Methodology

The model chooses. Copy explains.

AI may explain deterministic winners, but it cannot change the winner list. Eligibility filters run before scoring.

Fibre & 5G Home scoring model v1

Fibre (fibre_v1) and 5G Home (home_5g_v1) share the same weighted model. Both are fixed-line or fixed-location broadband where speed, contract length, and one-off fees drive the true cost of ownership.

CriterionWeight
True 24-month cost30%
RM per Mbps20%
Download speed15%
Contract flexibility10%
Upload speed10%
Installation and device fees5%
Router included5%
Confidence score5%

A plan approaching the 7-day freshness limit receives a flat −8 penalty so newer captures rank above equally-scored stale-soon records.

Postpaid, Prepaid & Roaming scoring model v1

Mobile categories (postpaid_v1, prepaid_v1, roaming_v1) share one model. Data quota matters more than raw speed here, and contract risk is weighted higher because mobile plans are easier to switch.

CriterionWeight
True 24-month cost35%
Data quota25%
Contract flexibility15%
Installation and device fees10%
Confidence score10%
Unlimited data bonus5%

The same −8 stale-soon penalty applies. Plans with unlimited: true receive the full unlimited-data bonus; capped plans receive a partial score.

Cost projection by category

The cost column you see on each page is chosen to match the plan's real commitment — not for cosmetic consistency. Comparing a 24-month fibre contract against a no-contract prepaid top-up on the same timeframe would misrepresent what you actually pay.

CategoryCost labelTimeframe
FibreTrue 24-month cost24 × monthly + one-off fees
5G HomeTrue 24-month cost24 × monthly + one-off fees
Postpaid (contract)True 24-month cost24 × monthly + one-off fees
Postpaid (no contract)Annual estimate12 × monthly + one-off fees
PrepaidAnnual estimate12 × monthly + one-off fees
RoamingCost basisPer pass / per day / per month (by plan)

Contract plans lock you in for the full term, so the true cost reflects that commitment. No-contract plans can be cancelled any time, so a 12-month annual estimate is the fairest projection. Roaming passes vary by validity period, so the cost basis (per pass, per day, or per month) is shown instead of a fixed projection.

Eligibility filters

Plans are excluded for stale data, missing official source, confidence below 0.85, unclear promo or contract fields, inactive status, or incomplete source fields.

Freshness rules

Every plan must have an official source URL and capture timestamp. Data older than 7 days is stale and cannot enter a recommendation. Records approaching that limit are marked stale soon, while confidence below 0.85 requires manual review.

How the top 3 are determined

Eligibility runs first. The category's versioned scoring model then ranks only qualifying records. The page publishes exactly 3 picks, including a specific reason to choose or avoid each one. If fewer than 3 plans qualify, the ranking is blocked instead of padded with unverified choices.