About Time! Free WiFi On Course at Poor Mobile Data Access Sites

[Chief Stipe]

Wi-fi trial bringing connectivity to holiday racing venues

Trackside.co.nz  •  January 8th, 2026 1:23 PM

https://bitofayarn.com

The Reefton race course crowd in early January. Credit: Trackside

 

A trial of a new on-course Wi-Fi solution at some of New Zealand’s most remote racecourses is showing encouraging early signs, with thousands of Kiwis connecting on track across the first part of the holiday racing circuit.

 

A 2025 review of mobile network coverage across New Zealand racecourses identified 15 thoroughbred and harness racing venues where geographic isolation meant there was limited or no access to domestic mobile networks on course.https://bitofayarn.com

 

For holiday meetings around New Zealand – most notably in Central Otago, on the West Coast or in parts of Canterbury - coverage issues have often limited the ability to place bets online via the TAB or betcha apps. Across the 2025/26 season, those 15 venues are scheduled to host 53 race meetings, accounting for around 8.5 per cent of all race meetings across the equine codes.

 

To address this, Entain Australia and New Zealand – the operators of TAB and Trackside – worked in partnership with the racing codes to launch a trial of a free customer Wi-Fi solution at race meetings in these locations throughout the 2025/26 season, using the latest technology available through Starlink.

Entain Chief Media Officer Christopher Haigh said the trial was designed to test performance in real race-day conditions across a range of different venues.

 

“These are very different racecourses, with different layouts and infrastructure challenges, and – in many cases – thousands of people converging on an area that is normally only home to a few hundred people,” Haigh said.

“Some of these courses have facilities that are spread out across a large area, while others – like the trees at Omakau where several thousand racing fans base themselves for the day – present their own problems to solve.

“At some venues, there’s the ability to service the whole track, while at other venues, the team has set up specific zones that people can use to access the wi-fi. The early results have been pleasing, particularly during peak periods when demand is highest.”

https://bitofayarn.com

At Motukarara on 29 December, the trial saw multiple Wi-Fi zones established across key public and wagering areas, with more than 400 individual devices connected simultaneously during the final race.

At Omakau on 2 January, more than 1,000 customers connected to the network during the meeting, with consistent speeds recorded through peak betting periods.

 

On the same day, more than 800 customers logged into the network at Tauherenikau races in the Wairarapa. Almost a third of the on-course turnover on the meeting was captured through people betting on digital channels like the TAB App.

 

“These results show we can meaningfully improve the on-course experience, even at our most remote tracks.”

The Wi-Fi trial is designed to complement existing on-course services, giving customers greater choice in how they bet, whether through on-course operators or via digital platforms.

https://bitofayarn.com

“We’ll use what we learn from the trial to refine the solution ahead of expanding the offering,” Haigh said.

[Chief Stipe]

I've been suggesting this type of access for a long time.  Interesting how they have used Starlink instead of piggy-backing off their Telco contract.

Next step will be cutting costs on terminal operators which is a good thing.

[curious]

Is the telco link also satellite?

[Chief Stipe]

8 minutes ago, curious said:

Is the telco link also satellite?

That's what I thought but wasn't there a requirement for Racecourses to have fibre connections?  

[curious]

4 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

That's what I thought but wasn't there a requirement for Racecourses to have fibre connections?  

I seem to remember that was an issue maybe for Foxton. But if they have fibre, they wouldn't need the satellite? This seems to be where there is poor mobile connection.

[Chief Stipe]

5 minutes ago, curious said:

I seem to remember that was an issue maybe for Foxton. But if they have fibre, they wouldn't need the satellite? This seems to be where there is poor mobile connection.

Yes but if the NZ Telco provided either a satellite link or a fibre connection then they could have leveraged off that to deliver oncourse WiFi.  Perhaps they are using their Australian based Telco to work with Starlink or Starlink direct.

[Chief Stipe]

Telstra have a partnership with Starlink to provide remote services in Australia.

[curious]

Could it be that Trackside uses a dedicated satellite uplink not easily converted to broad customer access across the courses.

[Bill]

21 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

That's what I thought but wasn't there a requirement for Racecourses to have fibre connections?  

I was at Reefton and the wifi was great for the the phone that’s for sure!

there is no fibre at Reefton racecourse, I was talking to a trackside technician and he told me the pictures were transmitted by their mobile satellite and that only main venues have a fibre connection for broadcasting.

[Bill]

5 minutes ago, Bill said:

I was at Reefton and the wifi was great for the the phone that’s for sure!

there is no fibre at Reefton racecourse, I was talking to a trackside technician and he told me the pictures were transmitted by their mobile satellite and that only main venues have a fibre connection for broadcasting.

An old article but still points to what I was saying

https://www.odt.co.nz/sport/racing/racing-getting-races-your-living-room

[sarge]

Interesting updates Bill.

A great move by Entain/the TAB although not quite a flick oi the switch.

Some background from late last year.

"TAB NZ provided some funding to Racing NZ to improve connectivity at various racing venues. Racing NZ then worked with Entain and it was agreed to provide a wifi solution at all race meetings at the 15 x Thoroughbred and Harness tracks where the domestic mobile network coverage was assessed as 'poor'. 

The solution at the 'poor' venues is an onerous and costly solution, which involves significant labour even once fixed wiring is installed...."

 

One would think that wifi will be on RCP's infrastructure checklist.

 

 

[Chief Stipe]

20 minutes ago, sarge said:

One would think that wifi will be on RCP's infrastructure checklist.

Who or what is "RCP"?

[Chief Stipe]

21 minutes ago, sarge said:

The solution at the 'poor' venues is an onerous and costly solution, which involves significant labour even once fixed wiring is installed....

I just don't get the "significant labour" requirement.  

[curious]

45 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

I just don't get the "significant labour" requirement.  

I don't get that either. Wouldn't take an hour for one person to set up the starlink hardware from scratch would it?

[curious]

50 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Who or what is "RCP"?

The consultants appointed for the Project Stamina report now due in May.

[Chief Stipe]

40 minutes ago, curious said:

I don't get that either. Wouldn't take an hour for one person to set up the starlink hardware from scratch would it?

An Hour?  Take 10 mins.  Have preinstalled mounts - take the kit out of the box - clip it in.  Use an app on your phone to check the direction of the satellites and align dish.  Plug in a couple of WiFi repeaters.  Walk around and test.

 

[curious]

Just now, Chief Stipe said:

An Hour?  Take 10 mins.  Have preinstalled mounts - take the kit out of the box - clip it in.  Use an app on your phone to check the direction of the satellites and align dish.  Plug in a couple of WiFi repeaters.  Walk around and test.

 

I was allowing for coffee and sausage roll breaks and a bit of a yarn with the locals.

[Chief Stipe]

39 minutes ago, curious said:

The consultants appointed for the Project Stamina report now due in May.

Ok.

 

[Chief Stipe]

3 hours ago, Bill said:

there is no fibre at Reefton racecourse,

There may not be but there is down racecourse road.  In fact I doubt there are many racecourses that arent.  Of course Kumara doesnt which is another reason why they should have ditched it and kept Hokitika.

[Chief Stipe]

5 minutes ago, curious said:

I was allowing for coffee and sausage roll breaks and a bit of a yarn with the locals.

It is only a one handed job so you could eat/drink and work!

Also you could shorten the time by getting the raceday stipes to do the testing while they watched the pre-race track gallop.