New Zealanders' appetite for the internet is growing in leaps and bounds.

Use of data on the Chorus network has doubled since last year, the telecommunications company says.

Photo: 123rf

New Zealanders were recently faulted for not knowing how to use smart electrical gadgets but appear to have no such trouble with computers and related technologies like tablets or smart phones.

Chorus market strategy manager Rosalie Nelson said people were using data more, more often, and to do more things.

"Since the beginning of last year we have increased 100 percent," she said.

"We are now using 100 gigabytes a month and we are forecasting that this is just going to increase exponentially, getting to 166 gigabytes by June next year."

Ms Nelson said that equated to 56 hours of high definition TV each month.

More than half of New Zealanders watch internet TV, with data also used for everything from turning on the heat pump to paying bills.

While telecommunications developments often provoke intense debate in the computer world, Jordan Carter of Internet New Zealand said the country deserved a big tick for what it was achieving.

"Since the ultra fast broadband began in 2011 and 2012 we are rapidly catching up," he said.

"By the time it is all done in 2019 we will be well ahead of countries like the United States, Australia and the UK."