Dunedin company Rural Networks South Island has installed a network in Cromwell, which it hopes to activate next week.
Company owner Brent Nicholson said the service covered 75% of the Cromwell township.
The project was created alongside Auckland-based broadband provider Greenfields and will transmit an internet service via a dish on nearby Mt Pisa.
It would be a type of radio broadband, where houses would need to install small dishes, and in some cases would make internet speeds up to 20 times faster, he said.
The company initially had only six businesses signed up, as it was waiting until the system went live to push for subscriptions, but there was a big demand, because of the town's generally slow internet, he said.
‘‘I was initially contacted by real estate companies, wanting to put videos of houses on their websites and things like that.''
Installation depended on how much coverage subscribers wanted in a building, but generally cost about $250, with monthly costs of $89.70 for unlimited data, he said.
Central Otago District Council economic development manager Warrick Hawker said it would continue to push for a fibre network in Cromwell, despite private companies installing internet services.
‘‘Fibre is still the ultimate objective.
‘‘But it's very exciting for the people of Cromwell. Slow internet speeds are an issue all over the district.''
Faster broadband was a top priority for the council, he said.
It applied for many towns in Central Otago to be equipped with fibre cables as part of the Government's rural ultra-fast broadband initiative and Clyde, Alexandra and Cromwell made it on to the shortlist, he said.
‘‘Now we're just waiting to hear back.''
Golden Gate Lodge general manager Glen Christiansen, who signed up to the service, said its affordability meant he could offer free Wi-Fi to guests at the hotel and restaurant.
While higher speeds were welcome, it would mainly be of use to businesses who required more advanced internet usage, he said.
‘‘It's a pain when I'm trying to download something, but that isn't why I signed up.''
