While Wanaka was deemed to have too small a population to be included in the government-funded UFB initiative, a group associated with the Wanaka Chamber of Commerce, and backed by the Queenstown Lakes District Council, has done a private deal with Chorus that will deliver the same service as those that were included in the government scheme.
Chamber chairman Alistair King told the Otago Daily Times at the weekend Chorus had agreed to extend the existing UFB serving Wanaka's Willowridge and Infinity residential subdivisions into the centre of town.
That will mean the installation of ''nodes'' outside more than 160 business premises.
Mr King said Wanaka businesses were getting the same deal as businesses in other towns included in the Government's UFB initiative.
''So you get the wee node outside your building ... everybody gets that without having to contribute anything.''
It would then be up to businesses to meet the cost of connecting to the nodes.
The area covered was within a triangle bounded by Ardmore, Dungarvon and Brownston Sts.
Mr King said it was planned eventually to expand UFB into other commercial and residential areas. As part of the expansion, there were plans to include a 5G Wi-Fi network in the town centre ''accessible by anyone with a suitable device''.
Mr King said the expansion of UFB could ''fundamentally change the face of Wanaka's economy''.
He believed it would attract more overseas people able to take advantage of UFB.
''Our vision is for Wanaka to develop as a world-class innovation hub.
''We already have entrepreneurs with brilliant ideas living and working here. Now is the time to harness, share and promote this culture.
''You don't have to be in Auckland or Christchurch or Dunedin. You can be here and work here and then knock off at 12 and go for a ski.''
The members of the advisory group representing Wanaka in negotiations with Chorus were founder of Eftpos NZ Peter Marshall; Duncan Good, of Tallon Systems; Kelly Good of DiverseNZ; Steve Turner, of Broken Shed Vodka; Tony Williams, of the Williams Hotel Group; Hetty Van Hale, of Infinity Investment Group; and newly-elected member of the Wanaka Community Board Ross McRobie.
Chorus marketing general manager Victoria Crone said the expansion of UFB in Wanaka was a ''logical next step'' in the company's network development.
''The sense is that Wanaka is ready to capitalise on ultra fast broadband as much as anywhere else in New Zealand.''
