The historic cell service deadzone, which seems at its worst near Gantley’s Tavern, sees hands-free calls drop out, and those enjoying nearby hospitality venues straggling to get service, even when hooked into venues’ Wi-Fi.
But thanks to Southland MP Joseph Mooney, Queenstown businessman Rod Drury — who owns Gantley’s Pub, The Cargo Collective, and an adjacent section on which Rakau pizzeria and grill is based — telco provider Spark’s now investigating options to resolve the issue.
Drury, who established the ‘ilounge’ at Gantley’s, featuring high-speed fibre and a recording booth to help mountain bikers provide blogging and vlogging content, tells Mountain Scene getting rid of the larger deadzone’s "really important for productivity".
He notes Arthurs Point’s becoming a "key hub", particularly with the addition of the ‘back road bus’ — the Orbus service which travels from Jack’s Point, via Queenstown, to Arrowtown — and the opening of two new trails, the Wharehuanui Trail, connecting Arrowtown to Arthurs Point, and the Shotover Gorge Trail, linking Arthurs Point to Tucker Beach.
Additionally, at peak times, such as November’s Queenstown Marathon weekend, the suburb swells with visitors, all of whom want to be able to make and receive calls and texts.
Drury says he’s been pushing for better cell service for five years, but credits Mooney for finally getting the ball rolling with Spark, which has acknowledged the issues.
In a statement, a Spark spokeswoman says they’re working with the local community to "explore opportunities to improve connectivity in the area".
"Our engineers have been on site to assess the different options that might be available to us.
"However, nothing has been confirmed at this stage."
