Media release

iiNet lets Floriade bloom online with CBRfree Wi-Fi

15 September, 2014

For the first time, Canberra's fabulous Floriade festival will offer free wireless Internet access to people visiting Commonwealth Park, thanks to the CBRfree network delivered by iiNet.

For Canberrans, this free service is an example of CBRfree, Australia's largest public Wi-Fi network, which iiNet is progressively deploying in Canberra during the next nine months.

Kicking off this Saturday, Floriade is the celebrated flower festival held annually in Canberra's Commonwealth Park. Floriade is one of the ACT's most popular tourism events, attracting nearly 450,000 visitors last year, including tourists from around Australia and overseas.

iiNet has deployed seven wireless access points at Commonwealth Park, connected by optical fibre cable to the core iiNet network. Setting up the Floriade network required iiNet to deploy more than 2000 metres of optical fibre cable, which can be used to provide communications for future events at the park.

The free public Wi-Fi network can deliver speeds as fast as 300 megabits per second, although actual speeds will depend on how many people use the network at any one time.

iiNet provides a separate Ethernet service via direct fibre link for use by Floriade organisers.

Floriade's Adelina La Vita said this was the first year the event had offered free Wi-Fi coverage. "It's wonderful to have because it's a new and exciting service for our visitors," she said.

"Floriade is a photographer's paradise, so we expect the availability of free Wi-Fi to encourage even more people to share their experiences on social media."

Floriade is just the first step on iiNet's long journey through Canberra to deploy CBRfree, Australia's most ambitious free public Wi-Fi network. In May this year, the ACT Government selected iiNet to build the network, which will connect up 12 business districts across the city.

iiNet will deploy more than 700 Cisco wireless access points to create the network, which will be free to use for anyone within the capital's busiest commercial centres. iiNet plans to commission the first stage of the CBRfree rollout, centred on Civic, by the end of next month. Remaining areas, covering the commercial centres of Belconnen, Dickson, Woden, Tuggeranong, Bruce, Manuka-Kingston, Gungahlin, Weston Creek, along with the tourist precincts of Parkes, will be finished by June next year.

iiNet's Floriade sponsorship also includes the iiNet Flower Wall, a four-metre by 2.5 metre structure that is covered in Australian native flowers. As well as being lit up as part of Nightfest, the iiNet Flower Wall will have holes through which people can poke their heads for a photo. iiNet is also running a weekly #iiBlooms competition to pick the best flower selfie.

iiNet Sponsorship Manager Alicia Phillis said iiNet was delighted to sponsor Floriade. "Floriade is such a wonderful event that it's our pleasure to support it," she said.

"The idea for the Flower Wall came from attendees getting into the flower beds, which are no go zones: We thought why not build an interactive exhibit that they can enjoy and be part of?"

For further information, please contact:

For further information, please contact:
Joseph Crews or Anthony Fisk
Communications – iiNet Group
Ph: +61 8 9214 2210 or media@staff.iinet.net.au

About iiNet

iiNet is Australia's second largest DSL Internet Service Provider and the leading challenger in the telecommunications market. Publicly listed on the ASX 200, this billion-dollar company has been recognised as a global leader in customer service, winning the Large Business award at the 2013 International Service Excellence Awards. We employ more than 2500 inquisitive staff across three countries – 80 per cent of whom are employed to directly service our 900,000 customers. We maintain our own broadband network and support over 1.7 million broadband, telephony and Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) services nationwide.

We're committed to making it simple for all Australians to connect across both our own network and on the NBN. Our vision is to lead the market with services that harness the potential of the Internet and then differentiate with award-winning customer service.

A full list of current awards can be viewed at iiNet Award /about/awards