Auckland City Wi-Fi Goes Live

Fast, affordable broadband took a major step forward today with the launch of the Auckland City Wi-Fi service across seven key zones of the Auckland CBD and fringe.

Auckland City Wi-Fi is the result of a public-private partnership between the Auckland City Council, Kordia (one of New Zealand’s leading providers of broadcast and telecommunications networks and network services) and Tomizone (Australasia’s largest provider of Wi-Fi services.)

“Auckland is the first city in New Zealand to launch this unique and comprehensive Wi-Fi service. We are delighted that Auckland City Wi-Fi is up and running just in time to welcome the America’s Cup Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, which kicks off in Auckland next week,” says Councillor Aaron Bhatnagar, chairperson of the City Development Committee at Auckland City Council.

“We have chosen to coincide our launch with this event as it demonstrates a clear economic benefit to our city and region. Delivering wireless internet will help to develop the economy: many businesses have been expecting the service and will benefit greatly. It’s a unique business model that we have facilitated with Kordia and more recently.

Today, the Wi-Fi zone includes Aotea Square, Karangahape Road, Ponsonby, Remuera, and Parnell, as well as the Viaduct Basin and Westhaven.

Users can access fast wireless internet within the coverage zone, simply and affordably at speeds of 2 Mbps or more. Rates to use the service are $3 per hour, $6.50 per day or$30 per week, with users paying as they go.

“In our experience, this service utilises world’s best practice to deliver sustainable Wi-Fi services in a city-wide environment,” says Tomizone CEO, Steve Simms.

“The Auckland City Wi-Fi initiative draws on the experience, and the specialised capability, of each of its three partners to deliver an open access network that provides users with the flexibility and affordability they demand. We’ve seen models like this working really well in other countries such as Singapore,” he says.

Auckland City Wi-Fi coverage also includes Westhaven Marina, one of the largest boating marinas - and now the largest marina Wi-Fi zone - in the Southern Hemisphere.

Syndicates, spectators and other users at Westhaven Marina and the Viaduct Basin will get fast wireless internet and a portable log-on, without the binding contracts often associated with this kind of service.

Kordia CEO Geoff Hunt is pleased with progress. “Kordia has been working with the team since the inception of this project. This demonstrates what good public-private partnerships can bring to bear and we are pleased to be part of this ground-breaking initiative in Auckland,” says Hunt.

“Our remit was to provide the infrastructure to build a ‘connected city’, and use better broadband – and better access to broadband - to improve the economic development of Auckland. This is New Zealand’s most intricate mesh Wi-Fi network - we have really set the benchmark with this initiative,” says Hunt.