Rena Broadband Equipment Re-Deployed To Benefit Local Residents

Free public internet access in downtown Tauranga is about to get a significant boost – with leading internet provider EOL set to install extra wireless broadband equipment to provide more comprehensive coverage.

EOL’s managing director, Terry Coles, says the locally-owned company is now able to re-deploy a large amount of its wireless broadband equipment which Maritime New Zealand have been using since October to cope with the RENA disaster.

“As soon as RENA ran aground we established a high-speed internet and phone line network for the incident command centre on Cameron Rd, as well as IT communications for the wildlife rescue and salvage teams based on Motiti Island and Te Maunga,” Coles explains.

“At the height of the operation, EOL was providing high-speed wireless broadband for up to 350 computers plus 200 separate phone lines. But now Maritime New Zealand has scaled back its operations and moved to a smaller base in Greerton so we can use that equipment elsewhere.”

Half a dozen industrial-strength wireless repeaters imported by EOL from Israel will now be installed at various locations in Tauranga’s CBD and in Mount Maunganui. An additional 20 small scale repeaters will also be added to buildings and cafes to help bolster EOL’s existing network of public Wi-Fi zones.

“We have provided public internet access around town for a number of years now but there are still quite a few ‘black spots’ – particularly inside shops and arcades,” Coles says.

“Our plan is to provide full internet coverage throughout the CBD so people can have seamless access to the internet when they’re out and about.”

EOL offers both a free Wi-Fi zone service and a secure service which costs $10 for a one day pass (or 150MB limit). Five other passes offering different time limits and data caps are also available, with a maximum 30 day pass (or 2GB) costing $50.

“Our free service has speed restrictions for video streaming or file downloads during busy times. But our paid service allows much faster speeds of up to 10Mbps. On-line support is also available and the paid service supports automatic sign-in for returning customers for speedy access,” Coles explains.

EOL’s extensive network of Wi-Fi zones in the Western Bay of Plenty currently includes Tauranga’s CBD, The Strand, Tauranga Hospital, Grace Hospital, Marine Parade, Pilot Bay and the Beachside Holiday Park at the base of Mount Maunganui.

Coles says this will be further expanded to include Katikati and Te Puke in the near future.

ABOUT EOL (Enternet Online Ltd)
EOL began 16 years ago as a small family business and has grown into a New Zealand success story. EOL has 70 transmission sites and 200 access points from Waihi along the Western Bay coastline to Matata, extending inland for 15km. This gives the company 90 per cent coverage in the Western Bay of Plenty region. EOL is one of New Zealand’s only independently-owned wireless internet companies and was rated the best Internet Service Provider (ISP) in 2010, and best regional ISP in 2011 by Consumer Magazine.