A FREE public WiFi service has been launched in Bournemouth town centre.

Residents and visitors can now use their smartphones, tablets or laptops to surf the web, post to social media sites and stream high definition video while out and about for free.

Introduced by Bourne-mouth Borough Council in collaboration with Poole-based company FusionWiFi, the service will be available in the Triangle, the Gardens, Bournemouth Square, Pier Approach and approximately 500m either side of both Bournemouth and Boscombe Piers.

Using CityFibre’s pure fibre network, it will provide speeds of up to one gigabit, which is 100 times faster than the UK’s average speeds.

Beachgoers, shoppers and visitors alike can log-in to the ultrafast service using social media accounts such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Councillor John Beesley, leader of Bournemouth Borough Council, said: “We are confident that it will add to the positive experience of the town and help to generate business by encouraging people to stay in the town for longer. The service will continue to keep Bournemouth at the forefront of digital innovation.”

Adam Troman, managing director of FusionWiFi Ltd, said: “The ability to sit on one of the most beautiful beaches in the UK and stream high definition video content from a smartphone or tablet is unprecedented, and we are thrilled to be part of this exciting project.”