Whangamata is one of the spots to get a temporary mobile boost for January.

Spark and Vodafone have increased the Coromandel Peninsula's mobile networks in anticipation of a data explosion in January.

Mobile data usages increased 530 per cent on Spark's Whangamata mobile site over the Christmas and New Year period last summer. It was a 700 per cent increase on the faster 4G data network. Waihi Beach saw a 225 per cent increase in the same period, and a five-fold increase in 4G mobile data usage.

Spark's response was to invest more than $5 million in upgrades and expansions on its mobile network, in anticipation of another record year.

New smartphones have seen data usage explode over summer holidays.

Spark added 4G capability to existing mobile site in the centre of Whangamata and expanded capacity on its September Road site overlooking town.

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A temporary site was being set up in town.

Spark also added a new mobile site in Athenree, expanding 3G and 4G coverage and capacity for Athenree, Bowentown and Waihi Beach.

"Between the traditional summer surge and immensely popular Beach Hop, Whangamata is one of our busiest seasonal mobile sites, and the growth last summer across the Christmas and New Year period was huge - over 20 per cent increase per day on average," said Spark spokesman Cameron Bell.

"Based on that huge demand and the continuing rise in demand for data across New Zealand this holiday season, we're expecting customers to use even more mobile data staying connected and sharing their summer experiences with friends and family using apps like Skype, Snapchat and Facebook while at the beach, the bach or while tending to the barbecue."

The increase in data was driven by all generations, said Spark spokeswoman Lucy Fullarton.

"They have always taken family photos, but now they are putting them on Facebook. We see a jump each year as more and more people get smartphones."

She didn't want to say exactly how much data that amounted to, thought.

"I can't give you exact numbers, as far as data is concerned - it's commercially sensitive - but it's certainly massive."

Vodafone, anticipating a similar increase, spent more than $420,000 on its network in the Coromandel ahead of Christmas. It built a new cell site with 4G capacity in Whangamata and sent a COW (Cellsite on Wheels) to Hahei to provide more network capacity. Vodafone has also doubled its 4G capacity in Pauanui and Whitianga.