SHOPPERS in Ruthin town centre will soon have easy access to the Internet after a whizz-kid teenager decided to improve its free Wi-Fi.

Wi-Fi will be available around St Peter’s Square in Ruthin and will be accessible to thousands of people in the medieval town from December this year.

Hamish Sennett, 19, who owns of Vale WISP, an internet service provider based in Ruthin, came up with the idea as part of an effort to improve the shopping experience and increase tourism and footfall in the town.

The Rhewl teenager, who attended Westminster Abbey Choir and sang at William and Kate's Royal Wedding in 2011, hopes the scheme will be rolled out to other areas with poor broadband speeds, including Llandyrnog, Gellifor, Clwyd Gate, Graig-fechan and Clocaenog.

Mr Sennett's new venture, which will also be available on Clwyd Street, Wells Street and Market Street, will be accessible 24 hours a day and provide 50Mbps speed - fast enough to stream 4K films.

Mr Sennett said: “Vale WISP feels that free Wi-Fi is beneficial in modernising a town centre and giving Ruthin more of an online presence.

“Offering free Wi-Fi within a business such as a cafe is a proven method for attracting recurring custom, particularly when superfast broadband is not yet available in a large amount of Denbighshire.”

Under the new system anyone with a Wi-Fi enabled smartphone, laptop, or tablet will be able to log-in using a public password.

Once logged in, users will be directed to a landing page which includes things to do, places to eat, opening times, other tourist information, and links to relevant Ruthin-based information websites. Users will then be able to navigate Ruthin on the map and plan their day using this resource.

Mr Sennett said: “When people connect to our free Wi-Fi, customers are presented with a map of Ruthin, detailing all the things to do, places to eat, opening times, other tourist information, and links to relevant Ruthin based information websites. There are also advert spots on this page which are reserved for businesses who host one of our small hotspot radios.

“We estimate that 300 people will connect to our system and see these adverts every day, however we have capacity for thousands which will be beneficial for large events such as Gwyl Ruthin, a week long music and arts festival in Ruthin.”

Mr Sennett added: “This system comes at great cost to us, however we see this undertaking as an opportunity to demonstrate how a system like this is so beneficial to the local community and our tourism industry.

“It’s also an example of how modernising and reinvigorating a medieval town such as Ruthin is made easier with technology such as that which we provide."

The scheme the latest venture of Mr Sennett who already has several major accomplishments. He attended Ysgol Gellifor until 2008, then leaving north Wales to attend the prestigious Westminster Abbey Choir boarding school in London, where he sung eight services per week and performed at the Proms and the Royal Wedding. He then attended Christ College in Brecon, followed by studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama for musical studies as a baroque cellist, pianist and vocalist, whilst also studying computer science there.

He returned to north Wales aged 17 and set up Dark Knight Audio, an audio-visual hire business and responding to the high demand for superfast broadband set up the Vale WISP this year.

Looking to the future, Mr Sennett's business, which runs by the slogan ‘Tackling Denbighshire’s Broadband Crisis’, plans to provide other communities in Denbighshire with a fast, free Internet connection. Mr Sennett said: “Our main goal is to roll out our broadband to those who are affected most by poor speeds, namely Llandyrnog, Gellifor, Clwyd Gate, Graig-fechan, Clocaenog, and all the rural properties in between.

“Due to how our network is designed, we're working with as many village halls, community centres and tall residential/commercial properties as possible to help deliver our broadband to those in the vicinity.

“Community centres and private residents who join our incentives scheme can save up to £120 per year, and do not incur a connection fee.”

The date for the Ruthin Wi-Fi launch is yet to be confirmed but it is hoped to be in the first half of December.

Vale WISP is seeking financial assistance from local authorities and private individuals to offset the costs and provide a better system.

It also provides private home and business broadband services.

For more information email info@valewisp.com