Bumper Online Celebrations Saw Data Up 51% This Christmas

This festive season again saw record highs for data usage as Kiwis turned to digital channels via Vodafone’s phone and internet networks to connect with loved ones in Aotearoa and overseas.

Vodafone customers used 1,777 Terabytes (TB*) of data across Christmas Day and Boxing Day**, compared to 1,178 TB of data across New Zealand during the same two days last year, cracking a 51% increase year-on-year.

That’s equivalent to Kiwis streaming more than 1,184,667 hours of video*** in just two days.

The most popular time to go online - such as stream content, video-call, or check out the latest online deals, was between 8-9pm on both Christmas and Boxing Day, with the peaks seeing 58 TB and 61 TB of data used respectively.

Vodafone New Zealand Head of Network Services, Sharina Nisha, says teams are working 24/7 to keep Kiwis connected this festive season. “With international travel still on hold, we expected a large amount of internet traffic around the holiday season but once again we've been blown away by the sheer volume. It highlights how important digital tools are so people can connect with their friends and whānau remotely.

"We have boosted mobile coverage at busy locations and events by installing temporary cell sites on wheels (COWs) or via upgrading cell sites during the past year, so we expect Vodafone customers will be well catered for during the festive season.”

A few of destinations with increased holiday capacity include Paihia, Omaha and Whangamata, as well as popular festivals such as Northern Bass in Mangawhai and the Greenstone Summer Concert Tour 2022 in Taupo, Whitianga and Queenstown.

Vodafone’s regional upgrades have been a huge priority in 2021, with millions of dollars in investment resulting in independent testing showing Vodafone now offers its customers the best mobile network in the Manawatu and Bay of Plenty regions - with more upgrades to come in 2022.

*TB: Terabyte. Tera (T or million million) is a 1 with 12 zeros to its right.

**Christmas period measured ran from 12am on 25 December to 11pm on 26 December.

***Calculation of TB to videos – calculation based on 1080p at 1.5GB per hour.

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