Spark - 5G Coverage + data instability (Wellington & parts of Auckland)

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Spark - 5G Coverage + data instability (Wellington & parts of Auckland)

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#3484933 28-Apr-2026 09:55

@ajw they would be better off moving to another provider / MVNO that uses OneNZ or 2degrees not a MVNO using the same network with poor coverage in the area

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#3484934 28-Apr-2026 09:56

Understood. However, even outside, Belfast is a relatively flat area. Even out in a park, yes I get 1-2 bars then but download speed is no greater than 8-10mbps, upload about 2

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#3484936 28-Apr-2026 09:59

jaydenvt:

Understood. However, even outside, Belfast is a relatively flat area. Even out in a park, yes I get 1-2 bars then but download speed is no greater than 8-10mbps, upload about 2

@jaydenvt Yes but you still have mobile coverage and it works! If you want better coverage in this area then move provider! Simple as that

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#3484941 28-Apr-2026 10:10

@Linux yeah I was more wondering if this was known and if there's any planned upgrades or improvements in the area before simply ditching my long term carrier. Cheers

richms

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#3484943 28-Apr-2026 10:15

Linux:

@jaydenvt 15 minutes from a CBD mean zero! Like people in Auckland with poor mobile coverage that can see the Sky Tower - Not related to mobile coverage in anyway at all

' Oh why do I have poor mobile coverage when I can see the Sky Tower '

birkenhead and northcote are poster children for that. Also the locations where spark is inferior to the others.

Richard rich.ms

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#3484948 28-Apr-2026 10:19

jaydenvt:

@Linux yeah I was more wondering if this was known and if there's any planned upgrades or improvements in the area before simply ditching my long term carrier. Cheers

There's a lot of work going on to make the future better. However this is the now. Wi-Fi Calling is the way to go if you want to stay with Spark.

I'm still waiting to hear back for updates as the Canterbury Tech Park (where I work) is exactly in the same boat as your area is in. The cell sites that flank the area are both off, so I'm stuck with One NZ via Contact Mobile.

There's a lot of boardroom politics which doesn't help the customers.

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#3484950 28-Apr-2026 10:25

@MaxineN Thanks for your reply. Oh interesting you say that about the tech park. I work there too and mine is great here?

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#3484952 28-Apr-2026 10:29

jaydenvt:

@MaxineN Thanks for your reply. Oh interesting you say that about the tech park. I work there too and mine is great here?

As I sit opposite Airways I am not enjoying my 2mbps experience as my device gets thrown to the sites at the airport.

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=39&topicid=324204&page_no=2#3469441

I just turned on my Spark esim today and the experience is still the same.

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#3484959 28-Apr-2026 10:44

jaydenvt:

@MaxineN interesting, I'm right outside that area too and get about 100, on a S26 Ultra

Hopefully you don't work from a dungeon.

My amazing One NZ experience versus...

My absolutely dreadful Spark NZ experience (this is actually on a good day).

Same testing location. Same phone. Tech Park isn't the only bad area... I frequent the CBD area on weekends with my laptop to smash out stuff and I am hotspotting constantly... I can name a few bad areas in the CBD too.

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#3484960 28-Apr-2026 10:55

Hereford St between council and Manchester St is the worst for radio interference.

either your car remote doesn’t work properly or mobile drops.

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#3485350 29-Apr-2026 08:38

richms: The spark network is trash. Their defenders are in denial of it since they never use data and are happy that they have coverage to make a call when in some obscure middle of nowhere place that the others dont have coverage in.

Biggest understatement of the year. The reason I Have to have a landline phone is the cell coverage is so poor at my home you can not make or receive a call using a mobile phone. Period! I live 8 mins from the centre of Dunedin. And before anyone asks, I don't use Wi Fi.

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#3485401 29-Apr-2026 08:44

Tomahawk66:

richms: The spark network is trash. Their defenders are in denial of it since they never use data and are happy that they have coverage to make a call when in some obscure middle of nowhere place that the others dont have coverage in.

Biggest understatement of the year. The reason I Have to have a landline phone is the cell coverage is so poor at my home you can not make or receive a call using a mobile phone. Period! I live 8 mins from the centre of Dunedin. And before anyone asks, I don't use Wi Fi.

@Tomahawk66 Living 8 minutes from any cbd sorry to say means nothing when it comes to mobile coverage and the best option is to check out other providers and who has a site closer to your house

check out https://gisgeek.app/nz/map/celltowers click on filter top right hand corner

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#3485435 29-Apr-2026 09:17

@Linux

Thanks Linux, the link required me signing up to access it.... I didn't. I have looked constantly at the coverage maps all 3 cell companies use and all are terrible at my property. Spark is actually slightly better than the other two according to the maps. I can get a text message on my cell phone but that is it. Phone calls won't even connect most of the time. Funnily enough the best reception I've ever had was when we still had the CDMA network. It's gotten progressively worse since then.

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#3485438 29-Apr-2026 09:24

@Tomahawk66 Mobile Coverage progressively getting worse is caused by new buildings going up and trees growing taller / bigger not cause the mobile network is changing

I have sent you a DM here on Geekzone

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#3485439 29-Apr-2026 09:24

Tomahawk66: Biggest understatement of the year. The reason I Have to have a landline phone is the cell coverage is so poor at my home you can not make or receive a call using a mobile phone. Period! I live 8 mins from the centre of Dunedin. And before anyone asks, I don't use Wi Fi.

You say you don't have WiFi, you don't have coverage and yet you're posting on here.

Well, WiFi calling can easily solve your issue. It is however off-topic for this thread.

Tomahawk66: I have looked constantly at the coverage maps all 3 cell companies use and all are terrible at my property. Spark is actually slightly better than the other two according to the maps.

OK? Then what was the point of posting here? It's not about Spark in your case, it's about your location. Sort out WiFi calling for yourself.

Michael Murphy | https://murfy.nz
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