Free WiFi is now available in Colchester town centre as part of a new project.

Colchester Borough Council (CBC) has teamed up with Arqiva to provide the service in the streets and open spaces.

As well as 30 minutes free access users will also be able to access the council’s online services, Visit Colchester and the Universal Jobmatch service for free at all times.

After the free 30 minutes users can switch back to their own provider or buy extra time. As the service is open to mobile operators it frees up network capacity and give faster speeds on all networks in the area.

Paul Smith, councillor for business and resources at CBC, said: “I’m delighted we are launching this scheme. This is a significant step forward for digital services in Colchester.

“Whether waiting for a bus, having a coffee, or on the move you can take advantage of this excellent service.

“Free, fast access to Visit Colchester will be a real benefit to visitors helping them discover all the local attractions the town has to offer while unlimited access to Universal Jobmatch and the council’s services will give residents assistance when they need it most.”

Paul Hellings, director of WiFi at Arqiva, added: “Staying connected when you’re out and about is nothing short of a necessity and demand for WiFi services is only ever increasing. We are pleased to announce the street WiFi is live.”

To register for the 4G-enabled service select _@ColchesterWiFi, which offers download speeds of around 10Mbps.