The fibre broadband network is the modern-day equivalent of building the railways, Amy Adams says.
The Communications Minister was in Wanganui yesterday to officially launch the city's recently completed fibre network on day two of the Beyond Broadband Expo.
A self-described "evangelist when it comes to fibre", Ms Adams said that, like railways, fibre could change how and where people lived.
"It was when we put in those connection networks that allowed us to move our goods around and get things to market easily and suddenly whole areas of the country were opened up to productive use," Ms Adams said.
"Now in a digital world it's the same sort of transformation ... What it really means is you can be living in Wanganui, or New Plymouth or Gore and you can run a global business ... and you're doing it on the same footing as anyone in the world."