Masterton leaves its (byte) mark

EXTENDING NET: John Hart, project manager for Gigatown Masterton, holds a sign to promote the town's ranking in the Gigatown competition.PHOTO/ANDREW BONALLACK

Slow and steady could win Masterton the fastest internet speeds in the Southern Hemisphere, says Masterton's Gigatown project leader.

Masterton passed Porirua and Palmerston North late last week to move into third position in communication company Chorus' Gigatown competition.

Masterton project leader John Hart said this round of the competition, which finishes at the end of September, is all about the long haul.

He said the key to staying on top was maintaining interest in the competition all the way through.

"It's like a sugar rush versus long chain carbohydrates," said Mr Hart, describing Masterton's social media presence.

The Gigatown competition pits towns against each other to compete for points on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

The eventual winner will get the fastest internet in the Southern Hemisphere as well as $200,000 in funding towards entrepreneurs and innovators using the new service.

Points are scored by using Masterton's hashtag, #gigatownMTN, in various places across the web.

People can also help out their town by signing up on gigatown's website.

Mr Hart said the winner of the Gigatown competition would have a bright economic future.

"If you look at other towns [like Chattanooga, in the US] that have done this, there's a lot of money that could come into the region," he said.

It's not just small businesses that would benefit from ultra-fast broadband.

Schools, hospitals and other public services would be able to operate more cheaply and effectively, Mr Hart said.

"It's not just about Masterton, it's about how we can improve services to the whole region," he said.

Chorus and Gigatown Masterton will be holding promotions throughout the year until the end of September and the top five towns will move on to the next round.