Telephoning, skyping, texting and emailing in Queenstown,
Frankton and Arrowtown on devices just became free and easy
thanks to a new service introduced by Telecom this summer.
The company announced this week it activated more than 100
Wi-Fi hot spots in New Zealand's popular summer holiday
destinations, including the Queenstown Lakes district.
There are nine hot spots in Queenstown, one in Frankton, one
in Arrowtown, one in Lake Hawea and three in Wanaka. They
were activated on Tuesday and all will remain on until the
end of February next year.
The range of coverage of each hot spot is about 100m,
although it depends on where it is and how many people are
using it any one time.
The company deployed the service mainly through Telecom
telephone boxes, or in some cases by building Wi-Fi access
points into infrastructure such as shops.
Users will be taken through a brief online registration
process before their device automatically connects to the
service each time afterwards.
''There's nothing like sharing your summer experience with
loved ones even if you can't be together,'' Telecom mobile
product general Ed Hyde said.
''All you need is a New Zealand mobile number, with any
provider, to stay connected''Whether it's searching for a
nearby cafe, uploading a few holiday snaps to your Facebook
page, or, in my case, checking work emails, Kiwis and
visitors can get online for free without having to leave
their deckchair.
''It's a bit of a treat from us to help Kiwis share their
love of summer.''
Telecom also rolled out its free Wi-Fi hot spots trial in
Northland, the Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty.
During the course of the summer, Telecom and ZM radio will
host ''Wi-Fi lounge'' areas in locations around the Lakes
district, with deckchairs and umbrellas to allow people to
relax while they surf the 'net. Staff will be available to
show people how to use the service.
Make a connection
Where Telecom's free Wi-Fi hot spots are in the Queenstown
Lakes district:
• Shotover St cnr Brecon St, Queenstown.
• Shotover St cnr Athol St, Queenstown.
• Rees St, Queenstown.81 Beach St (ANZ Bank),
Queenstown.
• Cnr Stanley St and Ballarat St, Queenstown.
• Stanley St cnr Shotover St opposite Mobil Station Alpine
Motors, Queenstown.
• Frankton Rd cnr Stanley St opposite Copthorne Hotel,
Queenstown.
• Frankton Rd cnr Stanley St, Queenstown.
• Camp St cnr Searle Lane, Queenstown.
• Frankton Rd cnr McBride St (Mobil Station), Frankton.
• 58 Buckingham St cnr Wiltshire St (library),
Arrowtown.
• Capell Ave cnr Parry Cres, Lake Hawea.
• 84 Ardmore St (The Paper Place), Wanaka.26 Ardmore St,
Wanaka.
• Helwick St cnr Dunmore St, Wanaka.
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