Spark adds better 4G service to Coromandel sites at Hahei and Red Hill

In anticipation of an increase in data use this summer, Spark has upgraded the 4G service on mobile service sites in Hahei and Red Hill in the Coromandel, making it even easier for Kiwis to share their summer adventures via Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. Residents and visitors alike have a strong appetite for data, with a 37% year-on-year increase in data use on Spark’s Red Hill mobile site over the holiday period, 23 December – 7 January, from 2014/2015 to 2015/2016 while Hahei saw an increase of 10%. Spark expects this year to be even bigger, and has brought 4G to new mobile sites at Kauaeranga Valley, Manaia, and Te Puru on the 700MHz spectrum to improve mobile services in the area. Spark’s General Manager of Networks, Colin Brown, says the company is gearing up for this stronger growth as people share more of their adventures in the Coromandel area. “We want to help Kiwis have an ‘endless summer’ by keeping them connected in more places this festive season, and giving them another excuse to stay away on holiday just that little bit longer. “The huge increases in data use over the summer period last year shows there’s strong demand for these services in the Coromandel region, and our network upgrades will keep people connected to friends and family, giving them the ability to share all the amazing outdoor experiences the island has to offer – great fishing, stunning beaches, and so much more,” says Brown. Nationwide upgrades: To ensure customers right across the country can stay connected to their friends and families throughout the busy summer months Spark has worked hard in the last couple of months to improve its mobile network in time for Christmas to cater for the expected increase in demand for mobile data. In the last three months, Spark has delivered 4G upgrades to more than 100 cell sites and there are new cell sites in popular holiday locations such as Taupo Bay, Pataua (Northland), Mt Maunganui Apartments, and Bishops Bay (Wanaka). In addition to this, Spark is rolling in portable cell sites to seven holiday locations across the country to improve capacity in the areas as they see huge increases in visitors. Temporary sites are currently being delivered to Mangawhai, Gisborne (campgrounds), Sandy Bay and Pohara Beach (Tasman District), two sites in Wanaka at Mt Iron and Rippon Estate and one at the Festival of Lights and Bowl of Brooklands in Taranaki.