UFB completion to be launched at three-day expo
Published on 29 April 2015
29 April 2015
To celebrate the completion of the ultrafast fibre build in the urban area of our district, everyone is invited to a three-day expo to find out about the exciting possibilities ultrafast broadband (UFB) can bring to our community.
The ‘Beyond Broadband’ event, hosted by Ultrafast Fibre, will take place at the UCOL Whanganui Atrium on May 14-16. A series of workshops will be held on a range of topics, such as videoconferencing, building your own game, digital careers and ‘demystifying’ the ultrafast broadband connection process. Prizes, discounts and giveaways will be on offer throughout the three days.
Chair of the Whanganui Digital Leaders Forum Mayor Annette Main, who will officially launch the completion of the build on Thursday, May 14, encourages everyone to attend the expo, especially those who are not sure about the next step in getting connected.
“If you know nothing about ultrafast broadband and want to get started, this is the place to be. If you already have ultrafast broadband at home, or at your workplace, the workshops will help you find out how you can use it to its best advantage and if you are already a digital expert, the expo is a chance to meet others with the same interest.”
In 2009 the Council lobbied the Government for our district to be chosen as one of the first places to get the ultrafast broadband build. Mayor Main says the next step is making sure people know how to connect to ultrafast broadband and what the technology could mean now and in the future for sectors such as health, education and business.
“Innovators and business people have already moved here because of the availability of ultrafast broadband. As well as creating a knowledge workforce in our district, we also have the opportunity to lead the rest of New Zealand in the advances in healthcare and education which will happen because of ultrafast broadband.”
Ultrafast fibre providers Spark, Vodafone and MyRepublic will be on site at the expo to talk to people about their business and residential needs, while Harvey Norman will set up a home entertainment and gaming space. A ‘virtual reality machine’ will also be on site and the Awa City Computer Clubhouse team will showcase some of the projects they have been working on.
To register for the workshops or find out more, visit www.gofaster.co.nz.