Dunedin’s free Wi-Fi network complete
The Southern Hemisphere's fastest free city Wi-Fi network in Dunedin has been completed with the final site in Macandrew Bay going live.
The city network offers free gig-enabled hotspots in 15 separate locations across the city – from Mosgiel to Port Chalmers.
Users can access the ultrafast hotspots in the Octagon, Dunedin Railway Station, Dunedin City Library, Mosgiel Library and playground, Toitu and the Chinese Gardens, Port Chalmers Library, the Botanical Gardens, St Clair, South Dunedin Pop Up Hub and Lorne Street, Wall Street Mall, Dunedin Exchange, Museum Reserve, Public Art Gallery – and now, Macandrew Bay.
And with speeds 50 times faster than the average public Wi-Fi, Dunedin's GigCity Wi-Fi network is attracting more than 50,000 unique users a month logging in for more than 900,000 sessions with over 5000 gigabytes of data used.
"We're excited to see the hotspots proving popular – not only for short stints online to check emails or social media – but for lengthy sessions of an hour or more where the public may be using the resource for work," says Gallaher.
Latest figures from Spark show on average, users accessed the hotspots – now located in 15 locations around the city – for between 20 minutes and 70 minutes per session, with the most popular spots in February at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery (27,000), Wall Street Mall (around 23,000) and the Museum Reserve (21,000).
"The GigCity free Wi-Fi network offers Dunedinites and visitors alike a rare gem – the ability to connect faster and for free in key locations around the city. We're extremely proud to flick the switch on the final site in Macandrew Bay," says Digital Community Trust chair John Gallaher.
"As the winners of the Chorus Gigatown competition and the country's first GigCity, Dunedin is establishing vital infrastructure to ensure we remain a connected smart city for the future.
