Gaps in cellphone reception, slow internet and poor telecommunications infrastructure in Maniototo are hampering businesses and could put people at risk, residents say.
As the Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI) is installed throughout the country, Maniototo communities are hoping for a spotlight to be shone upon their plight.
Some believe the increased broadband and cellphone coverage under the RBI would still not provide required services in the area.
A map on the website of Vodafone, the company providing the RBI in Central Otago on behalf of Chorus, details final RBI coverage and shows large gaps in the southeast of the valley and widespread gaps throughout Maniototo.
Chorus media manager Nathan Beaumont said a wider Omakau area would have upgraded broadband infrastructure completed between July 2015 and June 2016.
Other areas in Maniototo and Ida Valley were outside the present Chorus coverage area for the network upgrade.
''While there are no current plans, that doesn't mean the situation won't change. Chorus reviews its plans annually and these areas could be considered for upgrades in the future.''
Ida Valley resident Steve Aldridge said that was just not good enough.
''How can you call that a roll-out?
''If you roll something out you don't ... say we are putting a bit here or a bit there - that's not a roll-out.''
The request from people in the area was simple: total cellphone and internet coverage.
Poor coverage under the Government's initiative was contradictory to its calls for people to move to and work in rural areas, he said.
Business activities like online banking were a struggle and there was a risk to tourists or workers in remote areas if they came to harm and could not summon help.
Ida Valley resident and business operator Steve Goodlass had been trying to raise community awareness of the RBI issues and ''poor treatment'' by internet providers.
An example was internet provided via fibre optic cable to Poolburn School, but not to the telecommunications cabinet located only 400m from the school.
That cabinet provided internet for private residences and businesses.
He believed internet speeds in the valley were getting worse as more businesses were established and internet-capable devices became more popular.
Chorus said faster fixed-line broadband could not be delivered to all of New Zealand, due to the challenge of distances and low population density.
Mr Beaumont said while Chorus was continually extending the reach of fixed-line broadband, ''significant'' investment costs in deploying broadband infrastructure to ''some harder-to-reach areas'' made it challenging.
''The Government may consider expanding the coverage areas of ultra-fast broadband and the Rural Broadband Initiative in the future,'' he said.
If people in those areas wanted their addresses to be considered in further expansion of broadband networks they could register their interest online.
Central Otago District Council economic development manager Warwick Hawker said improving broadband services in Maniototo was a ''major priority''.
Access to fast internet was an action point in council's economic development strategy.
''This affects everybody in the community. We all need access to fast broadband, as the world has moved that way.''
The council was following the progress of the RBI roll-out but there was ''not a great deal more'' it could do.
There was no budget to financially assist, he said.
