The days of having to climb to the top of a hill - or head out on the water - to get cellphone coverage have now gone for some parts of Banks Peninsula.
Okains Bay and Le Bons Bay now have cellphone coverage, thanks to the work of the Rural Connectivity Group with support from the Okains Bay community.
Until now residents have had to go to the hilltop to get coverage, or head out into the bay by boat.
RCG met a December deadline to get the tower installed.
It is a group contracted by the Government to bring 4G services to rural New Zealand, but before it can set up sites it needs the help of rural communities, iwi, local businesses, councils and landowners.
The new Okains Bay tower site is on private property just up the hill from the Okains Bay Museum.
Spark, Vodafone and 2degrees deliver services through the RCG network.
-By Tony Simons
