Media Release - Opito Bay has been named the most connected holiday hotspot in New Zealand, according to data that’s just been released by Vodafone.

Opito Bay experienced a large spike in data usage over the summer period, up 735 percent compared to the first half of December, as holiday makers flooded the Coromandel.

Kiwis at the popular holiday destination consumed 1,417 GB of data during the peak holiday period compared to 169 GB of data for the same time period at the start of December.

“Christmas at the beach is a quintessential kiwi tradition, but for most people it’s not about going completely off the grid. We know people love being connected – particularly at special times of the year, like Christmas and during the holidays,” Vodafone’s Technology Director Tony Baird said.

Vodafone’s top ten list is based on mobile data traffic carried over 1,575 different cell sites around New Zealand, between 24 December 2017 and 4 January, 2018.

The most connected holiday hotspots this summer were:

1. Opito Bay

2. Otematata

3. Kaiteriteri

4. Whangamata

5. Pauanui

6. Onemana

7. Helena Bay

8. Taupo

9. Wanaka

10. Waihi Beach

Nationally, 2,405 Terabytes of data was used on Vodafone’s network over Christmas – that’s equivalent to streaming about 1.12 million episodes of Game of Thrones back to back. This data consumption was up 68 percent on the same period last year, showing Kiwis’ increasing appetite for streaming music, video entertainment and staying connected with family and friends, via social media.
“Smartphones, laptops and tablets are at the heart of people staying in touch now. We’ve been working really hard to make sure Kiwis get the same great experience via our network at holiday destinations, as they do when they’re at home,” Tony said.

Vodafone invested heavily in its network for holiday hotspots in the lead up to Christmas in 2017, spending more than a million dollars upgrading sites from 3G to 4G* and adding extra capacity, to bring faster speeds to support the influx of holiday makers.

*4G not available everywhere and requires a capable device. See vodafone.co.nz/4G.

Top Ten Holiday Hotspots - Raw Data:

Per cent increase is compared to the start of the month (3 – 17 December 2017)

1. Opito Bay 1,417 GB (735.94% increase)

2. Otematata 1,470 GB (445.64% increase)

3. Kaiteriteri 3,035 GB (433.70% increase)

4. Whangamata 6,596 GB (382.87 %)

5. Pauanui 6,198 GB (316.02% increase)

6. Onemana 3,444 GB (313.04% increase)

7. Helena Bay 667 GB (295.72% increase)

8. Taupo 1,186 GB (289.69% increase)

9. Wanaka 982 GB (281.39% increase)

10. Waihi Beach 5, 684 GB (279.11 % increase)