Three small rural communities - two in the South Island and one in the North - will get mobile phone coverage as the first successful applicants in the Vodafone community cellsite scheme.
Vodafone chief network officer Tony Baird said the company had planned to fund two rural sites this year, but selected three sites - northern and southern Catlins and Waihau Bay in the East Cape of the North Island.
Senior Constable Murray Hewitson, of Owaka, who is also a member of Catlins Search and Rescue, said the extended cover would be "great" for emergency services.
"Communications will definitely improve, making emergency services, searchers, and volunteers easily contactable. It will be better for searches and those involved with accidents, who have struggled to call for help with little cellphone coverage."
Tourism Catlins project co-ordinator Kim Dodds said the majority of the Catlins did not have cellphone coverage. Telecom cover ends about 5km south of Owaka and the area without coverage extends to Fortrose in the southern Catlins.
"It just gives our community, businesses, and tourists cellphone coverage. The lack of cellphone coverage has been a safety concern for some time. There will also be a lot of happy Catlins teenagers."
The group hoped its preferred site at Papatowai would cover the Tahakopa Valley, towards Owaka and outlying areas.
Mr Baird said the new cell tower sites would be designed to give the "broadest reach", and locations would be determined through suggestions from the local community, distance to power supply, and network requirements.
Clutha District Council development manager Jill Borland, who co-ordinated the northern Catlins application with Tourism Catlins, said she was "delighted" the Catlins would get two towers.
"This is a huge boost for the entire Catlins area as an emerging international tourism destination. The benefits will be shared by residents, visitors and businesses alike."
