AWS has officially launched its new cloud region in New Zealand, following plans first announced in 2021 to invest NZ$7.5 billion (US$4.4 billion) in building and operating data centers across the country. This milestone marks a major step in expanding AWS’s global infrastructure and supporting the growing digital demands of New Zealand businesses.
The newly established AWS Asia-Pacific (New Zealand) Region features three availability zones and is now accessible to organizations throughout the country. It provides a comprehensive suite of cloud services, including analytics, computing, content delivery, databases, generative AI, machine learning, networking, storage, and other advanced cloud technologies.
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“The new AWS Region in New Zealand will help serve the growing demand for cloud services across the country and empower organizations of all sizes to accelerate their digital transformation,” said Prasad Kalyanaraman, AWS’s Vice President of Infrastructure Services. “With this launch, businesses can now leverage advanced AWS technologies while meeting local data residency requirements.”
At a launch event in Auckland, AWS confirmed that the data centers are fully operational, although their exact locations remain undisclosed for security purposes. Manuel Bohnet, AWS’s Country Manager for New Zealand, explained that the centers are strategically placed “in and around Auckland, so we have enough distance to withstand a scenario like flooding and power outage, but it's close enough for low latency,” as quoted by Radio New Zealand.
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Several high-profile organizations are among the first to adopt the new cloud region, including MP New Zealand, AsureQuality, Contact Energy, Education Perfect, Foodstuffs South Island, Halter, Kiwibank, MATTR, Mercury NZ, Les Mills, Ministry of Transport, Mitre 10 New Zealand, New Zealand Post, One New Zealand, Sharesies, Steel & Tube Holdings, Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand, TradeMe, TVNZ, University of Auckland, Vector, Wellington City Council, and Xero.
AWS has been investing in New Zealand’s digital infrastructure for several years, establishing subsea cable connections to improve network reliability. In 2018, AWS launched two Amazon CloudFront Edge locations in Auckland and later added an AWS Direct Connect location and a Local Zone in 2023. With this new cloud region, AWS estimates it will contribute approximately NZ$10.8 billion (US$6.32 billion) to the nation’s GDP and create over 1,000 full-time jobs in facility maintenance, engineering, and telecommunications.
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New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon attended the launch and welcomed the investment, highlighting its importance for job creation and economic growth. “I'm celebrating the fact that we've got a big international investor here in New Zealand. That's what we want to see a lot more of and it's consistent with the focus of this government, which is to welcome investment in this country because it drives jobs,” he said.
AWS has also partnered with the New Zealand government to train 100,000 people in cloud computing, and they've already reached half of that goal. This partnership further strengthens New Zealand’s digital workforce, aligning with the country’s efforts to attract foreign investment, accelerate economic recovery, and position itself as a hub for cloud innovation.
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