Demand for high-speed internet in provincial Otago towns is indisputable.
People in the region were happy to hear about a deal announced yesterday between the Community Trust of Otago and Telecom, which will see Telecom's high speed internet service, JetStream, made available in eight provincial Otago towns. Normally Oamaru, Wanaka, Alexandra, Cromwell, Kurow, Balclutha, Palmerston and Milton wouldn't normally meet the company's commercial criteria. Thanks to the new partnership all will get JetStream access by December 1.
Wanaka United Travel owner Tim Pierce said before the announcement that he’d “break into tears [of joy]” if Telecom's JetStream or an equivalent service became available in Wanaka.
“We’re feeling really left out here.”
There are approximately 80 United Travel franchises in the country, Pierce says, and his is one of about 25 that doesn’t have JetStream or an equivalent service.
Not having JetStream is “a major impediment” to the business. “Ideally, at each terminal we’d like to have permanent access to the internet so we can feed information into databases. Basically, we just use the internet for email at the moment.”
Geoff Blance, practice manager of Central Otago law firm Checketts McKay, says the firm will definitely consider getting JetStream.
The firm, which has offices in Alexandra, Wanaka, Cromwell and Roxburgh, is increasingly using the internet, he says.
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