Tararua District households have nearly doubled their use of broadband data in the last 18 months, with surging demand for streaming services such as Netflix, according to new statistics from Chorus.
The average Tararua home used 66GB of broadband data in June 2016 compared to 34GB in January 2015, a 96 per cent increase.
"The figures show that faster broadband is now, more than ever, an essential part of many New Zealanders' daily lives," says Rosalie Nelson, Chorus Head of Market Insight.
"More than half of New Zealanders now watch internet TV where the number of online film and TV platforms has exploded.
"But this isn't just about watching more and more content online, it's also about the rapid digitisation of our everyday lives. Broadband as the fourth utility sits at the heart of the home and plays a pivotal role in how we function in our day-to-day lives."
Typically, homes now have several connected devices at any one time and with this surge in data use, people expect and demand faster and more reliable broadband speeds.
"With faster broadband, you don't have long delays while streaming or downloading high definition TV and video or face frustrating buffering - even when there are multiple connected devices in your home."
Nationally, the average New Zealand home used about 102GB of broadband data in June 2016 - more than double the amount used at the start of 2015 (49GB).
New Zealand has already seen dramatic improvements in broadband thanks to the Ultra-Fast Broadband and the Rural Broadband programmes. Improvements have also been delivered through availability of faster broadband on the Chorus copper network.
"Right now, more than 700,000 New Zealanders, that's the combined population of Dunedin, Christchurch and Hamilton, can access faster broadband than they currently have," says Ms Nelson.
"And yes, fibre is the fastest form of broadband, but if it's not available, VDSL on the Chorus copper network provides a faster, more reliable service with less buffering for streaming TV, movies and video than regular ADSL."
Ms Nelson says Chorus has made it easier to upgrade to VDSL.
"We may be able to upgrade you without a technician visiting."
Ms Nelson says with the way broadband data is used now, broadband plans with data caps are no longer practical.
"More and more consumers want the freedom of unlimited plans. These plans are competitively priced and take away the fear of chewing through your data allowance and being charged extra."
- To find out what broadband speed your household could be getting and how to upgrade visit www.chorus.co.nz