WEEKEND shoppers were left intrigued by a brightly-coloured vehicle parked on Riverside at the Oracle.
CityFibre’s immersive tour bus was in Reading town from Thursday to Saturday, showcasing various applications of virtual reality (VR) technology for people to explore.
Visitors young and old got hands on with the three activities available, all of which demonstrated the benefits of full fibre connectivity.
Stacey King, CityFibre’s area manager for Reading, said: “What a brilliant few days we had in Reading seeing so many residents come down and get involved in the fun and games on the CityFibre immersive bus.
“It was great for us to hear first-hand how full fibre is already making a remarkable difference to people and businesses locally. Many others were curious about what full fibre is and how it can transform their experience in gaming, streaming or working from home.
“It’s a really exciting time for Reading, and it’s on track to be one of the best-connected towns in the UK.”
Passersby were drawn to The Avatar Experience by a warm and friendly on-site team, who helped people create their own ‘digital self’ and GIF to share on social media.
They were then guided onto the double decker bus, which housed the Fibre Dash game on the bottom floor and the Home of the Future on top.
Users who explored the latter were able to live out quirky every-day scenarios, such as preparing a meal, hitting the gym and taking a row in a lake, all through VR.
As well as being a fun way to spend the day, the experiences highlighted the wide range of possibilities next-generation connectivity can lead to, from exciting entertainment to smart houses.
CityFibre is currently rolling out its £58 million full fibre network project across Reading, which is expected to bring £625 million to the town’s economy over the next 15 years.
Local business owner, Sarah Vergo, discussed her experience with CityFibre’s new full fibre network since its arrival in Reading. She said: “I work from home and broadband has always been an issue.
“Now thanks to the new full fibre network I can run my business and my husband and I can work from home seamlessly. It’s a win-win.”
The company is set to serve one third of the UK by 2025, enabling ultrafast, reliable and futureproof broadband, ethernet and 5G services to serve homes and businesses, as well as schools, hospitals and GP surgeries.
