More Wi-Fi Access Needed to Meet Mobile Society Demands in New Zealand
Wednesday 7 March 2012, 5:04PM
By Village Public Relations
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Leading wireless broadband internet provider EOL is closely monitoring overseas trends which suggest more Wi-Fi networks will soon be needed throughout the country to cope with our increasingly mobile society.
While 3G cellular data networks are currently the most popular way of accessing the internet remotely, they are becoming overloaded and congested in many countries.
Tauranga-based EOL managing director, Terry Coles, says the end result is people face low network bandwidth, missed voice calls and unreliable coverage.
“Wi-Fi is the obvious answer to these problems and is also cheaper than 3G,” Coles explains. “EOL has already invested heavily in wireless technology and we have developed a comprehensive Wi-Fi network throughout Tauranga. But the rest of New Zealand will soon require that same level of service.”
People in the Western Bay of Plenty currently have internet access via//free public Wi-Fi zones in Tauranga’s CBD, The Strand, Tauranga Hospital, Grace Hospital, Marine Parade, Pilot Bay and the Beachside Holiday Park at the base of Mount Maunganui. New zones in Katikati and Te Puke are in the pipeline.
Many businesses are now seizing the opportunity to use smart phones, iPads, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and wireless-enabled laptops to gain a competitive advantage.
“Employees can be more productive and efficient if they’re able to access their company’s data from any location, at any time of the//day. In the United States, more than 50 million workers are now considered to be ‘mobile’, meaning they spend at least 20 per cent of their time away from their primary office,” Coles says.
Unlike most Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in New Zealand, EOL owns and operates its own wireless broadband network.
EOL offers its business customers both fixed wireless plans and Wi-Fi roaming plans so business owners and their employees can access their information whenever and wherever they need it.
“Technology is constantly changing and it’s up to internet providers to predict and respond to the very latest consumer trends.”