Visitors to Queenstown’s Winter Festival can share the experience via a free Wi-Fi trial. 

As part of its festival sponsorship, Queenstown’s Mountain Scene newspaper will make a large part of the CBD a free Wi-Fi zone for internet users. 

“With a big surge in the use of social media as a marketing tool, offering free Wi-Fi seems logical,” Mountain Scene publisher Richard Thomas says. 

For festival’s 10 days, free public Wi-Fi – under ‘Apres Ski Free’ – will be at Earnslaw Park, Queenstown’s waterfront, The Mall and Village Green. 

Thomas and Focus Tech­nology Group – assisting with the project – aren’t entirely sure what demand will be and there’s a risk of overloading. 

But Thomas says that’s the beauty of doing it at one of the busiest times of year. 

“If the Wi-Fi infrastructure works under this environment then we’ve proved the network and equipment works at a high level of loading.” 

Long-term, Thomas says free Wi-Fi can enhance visitor experiences by streamlining decision-making and purchasing processes. 

“Everyone is getting more connected which is changing the way we buy things.”