Communications technology has become increasingly intertwined in the daily lives of Rotorua residents.
According to the 2013 Census, more than three quarters of New Zealand households now have access to the internet, and 84 per cent of people have a cell phone.
Although the proportion of households with the internet is a little lower in the Bay of Plenty, at 75 per cent, the numbers continue to grow with a 15 per cent increase since 2009. Although most internet users have switched to broadband since it became available, 4 per cent of Bay of Plenty homes still have dial-up internet connections. People are also starting to move away from using landlines, with the proportion of people with landlines now only 2 per cent higher than it is for cellphones. In the Bay cellphone use has matched landline use for the first time, with each being used by 84 per cent of Bay of Plenty residents.
Rotorua woman Robhan Elkins is bucking the trend. She doesn't have internet access, and despite having a cellphone she rarely carries it with her.
"I don't see much of a need [for either of them] ... I can always go to the library if I want to find something out ... I like to keep things simple, [internet connections and cellphones] require insurance, and lots of incidental costs and extras ..."
