Telcos beef up coverage in Queenstown Lakes District

There will be increased internet coverage in the Queenstown Lakes regions this summer.

Wanaka residents and holidaymakers should have substantial device coverage as they relax this summer.

New Zealand's two largest telcos have been preparing for months for the "massive demand" on their networks this Christmas so there will not be a slowdown or disruption to their services.

Spark communications spokeswoman Michelle Baguley said to cope with the "mass migration of customers" to the most popular summer hot spots and the proliferation of smartphones, iPads and other devices, the company would be adding large container "cell on wheel" infrastructures (or Cows) to the existing mobile network.

Ms Baguley said there was already an extra Cow on Mt Iron and at the start of next month a Cow would be installed on Rippon Estate, and both would remain until the end of January.

Specific events would also have a Cow installed.

"Rhythm and Alps will have a Cow for the duration of the event,  and we've got a Cow going in to Gibbston valley for the event that is on there in January, and we will be having a Cow at Warbirds over Wanaka for the duration of that event," Ms Baguley said.

Spark would also be adding software to existing equipment and planned to add capacity at Bishops Bay, Cromwell,  Lake Hawea, Peninsular Reservoir and Albert Town by early December, she said.

Vodafone has confirmed it will once again be adding extra cell site capacity in the Wanaka region for the Rhythm and Alps Festival on New Year's Eve, as well as for Warbirds over Wanaka in April.

Vodafone head of networks and platforms Sharina Nisha said "in addition, we recently installed a new permanent cell site at Bishops Bay, which will provide additional capacity for Wanaka residents and visitors year-round, including over the busy holiday period."

Ms Nisha said traffic volumes over the Vodafone network on Christmas Day increased 71% year on year from 2015 to 2016.New Year's Eve showed a year on year growth of 67%  in traffic from 2015 to 2016, she said.

In the meantime, permanent residents living near Wanaka's Sticky Forest and Beacon Point Rd were also in line for improved cellphone and broadband services after the construction of a 10m high cellphone pole in the forest before Christmas.

The Wanaka Community Board last week gave consent for a right of way easement across Platinum Ridge Reserve for two years with a two year right of renewal.

Spark's  South Island head, Paul Deavoll, told the Wanaka Community Board that was a temporary fix and  the company would be working with the Queenstown Lakes District council over the next two years to find a permanent solution.

Spark acquisitions manager Suz Ruru said the pole would be "well hidden in a contextual site" and of a colour that "matched the surrounding trees".

The construction was likely to take only two to three days, it would be "very low impact" and the disruption to the reserve would be minimal, she said.

Spark had been negotiating with the descendants of the traditional landowners of Sticky Forest through the Office of Treaty Settlements over the  pole and they had been supportive.

kerrie.waterworth@odt.co.nz