What it is
The TCF Switching Issues Project is an industry-led workstream focused on improving the customer experience when switching telecommunications services. The project responds to issues identified through the Commerce Commission’s switching work and TCF member engagement, with a focus on understanding the end-to-end switching journey across mobile, broadband and number portability processes.
Through customer experience reviews, process mapping and provider engagement, the TCF is working with members to identify practical improvements, reduce customer pain points, and support clearer, more consistent switching information for consumers.
Deliverables
- Consumer switching best practice guidance – development of industry guidance for mobile and broadband switching. The guidance is intended to be codified by December 2026. This will include Consumer information improvements — clearer and more consistent information for consumers, including website and instructional content, product material, FAQs, information about 2FA, standardised switching terminology, and call centre guidance and escalation processes.
- Process and systems mapping – mapping current-state broadband, mobile, fixed-line and mobile porting processes to identify issues relating to billing, transfer data, porting, service activation, and transfers to alternative technologies.
- Technical solutions and recommendations – industry review and assessment of technical solutions, with recommendations to be agreed by the end of September 2026.
- Implementation planning for 2027 – development of an agreed technical solutions implementation plan for 2027, with any agreed switching process changes to be codified into the operational TCF Transfer Code.
- LMNP Terms updates – proposed amendments to the LMNP Terms to address porting-related issues identified through the switching work, including updates relating to resellers, fraud protection measures, 2FA, IoT devices, unauthorised ports, operational timeframes and reporting.
Who it applies to
- Telecommunications providers of broadband and mobile services.
Project Status
- Assessment and design
Working Party Members
- 2degrees
- Chorus
- Devoli
- Enable Networks
- Kordia
- Lightwire
- Mercury
- Northpower Fibre
- One NZ
- Spark
- Tuatahi Fibre
- Vector