Telecom gauging wi-fi demand in central city
Free wireless internet is coming to central Auckland – but for a limited time only.
Telecom is to run a public wi-fi trial to get a better understanding of the demand for the service in public places.
The service will be offered for free for all users until September.
More than 300 wi-fi access points are being installed across metropolitan and suburban areas of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch in the trial which is designed to understand customer demand for the service.
Hotspots will be set up in Mt Roskill, Royal Oak, Onehunga, Lynfield, Mt Eden, Greenlane, Mt Albert, Sandringham, Ponsonby, Herne Bay, Westmere and around the the city.
Users are encouraged to provide feedback via Telecom’s Facebook page and Twitter stream.
Telecom is activating the trial service through existing Telecom telephone boxes.
Users will initially be taken through a short online registration process before their device automatically connects to the service each time thereafter.
‘‘We all know that Kiwis are better connected than ever before, and internet enabled devices are everyday items chucked in handbags, school bags and briefcases,’’ Telecom’s mobile product manager Ed Hyde says.
‘‘We believe our public wi-fi has the poten- tial to be a really good way of helping customers make the most of those devices on-thego and also manage data usage on their mobile plans.
‘‘We’re keen to understand if Kiwis agree, which is why for a limited time we are offering free access to all.’’