Cafenet News

Wellington Wi-Fi World First

5 December 2003

Wellington's position as New Zealand's Innovation Capital has received a boost with the launch of a Wi-Fi network that stretches end-to-end along Lambton Quay, New Zealand's highest pedestrian count street.

This is the first time a highest pedestrian count street has been totally 'hot-spotted'; coining a new Wifi jargon term: 'Hot-Zone', referring to multiple access points seamlessly interconnecting.

As the service provider MediaLab together with CityLink, has enabled this extension to be launched, putting New Zealand centre stage as a testbed environment that will attract international support and stimulate more research in the wireless sector.

This work has been made possible through $95,000 in funding from the Wellington City Council which is seeking to stimulate ICT innovation that delivers tangible benefits to the Capital's economy and ratepayers.

Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast says the Wi-Fi system will help the likes of e-business and e-government to rapidly develop. She adds that the system fits entirely with the Council's Creative Wellington - Innovation Capital philosophy.

"Creative people want to be able to do business and access information online anytime and anywhere. This new system will literally allow creativity to flourish in the central city. This is good for the city and the region."

MediaLab is currently investigating the following research projects for use on the Wi-Fi
Hot-Zone:

- MediaLab have approached International hardware providers to collaborate on a project that will see screens embedded in the seats of public transport vehicles providing localised information services streamed over the Wi-Fi network.

- VideoNow!, a concept for the use of live streaming video captured by portable Wi-Fi cameras and streamed over the Wi-Fi network - for commercial and public causal use.

- Uninterrupted connectivity is being enabled from the Beehive, New Zealand's Parliament building, to Wellington's Embassy Theatre where the latest in the series of Lord of the Rings feature films, 'The Return of the King', has its World Premiere on December 1st. This service has numerous consumer applications.

The MediaLab South Pacific, CityLink and Wellington City Council official launch of the CaféNET will take place on Friday 5 December.