Digital hub to promote opportunities

Digital Community Trust chairman John Gallaher (left), Enterprise Dunedin economic development programme manager Fraser Liggett, and GigCity project co-ordinator Lesley Marriott, with the GigCity cube, before a \"living hub''was launched at the Dunedin Cit
Digital Community Trust chairman John Gallaher (left), Enterprise Dunedin economic development programme manager Fraser Liggett, and GigCity project co-ordinator Lesley Marriott, with the GigCity cube, before a "living hub''was launched at the Dunedin City Library yesterday. Photo by Gregor Richardson.
An interactive community hub showcasing gigabit technologies is a ''brilliant asset'' for Dunedin, Digital Community Trust chairman John Gallaher says.

Mr Gallaher was commenting before the ''living hub'', situated at the Dunedin City Library, was launched at a function there yesterday.

Supported by Chorus and the Dunedin City Council, the GigCity Living Hub is a key project in the trust's ''Plan for Success''- the framework that underpinned Dunedin's win in the Chorus Gigatown competition in 2014.

The hub aims to showcase the opportunities of having gigabit technology in the city, in a space where the community can experience the technology first-hand.

The community trust was ''extremely proud'' of having such a central ''technology hub'', Mr Gallaher said.

Featuring gigabit broadband, the hub would allow people to experience new technology and would showcase GigCity projects and Dunedin's tech industry.

At the core of the hub is a large multi-screened cube that will feature a range of interactive audiovisual content.

And the hub would become a learning environment where interactive, teacher-led classes could be offered to the community, organisers said.

People can sit at large tables nearby, as part of the hub, and read books or access the internet through either their own portable computers or devices provided for them.

Dunedin City Council group manager arts and culture Bernie Hawke said the GigCity Community Living Hub's location, near the library's ground floor entry, was ''perfect'' for the community to engage with ''new ways of learning and exploring our world''.

Chorus' Dunedin liaison manager, Kim Stewart, said the hub project was one that stood out for Chorus during the Gigatown competition, which Dunedin had won from 49 other towns to be named as New Zealand's first ''Gigatown''.

The hub also showed that Gigatown was about ''people coming together'' and using technology to deliver ''great outcomes for their communities''.

john.gibb@odt.co.nz

Comments

All major towns in New Zealand now have gigabit internet access. Dunedin's 12 month advantage is gone. What we have now is a nice facility, but so late to fruition it is now just another free internet room in another library.

Opening 2 years after Dunedin won the Gigacity competition is pathetically slow. Unfortunately it reflects just how bad DCC process' are and how little drive they have to get things done, when something this important and exciting finally comes about well after the benefit has gone. They didn't even need to buy real estate here, just organise some tables, a couple of PC's and signage. 2 Years!

 

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