Euskal Encounter 23, Spain's largest and oldest party for computer and videogame amateurs and professionals, is now amongst the fastest in the world. This year, the party will offer a 40 Gbps internet connection, doubling last year's speed thanks to the technology of Euskaltel. A big improvement that will provide the participants with the highest broadband speed possible and will make internet navigation and online gaming much more comfortable.

Euskal Encounter 23, one of the most important parties in Europe, has proven once again the enthusiastic support of its followers that managed to fill up the 4,096 available seats in under half an hour. This record smashes last year's mark, when all tickets sold out in 4 hours.

The event, that will take place between the 23th and 26th of July in the Bilbao Exhibition Centre of Barakaldo, will make available a giant network of 4,096 interconnected computers distributed in an area of 35,000 square meters. Tens of activities and competitions will take place for four uninterrupted days.

That is precisely one of the main goals for Euskaltel Konekta, the Foundation through which Euskaltel company connects with society, people and their ideas. The Foundation's objective would be that of providing and encouraging connections between people, companies and business initiatives in ICT development, as well as organising and supporting a great variety of events for different collectives. Euskal Encounter would be one of the most massive events, bringing together in a four-day long experience all the fun, cooperation, education and entrepreneurship the participants share.

This party is only possible thanks to the financial support of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia and the Basque Government through SPRI. In this year's edition, there will be lectures dealing with a great variety of topics and they will be open to the visitors and general public. The audience will have the chance to learn about themes such as domotics, solidarity projects related to 3D printing, robotics for young children, videogames and education, introduction to professional flight simulation and legal requirements in e-commerce.

Apart from these lectures and workshops, there will also be specific formation and training directed to technology entrepreneurs to help them start their new projects. In fact, in its 23 years of history, Euskal Encounter has become a breeding ground for business and business endeavors that have emerged through networking and the relationships built between the participants.

Both fun and competition will be present in the first edition of Euskaltel Gaztea Kopa, a FIFA 15 football tournament in which the players will compete, both online and live, to represent their favourite Basque club of the first and second division football league. The competition will confront the followers of Athletic Club de Bilbao, Real Sociedad, Sociedad Deportiva Eibar and Deportivo Alavés. After a preliminary round, the best 12 football players of each team will play the big final match that will be held at the party.

Another important novelty for the participants will be the Occulus Survival Horror Experience, virtual reality glasses that will enable the viewer a 'terrifying' experience in a first person perspective adventure brought by 'Alien Isolation'.