Free Wi-Fi is now available in town centres across Bridgend County Borough with the aim of increasing connectivity among residents, businesses and visitors.
The free service is available in the four town centres of Bridgend, Porthcawl, Maesteg and Pencoed.
In order to connect, individuals will need to search their Wi-Fi network settings for “BCBC free Wi-Fi” and will then need to enter their email address to begin.
The homepage will be presented in Welsh and there will be a toggle at the top right of the screen for those residents who want to switch to English if needed.
The launch took place at Beat Bakehouse and coffee store on Station Hill.
Beat is a new unique addition to Bridgend town centre and they use local ingredients wherever possible. A mix of breads, patisserie cakes, Danish pastries and sandwiches are all available, whilst locally produced coffee is on sale to either enjoy onsite or to take away. Many of the ingredients are also available for customers to buy for their own baking at home.
The owner of Beat, Adrian Moses, said: “We have received brilliant support from the council since opening in July and the free Wi-Fi is a very useful addition for town centre businesses. For example, people will now be able to browse the internet, work remotely from our bakehouse or check their emails whilst calling in before going to the nearby train station.”
Local resident Ghiselle, who is a regular customer at Beat, said: “It’s great see free Wi-Fi becoming available in the town centre and it is definitely an added reason for people to come and support local businesses such as Beat.”
Free Wi-Fi is another positive investment in the county borough as it will help to encourage residents to spend local and visit our towns for longer periods, whilst taking advantage of the wide variety of businesses on offer.
Consumer habits are changing and the ability to operate in a more digitally focused way will support local businesses to engage with a wider range of customers.
This investment once again demonstrates our commitment to all of our town centres and I’m sure the community will benefit as a whole.
Cllr Neelo Farr, Cabinet Member for Regeneration
