IET Wellington and South Island Network AGM 2025 & Technical Talk
About
You're invited to the IET Wellington and South Island 2025 Chairman’s Reception, featuring this year’s esteemed guest speaker, Amal Punchihewa. Amal will share insights into the evolution of New Zealand television broadcasting in the last three decades. In the early 2010s, New Zealand (NZ) made a transition from analogue TV to Freeview, then to FreeviewPlus and recently simulcasting on Streaming. The talk will analyse the transition that ensures the audience continues to receive TV broadcasting services, while exploring digital dividends from spectrum refarming. Today, NZ has a stable device ecosystem, and the audience can access content on any device, anytime, anywhere within NZ. The talk will conclude by proposing a future scenario for TV broadcasting.
Following the talk, join us for some food and drinks as we celebrate the close of 2025 and look forward to 2026.
DIGITAL FUTURES
POLICY AND PLANNING
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
BROADCASTING
RADIO
TELEVISION
STREAMING
Tech Talk: "Next Wave of Digital Television Broadcasting in New Zealand"
Dr Amal Punchihewa will present on "Next Wave of Digital Television Broadcasting in New Zealand", sharing insights into the evolution of New Zealand television broadcasting in the last three decades. In the early 2010s, New Zealand (NZ) made a transition from analogue TV to Freeview, then to FreeviewPlus and recently simulcasting on Streaming. The talk will analyse the transition that ensures the audience continues to receive TV broadcasting services, while exploring digital dividends from spectrum refarming. Today, NZ has a stable device ecosystem, and the audience can access content on any device, anytime, anywhere within NZ. The talk will conclude by proposing a future scenario for TV broadcasting.
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Continuing Professional Development
This event can contribute towards your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours as part of the IET's CPD monitoring scheme.
09 Dec 2025
5:30pm - 8:30pm
Organiser
- Wellington and South Island Local Network
Registration information
If you have any enquiries, please contact Chris Lambell at Chris.Lambell@beca.com or Dr Amal Punchihewa at Amalgardiyawasam.Punchihewa@ietvolunteer.org
Speakers
Dr Amal Punchihewa PhD, MEng, FIET, FEngNZ, CEng, SMIEEE
Researcher, educator, advisor and consultant in ICT, Media, and Broadcasting
Dr Amal Punchihewa is a researcher, educator, advisor and consultant in ICT, Media, and Broadcasting with close to four decades of experience in the industry, academia, and research. Amal graduated from the University of Moratuwa specialising in Electronics and Telecommunications, a Master of Electronics Engineering from the Technical University of Eindhoven, the Netherlands and a PhD from Massey University in New Zealand. He was a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Engineering Sri Lanka. He was a member of the Computer Society of Sri Lanka. Currently, he is a life member of the Sri Lanka Association for Advancement of Science, a Chartered Professional Engineer and Fellow of IET (UK), a Fellow of Engineering New Zealand and a senior member of IEEE (USA). He is also an Executive Member of the Media Technical Network of IET (Pro Bono), a Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE-Broadcast Technology Society.
Amal has served academia, research and the industry. During his four-year secondment to Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, he spearheaded the introduction of NICAM stereo and multi-lingual sound broadcasting and the second programme channel. He was a recipient of the IESL Wimalsurendra Award for on-the-job Research. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers in reputed journals and conference proceedings in addition to three books, five book chapters and many books edited.
Amal facilitates and advocates technical guidelines and standards, and provides expertise related to the convergence of media and evolving technology needs. He advises professional communities and explains the trends that shape the media, to empower media & ICT stakeholders to continue to make good strategic decisions. Currently, he volunteers as the Chair of the Engineering New Zealand Manawatu Branch, STEM Ambassador and a Mentor of emerging engineers and the Deputy Chair of IET Wellington and South Island. He is also a member of IET CC- Asia-Pacific.
Programme
5.00pm – 5.30pm Arrival
5.30pm – 6.00pm Opening, Year in Review and Introduction
6.00pm – 6.50pm Presentation
6.50pm – 7.00pm Q&A session, Conclusion
7.00pm – 8.30pm Food/drinks and Networking