Whanganui Hospital to offer free and unlimited Wi-Fi

There will now be free, unlimited Wi-Fi at Whanganui Hospital.

Whanganui hospital is now offering free and unlimited Wi-Fi to patients.

The District Health Board has announced the wi-fi it currently offered - one gigabyte per month - would be extended. Patients will now be able to log in to the Wi-Fi anytime and for as long as they need.

The health board thanked the generosity of internet service provider InspireNet for providing the extension to the data allowances patients were able to use.

InspireNet founder, James Watts, said one gigabyte was the equivalent of three-and-a-half hours of YouTube videos.

He said extending that to allow for unlimited use was part of his company's sponsorship to "contribute to the wellbeing of the region".

Whanganui DHB's chief information officer, Barry Morris, said providing reliable and fast Wi-Fi at the hospital offered more than just convenience.

"It enables patients with devices to be able to continue normal activities such as paying household expenses and accessing information which in turn, can help make their visit or stay in hospital less stressful, and less stress can only help with a faster recovery.

"And, they'll also be able to stay connected with their whānau, friends and colleagues, or browse the internet and watch online content without needing to be conscious of how much internet data they're using.

"In partnership with InspireNet, we're delighted to be able to offer unlimited free Wi-Fi to patients and other visitors to Whanganui Hospital."

How to access the free Wi-Fi at Whanganui Hospital

1. From your mobile device's home screen, navigate to the Wi-Fi options via Settings

2. Ensure the Wi-Fi 'switch' is turned on

3. From the available networks, choose 'WDHB_FreeWiFi_by_InspireNet'

4. Once connected, you should receive the 'landing page' (portal.wdhb.inspire.net.nz)

5. Click on the 'Accept' button.