Wi-Fi expansion for Auckland

Aucklanders and visitors will soon be able to enjoy enhanced and expanded Wi-Fi services, offering more wireless coverage and faster access to the internet across central Auckland and its fringes.

Auckland Council has entered a partnership with Tomizone, Australasia's largest Wi-Fi services provider, which will see network expansion start immediately.

The expansion will offer economic development benefits to the region and provide an important service to visitors to Rugby World Cup and beyond.

"With 85,000 visitors expected during Rugby World Cup and more than 200,000 expected from next year's cruise season alone, visitors to Auckland will be able to step off their plane or ship and immediately access information about Auckland. For Aucklanders, it means more and better wireless internet access for portable devices such as iPads," says Len Brown.

The Wi-Fi zone will expand into areas such as Kingsland, the entire length of Queen Street, Britomart and Queens Wharf, lower Parnell, northern Ponsonby Road, Mt Eden Village, Onehunga, key rugby training areas and selected transport hubs around Auckland.

The network will remain in place following Rugby World Cup and continue to expand to other parts of Auckland with re-investment of profits from the service.

"Auckland Council will retain control of the content, which gives it a flexible platform for the future," says the Mayor.

Service will be offered at a guaranteed discount to benchmarked market rates, with free access provided to a number of websites offering information about public services, RWC activities, tourism and transport services.

"This enhanced network coverage will be attractive to residents and our international visitors who want to use their Wi-Fi gadgets to roam around the city," says Tomizone Executive Director Steve Simms. "Many of our visitors will want to use their roaming account from providers such as Skype, iPass and Boingo which they can do on this network."

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