Spark New Zealand : to provide free mobile data, hotspotting, and calling for its broadband customers during fixed network outages

Spark broadband customers will now automatically receive 14GB of max speed data with hotspotting and unlimited NZ calls and texts on their Spark mobile when a fibre or copper network outage is impacting their home broadband connection, as well as proactive text notifications to keep them better informed of when it will be resolved.

The new service, called Outage Assist, aims to improve transparency around network outages and keep customers updated as technicians work to restore services, whilst ensuring they have plenty of mobile allowances to stay online and connected if their broadband is down.

Spark is also offering all broadband customers access to a new dashboard when they log into their MySpark account, called 'My Broadband Health'. The dashboard allows customers to track restoration progress during network outages in their area, or perform broadband health checks to identify issues unrelated to the network e.g. modem placement.

Spark SME and Consumer Director, Greg Clark, is excited to be taking a step from being reactive when it comes to network outages to creating this proactive service for customers. He said: "While most of today's modern networks are highly reliable, the reality is there will be times when broadband goes down and customers can't get online. But if you have both mobile and broadband with Spark, we will make sure you're supported during fixed network outages by boosting mobile data, hotspotting and calling for free."

Spark customers with a copper or fibre broadband plan and a Spark pay monthly mobile plan don't need to do anything and will automatically receive Outage Assist during a network outage, provided the mobile network is not under any significant strain. Customers on Spark pre-paid mobile plans can register to receive Outage Assist on the new 'My Broadband Health' dashboard.

Greg said Spark has also introduced systems that allow its customer care teams to use the same online journey as its customers so that they can see exactly where their customer is at in terms of troubleshooting, enabling faster and more effective customer support.

"We know when customers contact us with connectivity issues they're likely already frustrated and don't want to have to explain their situation, and go through the same troubleshooting steps they've already attempted. Giving our customer service teams better visibility means we can support them faster and take a more personalised approach.

"Our ultimate goal is to build stronger relationships with our customers by providing them with timely information, personalised support and incredible experiences. With this new service, we aim to make the support process as smooth and hassle-free as possible, ensuring they receive the right assistance when they need it the most," said Greg.

Ends

Notes to editor

• Outage Assist will replace Spark's previous 'Connection Promise,' which customers could register for to receive free mobile data for up to four mobiles in the event of an outage.
• Customers who have registered for the existing Connection Promise service don't need to do anything. Their preferences will be automatically transferred to the new Outage Assist service, ensuring a seamless transition without additional customer effort.
• Because the mobile network is a shared bandwidth technology, as was the case with Spark's existing Connection promise service, there may be times where we aren't able to offer free mobile allowances due to the mobile network being under significant strain, such as during a widespread power outage. In these scenarios, our network operations team will assess whether the network could handle an uplift in mobile use and enable the allowances as soon as possible.