates – and those are all very remote (small) island nations.
Australia, the largest country in Oceania, has the second-lowest rates (behind Fiji) – and all the locals complain data is expensive (I do not blame them… they do not know better 🤪).
2degrees is the smallest and youngest mobile operator in New Zealand.
But being the smallest and youngest does not always mean it is the worst.
Iliad in Italy is a good example of a small disrupter that brought all the prices down in the Italian telecom market.
But is this the case in New Zealand too?
I can only make such a conclusion by (extensively) testing 2degrees against its competition.
And in the case of New Zealand, that would be Spark and One NZ (formerly Vodafone), but also two Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) called Skinny Mobile (Spark MVNO) and Warehouse Mobile (2degrees MVNO).
And as (travel) (e)SIM (cards) are also becoming rapidly popular, I also tried out Airalo (Nzcom – can be used in New Zealand only & Discover Global – can be used in 84+ countries), Holafly & Nomad + Orange Holiday World (from Holiday SIM Card)
Yeah… I went all out! But in this review, I will mostly focus on 2degrees.
Let's get started, shall we?
Original publication: 16th of December 2022. Last updated: 15th of January 2024.
Table of Contents
Who is 2degrees?
2degrees New Zealand, just 2degrees, is the smallest and youngest mobile operator in New Zealand.
While 2degrees may be small, it does have a high-quality network.
Right now, it has the fastest 5G NR network in New Zealand (more about that later in the speed section).
In New Zealand, you have three mobile operators and two Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) offering prepaid services easily accessible to tourists:
- Spark New Zealand
- One NZ (formerly Vodafone New Zealand)
- 2degrees New Zealand
- Skinny Mobile
- Warehouse Mobile
As you know, I tested the other two mobile operators + the two MVNOs during my stay in New Zealand. You can read them here: Spark & One NZ (formerly Vodafone) + Skinny Mobile & Warehouse Mobile.
Let's talk about 2degrees' coverage first, after these quick frequency details:
- 2G: N/A – shut down in 2018
- 3G: 900 MHz & 2100 MHz
- 4G/LTE: 700 MHz (Band 28), 900 MHz (Band 8) & 1800 MHz (Band 3)
- 5G NR: 3500 MHz (n78)
- VoLTE: Yes
- VoWiFi: Yes
Here you have 2degrees' APN settings:
- Name: 2Degrees Internet
- APN: internet
Note: leave anything not mentioned above untouched.
2degrees Coverage + My Experience
You can have a mobile operator providing you 1 Gbps download speeds.
But it will be useless if it covers only one street in New Zealand.
So, how is 2degrees' coverage?
Regarding general availability, 2degrees has the second-best availability, with an availability score of 98.7%. Ahead of One NZ (formerly Vodafone – 98.2%) but behind Spark (99.2%).
But with a score of more than 98%, all New Zealand mobile operators have excellent availability anyway.
When looking at 5G NR availability, 2degrees has the best availability (6.2%). Ahead of One NZ (5.8%) and Spark (5.3%).
Compared to most western nations, New Zealand started rather late with its 5G NR rollout, which is why the scores are so low.
So far, I have been talking about coverage from other reports but what was my coverage experience with 2degrees?
It was excellent, honestly – I had nothing to complain about.
5G NR was widely available in Auckland and Wellington, but not in Lower Hutt/Hutt City.
And unlike Australia, where Telstra and Optus have 5G NR reception basically anywhere in the big cities, not all of Auckland and Wellington CBD was covered by 2degrees' 5G NR network.
But reception was still alright when on the road and on trains (although you should not expect reception when passing tunnels, like on the Johnsonville Line in Wellington – great views on this though!).
Below is 2degrees' coverage map produced by Speedtest:
How to Get a 2degrees SIM Card (or eSIM) & Prices
Now that you have a basic understanding of 2degrees and the telecom market in New Zealand, it is now time to talk about how to actually get a Spark SIM card.
Unlike most countries in Oceania, I do not recommend visiting a 2degrees store to get a 2degrees SIM card.
Well, it is not that I discourage it; it is just not required.
That is because New Zealand does not have a SIM card registration scheme, unlike most Oceanian countries.
- Find out which countries have SIM card registration regulations and what is required from you (lookup tool)
That means you can pick up a SIM card from a reseller, like Countdown, New World & PAK'nSAVE, and it will be good to go without having to show your passport in person or register it online.
I got my 2degrees SIM card at Auckland Airport (AKL).
But the thing is… 2degrees has no store at the airport (unlike Spark and One NZ (formerly Vodafone)).
But there is a Take Home in the international terminal's arrivals hall (open 24/7) that sells 2degrees SIM cards.
There is a Relay in the departures hall and even in the domestic terminal (which is a 15-minute walk from the international terminal); I cannot confirm if those Relays sell 2degrees SIM cards (they do sell One NZ's Vodafone Travel SIM cards instead).
Anyway, when you go to the Take Home store in the international arrivals hall for a 2degrees SIM card, you have to ask for one because they are not actively advertised or displayed in the convenience store.
2degrees SIM cards are sold for 5 NZD at this Take Home store, and every other reseller sells 2degrees SIM cards, including official 2degrees stores.
I will list all the prices in NZD (New Zealand Dollar).
To convert NZD to your currency (let's say AUD – Australian Dollar) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.
Disclaimer: the SIM card prices mentioned in the review were current when I was in New Zealand – the offering and prices may have changed since then. To see 2degrees' current starter packs, check out my New Zealand SIM card buying guide
Unlike Spark and One NZ next door, 2degrees has no tourist SIM cards (in general, not just at this Relay store).
Well, that is not entirely true because 2degrees allows you to get a free SIM card (Visitor SIM) to be ordered to your home anywhere in the world for free.
Yes – for free – you pay no shipping costs, AND you get 100 MB of free data.
But… I would not really recommend this SIM card, and here is why.
When I booked my flights for my New Zealand trip (mid-October), I also ordered the 2degrees Visitor SIM simultaneously.
According to the website, shipping within New Zealand can take up to 3 days.
Delivery to Australia, where I am currently based, will take 3 to 6 days.
And anywhere else in the world, up to 10 days.
As Australia is basically next door and I am staying in Australia's second-largest city, Melbourne, I expected to receive my SIM card within a week.
A week went by… and I got nothing.
Two weeks went by… still nothing.
Eventually, I forgot about my order until a week before departing to New Zealand… still nothing.
Two months after ordering the SIM card, literally the day before I would head back to Australia, my boyfriend received a letter in the mail with my 2degrees Visitor SIM.
Yeah… I did not need it anymore by then 🗿.
The worst part is that the letter was posted on the 1st of December – 1.5 months after ordering the SIM card.
Because of COVID, I can understand some letters and parcels are delayed.
But the People Media Group, the team who sends these SIM cards, took 1.5 months to ship an order – that cannot be blamed on supply chain issues.
Am I angry? No – it is a free product anyway.
But I would certainly recommend ordering the SIM card like three months in advance if you can to avoid disappointment 🗿.
Anyway, can you get 2degrees SIM cards at other airports? Not really.
You used to be able to get 2degrees SIM cards at Wellington International Airport (WLG) from Relay, but they only sell the One NZ Vodafone Travel SIM now (I asked – I visited Wellington too during this trip).
If you go to Christchurch International Airport (CHC), there are some places nearby selling SIM cards, such as 2degrees Frankston, Noel Lemming & The Warehouse.
If the Relay store at Auckland Airport is out of 2degrees SIM cards, you have other options nearby.
If you do not mind walking for about 15 to 20 minutes or taking bus 38 (towards Onehunga and getting off at stop New Zealand School of Tourism and then walking for about five minutes), you can go to the Auckland Airport Shopping Center.
They have Countdown, one of the leading New Zealand supermarkets, and The Warehouse, a department store selling 2degrees SIM cards.
2degrees SIM cards are sold for 5 NZD and include no credit (which is the standard in New Zealand… although The Warehouse has Warehouse Mobile for 1 NZD giving you 5 NZD credit instead. But it uses the 2degrees 4G/LTE network).
If you believe that is too much effort and you go to Auckland CBD by train (via bus to Puhinui Station), worry not – there is a 2degrees store on Queen Street (the main shopping strip in Auckland).
And you can also get Spark SIM cards from electronic stores (JB HiFi & PB Tech), gas stations (BP, Caltex & Z) & grocery stores (Countdown, New World & PAK'nSAVE).
Okay, that is enough talk about SIM cards – what about the new and sexy eSIM technology?
2degrees does have eSIMs, and they are also available to prepaid customers.
But you can only get them from official 2degrees stores – not from resellers like Relay or grocery stores.
For fun, I upgraded my 2degrees SIM card to an eSIM.
So I went to the 2degrees store on Queen Street in Auckland.
Switching to an eSIM as a prepaid customer is actually straightforward, especially when you have a 2degrees account already (which you will set up when you register for the 2degrees app).
You talk to the salesperson, say you want to swap to an eSIM, tell your phone number, show your ID, get your eSIM QR code, and you are good to go.
Remember when I said SIM card registration is not a thing in New Zealand? Why do you have to show your ID?
This is to prevent the SIM swap scam or attack, where someone impersonates you, gets a new SIM card with your phone number & gains access to all your accounts.
So what if you bought a 2degrees SIM card and did not create a 2degrees account?
As long as you only activated your SIM card and have just a few days of usage, the staff can still help you out.
Otherwise, they will ask you to create a 2degrees SIM card first before they can help you.
And if you want to be semi-anonymous, make sure that your surname is correct on your profile – you can use your initials for your first name on your 2degress profile (like I did – I am surprised it worked, lmao).
Remember when I said that mobile data is expensive in New Zealand – also with 2degrees?
There is a way to spend less for data if your phone supports eSIM – by getting a travel eSIM.
If you do not care about calling or texting, getting a travel eSIM from Airalo, Holafly, or Nomad can (read: will) be much cheaper than getting a data-featured prepaid plan.
Using any of these eSIMs will be cheaper than getting a 2degrees SIM card and a data-featured plan if you want more than 4 GB of data. Anything less than 4 GB and the local SIM cards will be more affordable.
The links above will get you to my in-depth reviews of those eSIMs.
But if you want a quick comparison of the travel eSIMs I recommend for New Zealand, you should read my New Zealand eSIM comparison guide – I also drop a few discount codes for you 😏.
2degrees Plans, Bundles & Offers
2degrees has four data-featured prepaid plans:
- Fortnightly Prepay Plans (combo)
- Monthly Prepay Plans (combo)
- Data Clock (short-term unlimited data)
- Add-Ons (data add-ons)
All 2degrees plans can be activated on the 2degrees mobile app.
Disclaimer: these were the available plans at the time I was in New Zealand – the offering may have changed since then (including whether 5G NR is available to prepaid customers or not). To see 2degrees' current plans, check out my New Zealand SIM card buying guide (which gets updated regularly – at least four times a year).
I will list all the prices in NZD (New Zealand Dollar).
To convert NZD to your currency (let's say AUD – Australian Dollar) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.
Fortnightly Prepay Plans
The Fortnightly Prepay Plans are combo bundles with data (with 5G NR access), minutes & SMS.
Fortnightly Prepay Plans can be activated by texting the Activation Code to 233:
Price | Data | Local Minutes 1 | Local SMS 1 | Validity | Activation Code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 NZD | 650 MB | 100 minutes | Unlimited | 14 days | 10plan14D |
15 NZD | 1.25 GB | 150 minutes | Unlimited | 14 days | 15plan14D |
20 NZD | 2 GB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 14 days | 20plan14D |
1 also to Australia
Unused data and minutes will roll over when your plan auto-renews or when you renew your plan before it expires.
Your carryover balance can roll over for up to one year.
Monthly Prepay Plans
The Monthly Prepay Plans are combo bundles with data (with 5G NR access), minutes & SMS.
Monthly Prepay Plans can be activated by texting the Activation Code to 233:
Price | Data | Local Minutes 1 | Local SMS 1 | Validity | Activation Code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 NZD | 250 MB | 100 minutes | Unlimited | 1 month | 10plan1M |
19 NZD | 1.5 GB | 200 minutes | Unlimited | 1 month | 19plan1M |
30 NZD | 3 GB | 300 minutes | Unlimited | 1 month | 30plan1M |
40 NZD | 4 GB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 1 month | 40plan1M |
55 NZD | 10 GB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 1 month | 55plan1M |
70 NZD | 25 GB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 1 month | 70plan1M |
85 NZD | “Unlimited”, 40 GB 2 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 1 month | 85plan1M |
1 also to Australia
2 40 GB high-speed data, then unlimited @ 1.2 Mbps
Unused data and minutes will roll over when your plan auto-renews or when you renew your plan before it expires.
Your carryover balance can roll over for up to one year.
Data Clock
The Data Clock is an unlimited data option (with 5G NR) from 15 minutes (0.40 NZD) to 1 day (7 NZD). They cannot be purchased as standalone plans, and you need to have a plan worth at least 15 NZD to activate Data Clock.
Data Clock has to be activated on a separate app from the 2degrees app called Data Clock (Android/iOS):
Price | Data 1 | Validity |
---|---|---|
0.40 NZD | Unlimited | 15 minutes |
0.70 NZD | Unlimited | 30 minutes |
0.95 NZD | Unlimited | 45 minutes |
1 NZD | Unlimited | 1 hour |
1.50 NZD | Unlimited | 2 hours |
2 NZD | Unlimited | 4 hours |
3 NZD | Unlimited | 8 hours |
4 NZD | Unlimited | 12 hours |
6 NZD | Unlimited | 15 hours |
7 NZD | Unlimited | 1 day |
1 speed to be reduced to 1 Mbps after exhausting 40 GB in a calendar month
Do note that Data Clock cannot be paused when activated.
You can, however, purchase multiple Data Clocks at a time, which will run after each other.
Add-Ons
The Add-Ons are data add-ons. They cannot be purchased as standalone plans.
Add-ons can be activated by texting the Activation Code to 233:
Price | Data | Validity | Activation Code | Deactivation Code |
---|---|---|---|---|
10 NZD | 500 MB | 1 month | Buy 500MB | Stop 500MB |
20 NZD | 1 GB | 1 month | Buy 1GB | Stop 1GB |
50 NZD | 15 GB | 1 month | Buy 15GB | Stop 15GB |
99 NZD | 12 GB | 6 months | Buy 12GB | Stop 12GB |
Add-ons auto-renew. To cancel auto-renewal, text the Deactivation Code to 233.
2degrees Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check
2degrees top-up vouchers are sold in 2degrees stores, grocery stores, corner shops & electronics shops throughout New Zealand.
To top up your 2degrees SIM card, text your VoucherCode to 201, dial *100#, or call 201 and follow the instructions.
For example, if your voucher code is 123456, you would text 123456 to 201.
You can also recharge online with (international) debit and credit cards.
You may have to try multiple times or use a different debit or credit card (if you have those) if your initial top-up request gets denied – the New Zealand mobile operators officially only accept NZ-issued cards. Still, you may be lucky (like me after several tries) – do not try virtual (single-use) cards, though – they will not work.
Text bal to 233 or dial *100*1# to check your 2degrees balance.
You can also top up and check your balance on the 2degrees Mobile app (Android/iOS).
2degrees Speed Test Results (in Auckland, Lower Hutt/Hutt City & Wellington)
Alright, now it is time to talk about the speeds you can expect with 2degrees after covering all the other essential topics like coverage.
But before I share my 37 speed test results in Auckland, Lower Hutt/Hutt City (part of Greater Wellington) & Wellington, I want to set the stage first and make a small comparison with 2degrees' competition.
2degrees is regarded by Speedtest as the fastest mobile operator in New Zealand in Q3 2022.
With a median download speed of 63.81 Mbps, ahead of One NZ (formerly Vodafone – 62.97 Mbps) and Spark (59.51 Mbps).
The same applies when looking at 5G NR speeds; 2degrees is the fastest with a median download speed of 479.71 Mbps, ahead of One NZ (formerly Vodafone – 342.45 Mbps) and Spark (307.21 Mbps).
The fastest mobile download speed can be found in Hamilton, with a median download speed of 96.39 Mbps.
Auckland, Christchurch & Wellington have median download speeds of around 60 Mbps (62.03 Mbps, 75.22 Mbps & 64.35 Mbps, respectively)
And of course Hamilton was the city I did not go to on this trip 🫠.
As of somewhere in early 2022, the Big Three (Spark, One NZ & 2degrees) allow prepaid customers to use 5G NR free of charge, regardless of the plan you choose.
So I have plenty of 5G NR results to share with you.
I did speed tests with the Speedtest app in three cities on North Island.
So I will go city to city, allowing you to just read the results of the city/cities/state you plan to visit.
For reference, I consider an average download speed of 25 Mbps and an average of 10 Mbps upload speed fast enough.
Preferably, download speeds should be 100 Mbps+ on 4G/LTE… but we are not there yet 🗿.
But why these averages?
A download speed of more than 25 Mbps is enough to video stream content @ 4k resolution.
Social media sites that allow for live streaming, like Facebook Live, recommend an upload speed of at least 10 Mbps.
So, that is why – but that does not mean that a download speed of less than 100 Mbps excited me 😏.
But Australia spoiled… everything slower than 300 Mbps is slow now 🤣.
Anyway, you will also see that some of the results are in red, green, underlined, or in italics.
Underlined results are on 5G NR, while results in italics are on 3G.
The results in green represent that that result was the fastest download or upload speed of all the New Zealand mobile operators (Spark, One NZ, 2dgrees, Skinny Mobile & Warehouse Mobile).
The results in red are the opposite; they are the slowest of them all.
With all of that out of the way, let's see how 2degrees performed in Auckland, Lower Hutt/Hutt City & Wellington.
2degrees Speed Test Results in Auckland
Auckland, or Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland's Māori name), is New Zealand's largest city.
It is often confused with being the nation's capital, but that would be Wellington (which I visited too on this trip).
The main gateway to New Zealand is through Auckland Airport, so there is a big chance you will visit the city – even if you do not plan on staying.
Anyway, as I am not a regular travel blog, I do not have must-sees for you for Auckland (that would be a blog on its own 🤪), but I am sure you will not be bored in this city.
Let's see how 2degrees performed in Auckland:
2degrees Speed Test Results in Lower Hutt (Hutt City)
Lower Hutt, or Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai (Lower Hutt's Māori name), is one of the four cities part of the Wellington metropolitan area (or Greater Wellington).
The reason why I separated Lower Hutt, administrated by Hutt City, from the Wellington results is (1) I did quite some tests in Lower Hutt and (2) most mobile operators, including Spark, do not have 5G NR access in Lower Hutt (yet), while Wellington does have 5G NR.
Should you visit Lower Hutt? You could – the nature is stunning there.
And being in Hutt Valley, also referred to as The Hutt, is remarkable too (if you can go on one of the hiking trails, you should!).
But if all of that sounds too boring to you, you can go to Queensgate Shopping Center, which may be the largest shopping mall in greater Wellington.
Let's see how 2degrees performed in Lower Hutt:
2degrees Speed Test Results in Wellington
Wellington, or Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington's Māori name), is New Zealand's capital.
It is the third-largest city in the country (behind Auckland and Christchurch).
While I believe Wellington is more exciting than Australia‘s capital, Canberra (yes, not Melbourne or Sydney), it is certainly not New Zealand's most exciting city.
It does remind me a little bit of Melbourne, Australia… but significantly smaller (and with way fewer trains 🗿).
Let's see how 2degrees performed in Wellington:
My Overall Experience with 2degrees – Is It Any Good?
I would recommend 2degrees, and it would be my top recommendation for anyone wanting to buy a New Zealand SIM card.
Getting a 2degrees SIM card is easy because many resellers sell them.
And once you insert your 2degrees SIM card into your phone, activation is quick.
With the best 4G/LTE availability and reach, you will have reception almost everywhere in New Zealand (but do not expect any coverage around and in the mountains).
The same can be said about 2degrees' 5G NR network, but it is not as extensive as One NZ (formerly Vodafone)'s.
2degrees' data-featured prepaid plans are expensive by regional standards, but that is unfortunately the norm in New Zealand.
I also had fast speeds with 2degrees, especially on 5G NR, which is available for free for prepaid customers too.
Taking all 37 speed tests into account, I had an average overall download speed of 220.21 Mbps and a median download speed of 190.12 Mbps with 2degrees (both the fastest of them all).
When looking at upload speeds, I had an average upload speed of 35.03 Mbps and a median upload speed of 31.77 Mbps with 2degrees (both the fastest of them all).
As expected, 2degrees' 5G NR speeds were significantly faster than 4G/LTE (348.90 Mbps average download speed on 5G NR vs. 68.81 Mbps on 4G/LTE).
None of the travel eSIMs I tested used the 2degrees network, and Skinny Mobile has 5G NR access too, so I do not have 4G/LTE-only results on the 2degrees network.
But of the 4G/LTE results I had with 2degrees, its average was still higher than Spark and One NZ, so you should not worry about speeds if your phone does not support 5G NR.
With extensive coverage, relatively expensive data-featured prepaid plans & fast speeds, there is nothing crazy to complain about 2degrees.
New Zealand SIM Card Reviews
As mentioned earlier, I also tried out Spark, One NZ (formerly Vodafone), Skinny Mobile & Warehouse Mobile when I was in New Zealand.
You should read those reviews too.
>>> Spark Review | One NZ (formerly Vodafone) Review | Skinny Mobile Review | Warehouse Mobile Review <<<
Later, I will make a comparison post of the five New Zealand SIM cards I tried… but that will take a while (I have many reviews of other countries that I still need to write, so they are prioritized).
But you can still make an educated purchased after reading the New Zealand SIM card reviews.
I also tried out various travel eSIMs + a travel SIM card that work in New Zealand: Airalo (Nzcom & Discover Global), Holafly, Nomad & SimOptions + Orange Holiday World (SIM card).
You should also read those reviews.
>>> Airalo Nzcom New Zealand eSIM Review | Airalo Discover Global eSIM Review | Holafly New Zealand eSIM Review | Nomad New Zealand eSIM Review | Orange Holiday World Travel SIM Card in New Zealand Review <<<
Check out my reviews page if you want to read all the other reviews I have written, including other Oceanian SIM cards.
New Zealand SIM Card Buying Guide
There are four other SIM cards to choose from in New Zealand besides 2degrees.
I analyze and discuss them in-depth in my New Zealand SIM card buying guide.