Area general manager for the region Chris Taylor said the provider was expecting a “four-fold surge in network traffic” across key holiday destinations on the South Coast like Batemans Bay, Ulladulla, Merimbula and Kiama.

He said to maintain the same service quality to those regions, in spite of significantly increased demand, Telstra has implemented measures, including localised service boosting to deal with call congestion and slowing data speeds.

A large percentage of that increase in coastal towns is likely to be from holidaymakers posting photos of their fun in the sun to social media.

“Ninety-two per cent of us admit our mobile phone is an essential item to pack for every trip away, so it’s clear social connectivity is integral to the way we travel today,” Mr Taylor said.

“Australia’s landscape, culture and our holiday experiences make for shareable social content that can only bolster our tourism industry.

“Telstra’s own network data shows that Aussies love to head to the coast over the summer period, with network traffic significantly increasing in December and January.

“This is why Telstra is committed to ensuring those all-important social connections away from home flow as seamlessly as possible.”

According to a Telstra survey of 1250 Australians, 37 per cent admitted to posting holiday photos on social media to make their friends and family jealous.

More surprisingly, 42 per cent said the social media sharing potential of a location played a role in deciding where to go on holidays.

Beachfront locations were the most popular destinations of choice.