A Free WiFi zone launched on part of Colwyn Bay beach and promenade is a first for North Wales and could pave the way to bring Conwy County into a more digital future.

Conwy County Borough Council is providing the zone as part of a three-year pilot project for people to access the internet with mobile devices from Porth Eirias to the pier.

Cllr Mike Priestley, Conwy’s cabinet member for communication, said: “Having access to information quickly is increasingly important, with benefits for users and businesses.

“There’s already free public access WiFi available in council offices, and now having this service available on the beach and promenade is another great facility for Colwyn Bay waterfront.

“We’re going to monitor it but I would like to see free WiFi in the high streets and open spaces – in this day and age there is a requirement for it.

“We believe Conwy is the first council in North Wales to provide free WiFi in an outdoor location like this.

“Residents and visitors logging-on will be able to find out what’s going on in Colwyn Bay and see information about events and activities across the County.”

Ingrid Lewis, Bay of Colwyn town centre manager, said: “It is great for the town and will encourage more people to come into the centre and find out what is here.

“This is a great opportunity for businesses to update their websites as more people make use of this exciting new facility.”

A Conwy County spokesperson said there would be some restrictions in place, including types of sites and content that can be accessed, times of access and - to make sure that as many people as possible are able to make use of the service - there may be limits on the bandwidth speeds for users.