The first West Coast fibre enabled cell site along the Haast Highway 8km west of Fox Glacier township has gone live providing broadband and mobile calling services to homes, businesses, and the farming community across the area. PHOTO: RCG AND VENTIA PTY LTDHomes, businesses and farming communities along a 20km stretch of SH6 are now much better "digitally connected" to the rest of the world following the first West Coast fibre enabled cell site going live. Rural Connectivity Group CEO John Proctor said there was a significant build programme across the West Coast and Otago region under way and livening this site marked the start of a vastly improved modern telecommunications network across the West Coast. The government-funded Rural Broadband Initiative was expected to be fully completed in 2023 providing 84,000 rural homes and businesses with improved broadband. The Mobile Black Spot Fund programme would provide about 1400km of state highway coverage and connectivity to 168 tourism sites across New Zealand.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 16, 2021 15:48 UTC