One NZ head of sustainability & corporate affairs Nicky Preston said the attack was the second mobile site in as many weeks to be deliberately damaged by arson.
She said the tower had been “completely destroyed”, and it would be at least four weeks before it was rebuilt.
Police are investigating following a suspicious cell phone tower fire in Wānaka. Photo / Vera Alves
“While other mobile sites in the area are helping to provide coverage for locals and visitors, there is degraded coverage which will cause congestion at peak times.
“This reckless behaviour puts the safety of our communities at risk. With reduced mobile coverage in parts of the area, residents and visitors will experience disruptions to service. However, One NZ customers will still be able to make 111 calls thanks to industry-wide emergency protocols.”
She said One NZ was asking the community to help prevent the acts of vandalism, and encouraged people to report suspicious behaviour around mobile sites to police, as well as any information regarding past incidents.
A police spokesperson said inquiries are ongoing and members of the public may notice an increased police presence in the area.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson said one crew attended the blaze.
The incident follows two earlier suspicious fires near Wānaka last month that damaged cell towers and disrupted service for One NZ and Spark customers.
Ben Tomsett is a multimedia journalist based in Dunedin. He joined the Herald in 2023.
