Fabled steady counsel under tech attack

Editorial

Everyone knows the story of the tortoise and the hare and how slow and steady wins the day.

The classic children's tale is oft used to get across an important message of the benefits of perseverance and the folly of being brash and overconfident.

Of course, there are times when slow and steady don't win the day and some speed is what is called for. One such area is broadband and data transfer through the internet.

Many of us will have been at various times frustrated by a slow connection, intermittent coverage or cutting out or an inability to handle the volumes of data desired.

Personally it is annoying; at a business level potentially ruinous.

So it has been with arms wide open that most have welcomed the introduction of ultrafast broadband to Wanganui, one of the first places in the country to get the service as part of a $1.5billion government investment.

Technological advancement is nothing new. Consider your own lifetime and marvel at the new products and services. I can recall a time before CDs, mobile phones, the internet and more.

It is easy to see the benefits of these new technologies - they are all around us. I read recently that 40 per cent of New Zealanders now have smartphones. That's a pretty phenomenal take-up rate given how long the devices have been around. Clearly people can see the advantage of being connected and having access to data and entertainment wherever they go.

So with the rollout of ultrafast broadband in Wanganui, we have to ask: what will it mean?

For some answers you could pop along to the TechEx show at the War Memorial Conference and Convention Centre where all manner of gizmos, gadgets and business applications are on display. It is but a sample, but an important one.

Given the pace of change it is reasonable to expect what is on show to be the beginnings of a new revolution in the way we interact with one another, entertain ourselves, share information, work and do business.

The best thing is Wanganui has a headstart on the rest of the country, thanks to progressive people in the Wanganui Digital Leaders forum, the district council and all the others who have been associated with the UFB project and then lately the TechEx event.

The business connections made and awareness of Wanganui should bring significant spinoffs that we will all be able to share. This is indeed an exciting time to live in the River City.

We are about to enter a new era of data transfer that will make what we had before look like the tortoise in the story. If you don't believe me, get along to the Memorial Hall and see the evidence for yourself.

Feedback: editor@wanganuichronicle.co.nz