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Author: Rocket Mobile NZ

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eSIM Explained

eSIM explained
eSIM explained

eSIM Explained

eSIM has landed at Rocket Mobile. Here’s what you need to know in a nutshell.

What is eSIM?

eSIM is short for ‘embedded SIM’. Instead of a physical SIM that you get delivered, and put into your phone’s SIM slot, an eSIM is entirely virtual, and gets loaded into your phone digitally.

Why should I get eSIM?

When you sign up for a physical SIM, it can take a few days to get delivered to your address. With an eSIM, you can decide on your plan, purchase and enjoy your unlimited data plan in a matter of minutes.
eSIM makes it super easy to connect, because you don’t have to go into a physical store, or show a photo ID for a credit check to activate. Just follow the prompts on your device and you’ll be good to go.
Like all Rocket Mobile plans, you can bring your existing number with you. An eSIM lets you easily switch between numbers, e.g. if you have separate work and personal numbers.

What makes eSIM eco-friendly?

No more plastic SIM cards, and lower carbon footprint thanks to no more physical deliveries to your door. It’s clear that eSIM is the more environmentally friendly option.

Is my device eSIM compatible?

Most phones released since 2020 are eSIM compatible. If you’re not sure, go to your phone’s mobile settings and look for ‘SIM manager’ or an option to add an eSIM. You can also check with your manufacturer, or try googling your phone model and ‘eSIM’.

How do I get eSIM working on my phone?

All you need to do is pick ‘eSIM’ when buying your plan, and scan the QR code with the device you’d like the eSIM installed on.
You can either take a photo of the QR code while it’s displayed on another device (e.g. a computer), or take a screenshot of the QR code on your phone, then use your gallery app to open the image and follow the link in the code.
Make sure you have wifi or a data connection to download the eSIM.
Once it’s installed, activation is as easy as if you’re using a physical SIM. Just click the link in the SMS you’re sent, and follow the instructions to sign in, and confirm your plan. You can transfer your existing number, or get a new one from us.
For more detailed instructions, check out our handy video about eSIM, and our help page.

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What Mobile Data Speed Do I Need?

What speed do I need
What speed do I need

What mobile data speed do I need?

Why pay more than you should for the actual data speed that you use? Our mobile data plans are truly unlimited so there are no data caps, you’ll never get throttled, or have to top up mid month. All you need to do is choose the speed you need.

Why is my mobile internet so slow?

Have you ever been browsing happily while out and about, and then suddenly everything stops loading properly and slows to a crawl?
Many mobile networks offer ‘endless’ data plans that imply you’ll never run out, when in reality your speed is slowed down considerably once you exceed a certain amount of usage in your plan.
Some providers even offer plans that force you to watch the clock to allow unlimited data usage within a certain time limit. That’s the last thing you want if you’re trying to finish the season finale of your favourite show, or keep up with all your social accounts when you’re out and about.
Our plans are truly unlimited, so you can rely on having the same data speed no matter what day of the billing cycle it is, depending on your location and network coverage.

Which plan is right for me?

With four plans to choose from, you can be rest assured that you’re only paying for what you need, and no more. Choose the speed you need and never worry about running out of data.

Rocket Starter (2 Mbps)

For those who are usually linked to wifi at home, school or the office, our unlimited data Starter plan at 2Mbps is a cost effective way to ensure you always have reasonable speed and data access when you’re out and about. Use social media and watch videos in 480p (Standard Definition), listen to music, browse the web and do 1-to-1 video calls in SD, with 10GB of Hotspot data thrown in. And as with all our plans, you get unlimited calls and texts to mobile numbers in NZ and Australia.

Rocket (10Mbps)

Our OG plan, it’s nestled nicely in between the basic speed of Starter, and our souped up signature plan, Plus. You get 10Mbps, for those who need a bit more juice than 2Mbps, but aren’t quite ready to spend the extra to get Plus. You’ll have enough speed to scroll your socials smoothly and watch videos in HD.

Rocket Plus (40 Mbps)

Did you know that the Annual Telecommunications Monitoring Report published by the Commerce Commission found that the average download speed across the three mobile network providers in New Zealand was 38 Mbps?

Our unlimited data 40 Mbps Plus plan lets you watch 4K UltraHD videos on social media and your favourite streaming services, listen to high fidelity music, browse websites without lag, do Ultra HD video calls, and even play single or multiplayer games in HD. It even comes with 20GB of Hotspot data. No more paying for vanity speeds you’re not using anyway.

Rocket Max (Max Mbps)

For those who want to always be getting the most out of their 5G device and 5G network where available, our unlimited data maximum speed plan is the way to go. With comparable competitor plans up to $30 per month more, you know you’re getting the best of the best with Rocket Max. Includes up to 40GB of Hotspot data.

Get More for Less

With our unlimited mobile data plans, you can be confident that you’ll never run out of data, and you’re not overpaying for speed because you’re not in an area with 5G coverage, or have a 5G compatible phone.
No more data hoarding, or trying to work out which provider has the best deal depending on the number of people on your plan, or which subscription services you want as an add on. Rocket Mobile lets you keep more money in your pocket, so you can decide how to spend it.
Data set to a max download speed as per your month to month plan. Hotspot and acceptable use policies and T&C’s apply.

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Upfront Mobile Explained

Upfront mobile explained
Upfront mobile explained

Upfront Mobile Explained

You might have spotted the phrase ‘upfront mobile’ on our website. What does it mean, and what are the benefits of going upfront?

Isn’t it just prepaid?

We don’t call it ‘prepaid’ because we think that’s confusing. When prepaid was originally launched, plans generally weren’t week to week or month to month, as long as you had credit you were fine, and once you ran out, you’d top up.

Card-only

Upfront mobile means bills can only be paid by credit or debit card. While this means no more paying by bank transfer or direct debit, this is in line with many other services such as music and movie subscriptions. Of course, providers often pass on ‘convenience fees’ of around 2 percent when customers pay by card, but rest assured we won’t do that.

No more credit checks

We’ve listened to feedback from customers, on social media, and our live chat team. Credit checks are a major barrier to getting Kiwis connected to their perfect mobile plan.
We’ve removed this pain by allowing upfront payment using credit or debit cards. So whether you’ve just landed in NZ, or have been here a while – it’s now easier than ever to unlock unlimited mobile.

No more extra charges

Have you ever got your bill and wondered why it cost a tiny bit more than you expected? Maybe you accidentally sent an MMS and didn’t realise they cost 51c each. With upfront mobile, what you see is exactly what you pay. And if you do want any add-ons, you’ll pay upfront so there are no unexpected end of month surprises.
We’ll throw in 10 free MMS per month if you really need, though the smart thing to do is to send photos/videos with your unlimited data via Whatsapp/Messenger/iMessage etc.
There you go, we’ve laid it all out so you can see we have nothing to hide when it comes to charges. Go upfront with us today to take full control of your mobile plan.

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MVNO vs MNOs

What is an MVNO
What is an MVNO

MVNO vs MNO

Here’s a quick primer on the mobile provider scene in New Zealand, what an MVNO or MNO is, and what’s the advantage of going with an MVNO (like us!)  

Mobile Network Operator (MNO)

New Zealand has three mobile network operators, One NZ, Spark (including Skinny, a division of Spark) and 2degrees. We are powered by One NZ’s award winning network, so you can be rest assured you’re well covered for coverage.

Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO)

That’s us. MVNOs partner with an MNO, typically the wholesale arm, to resell services on that network.
While there are an increasing number of MVNOs popping up in the country, we were the first to launch an unlimited mobile data plan, and our Starter plan was the cheapest unlimited mobile data plan in NZ at the time of its launch.

Why go with an MVNO?

Because an MVNO doesn’t have to maintain the infrastructure that an MNO does (e.g. cell towers), we generally have lower costs and can pass the savings onto customers. Most are also online-only, avoiding the costs of maintaining brick and mortar shop fronts, retail staff, and a huge head office.

Bigger isn’t always better

Most MVNOs are tiny compared to MNOs in terms of customer base and staffing. This also means we can be more agile and move quickly to change our plans and prices to meet the market in order to stay competitive.

Why not just go direct?

Some people wonder, if we just use the One NZ network, why not use them directly as the mobile provider? Why go through a middleman?
Usually a middleman means higher prices, but in the case of MVNOs, it’s the opposite. MVNOs have lower overheads and therefore can resell mobile plans at lower prices to the end user. If you’re still confused, just compare the prices between MVNOs and MNOs and you’ll soon see the difference.

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Mobile Plan Jargon Explained

Mobile jargon explained
Mobile jargon explained

Mobile plan jargon explained

Mobile data plans throw around all sorts of jargon like ‘carryover data’, ‘endless data’ and others, but what does it all really mean? We’re here to spell it out and make it easier for you to see which plan is best for you.

Endless vs unlimited

These two words seem to have the same meaning, but when it comes to mobile plans, they are entirely different.
‘Endless’ plans provide a certain allowance of data at max speed, and then slow you down to 1.2Mbps if you exceed that usage. At speeds that slow, your phone becomes almost unusable. Forget about sending a picture, even loading a website becomes painful.
‘Unlimited’ (i.e. our plans) mean there is no set data allowance, your mobile data will not be slowed after a certain usage, you’ll continue to enjoy the same max speed that’s set for your plan.

Carryover/rollover data

It seems like a great idea to let customers keep the data they don’t use out of their allowance for the next month. But is it?
Our take is: why have an allowance at all? When you rely on carryover data, you still have to keep track of your usage and make sure you don’t go over, or else your service gets cut, or you’re forced to pay up to top up.
Unlimited mobile data plans like ours mean you can completely take your data for granted, knowing you will never run out. No more stockpiling your GBs for a rainy day that never comes, or accidentally chewing through it prematurely when you didn’t realise you weren’t on wifi.
We all know running out of data at the worst possible time is most mobile users’ worst nightmare, so stress less knowing that your unlimited data plan will always be there for you when you need it.

Overage

Some plans charge you extra (or ‘overage’) if you go over the specified calls or messages.
For example, you could end up paying 40c per minute for calls and 20c per SMS, and that adds up. Our plans all come with unlimited calls and texts to NZ/Australian numbers, so that’s one less thing to worry about.
The majority of prepay plans charge users to check their voicemail, and the last thing you should be worrying about is whether you have enough credit to listen to that important message from your doctor’s office or child’s school, because you couldn’t pick up the phone in time.
It’s also not unusual to get stung with surprise charges for things like MMS, which can happen if you try to send a funny photo to your mate, but instead of going through iMessage like you expected, it sends as an MMS. That’s 51c tacked onto your bill at the end of the month, ouch.
At the end of the day, don’t let telcos trick you into paying for more than you should. Go with an upfront mobile plan, which means the price is always the price. No more getting slowed down mid-month, running out of data, or nasty little surprises at bill time.

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How to Save Money on Your Mobile Plan

How to save money on your mobile plan
How to save money on your mobile plan

How to save money on your mobile plan

Nobody likes surprise charges, which is why we don’t have any. There’s nothing worse than getting a raw deal and having to pay more than you budgeted, even if it’s only a few dollars, because it all adds up. 

We’re here to expose the sneaky tricks that some mobile providers use to squeeze more money out of customers.

28 day billing cycles

Are there only 336 days in the year? No, we didn’t think so either. Yet when you’re on a plan with a 28 day billing cycle, you’re basically paying for an extra month each year. It also makes it hard to compare plans with providers who actually bill by the full month.

Payment card fees

Seriously, surcharges suck. Most mobile providers don’t warn you that they’re going to charge an extra fee if you pay by credit/debit card. Even though it’s ‘only’ around 2 percent and some have recently lowered the surcharge, it’s still a nasty surprise when it’s time to pay. That’s why we never charge card convenience fees. More like an ‘inconvenience’ fee!

Extra service charges (e.g. to access voicemail)

We’ve all missed phone calls. In fact, who even picks up when it rings at all anymore? Yet many providers continue to charge users to listen to their voicemail messages, particularly on the cheapest plans. Many people don’t even realise this until they see the charge on their bill. This can also happen if you accidentally accidently send an MMS, or use other services you didn’t realise weren’t included in your plan.

Short-term introductory/new customer offers

Ever been lured into a great value sounding offer to switch to a new provider, then forgot all about it and a year later, realised you ended up paying way more than you planned? Or, have you been annoyed that the great offer on your current provider was only valid for new customers, effectively punishing you for your loyalty?
We pride ourselves on providing everyday low prices on our plans to both new and existing customers, so you know you’re always getting the best deal, even if you’ve been with us all along. If you have, thanks by the way!

Bundled prices

Some mobile plan prices look amazingly cheap, until you realise you also have to get your electricity, gas and internet from the same outfit. (Yes, we know we also previously offered bundle discounts when we sold broadband. But now that we don’t, we also don’t penalise anyone for using us just for mobile.)

Unnecessary add-ons

Some plans offer ‘freebies’ like a free monthly music subscription, but we all know that it’s not really free, it’s just built into the price of the plan already. And what if you don’t listen to music, or you already use a different service that you’re happy with? We don’t make you pay more for things you might not want.

12 month contracts

Some mobile plans lock you in or force you to pay in full upfront for the year, but we understand that doesn’t suit everyone. All our plans are month to month, so if you’re not happy, you don’t have to wait an entire year to switch. But we’re pretty confident people will want to stick around after they enjoy that sweet, sweet unlimited mobile data.

Savings summary

To sum up, if you really want to save $$$ when picking a mobile plan, make sure you:
  • Don’t have a 28 day billing cycle
  • Check if there is a card payment fee (there usually is)
  • Check if there are extra service charges (e.g. for calling voicemail)
  • Don’t get lured in by introductory offers (or ditch that provider as soon as the offer ends)
  • Be wary of bundled plan pricing
  • Check if there are ‘free’ add-ons to the plan, consider if you want them
  • Watch out for 12-month contracts, or plans where you have to pay for the full year in advance
We’ve made it easy by making sure all our plans are month to month, with no card payment fees, no extra service charges, no price increases after you join, and no bundle discounts. Check out our plans now to pick the one that’s right for you.

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How Many GB Do I Need on My Mobile Data Plan?

How many GB do I need
How many GB do I need

How many GBs do I need on my mobile data plan?

Who cares, when all our plans give you unlimited data?
Seriously though, it’s hard to compare plans between providers when some have a certain GB of data allowance before it either cuts you off or slows you down to an unusable speed.
We thought it might help to use some examples that highlight how much data gets used up when you do certain things, so you can make sure you have the right plan for your needs.

250MB plans

Generally speaking, the cheapest plans you can get cost around $10 per month, but that only gives you 250MB of data.
That equals about 3 hours of standard definition video, or 50 songs, or 3 hours of web browsing. Across an entire month! The average Kiwi spends 3 hours a day on their phone, so you do the maths.
In this Canstar Blue article, even a ‘light’ user is defined as using 1-10GB per month. That means by the time you blow through that 250MB in probably one day, you’ll have to pay extra to top up if you want to use mobile data.

1-1.5GB plans

Next up are the plans that hover around the $20-35 per month to give you 1GB to 1.5GB of data per month. Keep in mind some of these are billed every 28 days, and don’t even include unlimited calls to out of network numbers.

This is the minimum amount of data recommended for almost everyone. 1GB is enough for 200 songs, 2 hours of SD video, and 30 mins of HD video.
The average Kiwi uses between 3-4GB of mobile data per month.

To put those plans in perspective, our Starter plan gives you fully unlimited data at speeds of up to 2Mbps, so you know you’ll never run out. Of course, it’s not the right speed for everyone, but it’s our cheapest plan, and designed for essential connectivity for things like music, maps and chat apps.

3GB plans

At around the $35-50 mark are the 3GB+ plans, and we start to see ‘endless’ data plans. 3GB is still only 1.5 hours of HD video. Or, if you end up with an ‘endless’ data plan, you’ll be slowed to an unusable speed after you reach a certain GB allowance.

Imagine you’re stuck somewhere with no wifi, but you’re using your mobile to stream the big game live. There’s only a few minutes left, your team gets the ball, they’re about to score, and then- BAM! It’s the buffering wheel of death. You exceeded your data limit and you’re now being slowed to an agonisingly slow 1.2Mbps. The match might not be over, but your viewing of it certainly is.

Why not fully unlock the power of unlimited mobile data with our Plus plan, which gives you fully unlimited data for only $45 per month?

Higher GB and max speed plans

At the top end of the plan scale, we see some pretty ludicrous pricing for plans that are still relatively limited. When you’re paying $70+ per month for a phone plan, the last thing you want to worry about is exceeding your usage limit.
Our max plan gives you maximum network speeds with no limits at all on speed, all for only $70 per month. We think that’s pretty ace.
In summary, the question you should ask yourself is not ‘How many GBs do I need?’ but ‘How fast do I want to go?’ Free yourself from the shackles of keeping track of your data usage and just go fully unlimited at the speed you need.

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