GigCity Wi-Fi proves popular in Dunedin

Dunedin has extended its free gig-enabled Wi-Fi network across the city.

Eleven GigCity hotspots have now been set up, with Dunedin’s Exchange the most recently established.

With speeds more than 50 times faster than the average public Wi-Fi, the GigCity network is popular with Dunedin’s residents and visitors alike.

“GigCity Wi-Fi provides Dunedin residents and visitors to the city with the fastest free Wi-Fi network in the country offered in key locations,” said John Gallaher, chair of the Digital Community Trust.

“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. As the winners of the Chorus Gigatown competition and the country’s first GigCity, Dunedin wants to ensure people can stay connected wherever they are in the city. Our free GigCity Wi-Fi network is a part of achieving that vision.”

Hotspot locations include the Octagon, Dunedin City Library, Mosgiel Library and playground, Toitu and the Chinese Gardens, Port Chalmers Library, Wall Street Mall, South Dunedin, Dunedin Public Art Gallery and the Museum Reserve.

From May–July this year, a total 594,943 sessions took place at the Museum Reserve hotspot alone — up from 6980 sessions in October when it first launched — with users averaging 21 minutes per session. The next most popular hotspot in this period was in the Wall Street Mall, with more than 600,000 (606,499) sessions averaging 49 minutes, while the Dunedin Public Library totalled 375,909 total sessions, with an average time spent online of 64 minutes.

Hotspots at St Clair, the Botanical Gardens, Railway Station and Macandrew Bay look likely to be live by the end of the year.

Image courtesy of GigCity.

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