Paris is the top European city for free Wi-Fi access, according to a survey by Freehotspot.com.

The French capital came in first with more than 80 free hotspots, followed by London at 21 and Dublin at 16.

The remaining positions were filled by Barcelona, Brighton, Munich, Amsterdam, Vienna, Marseille and Cologne.

"We are excited that so many European cities offer free Wi-Fi access," said Daniel Toomey, chief executive at Freehotspot.com.

"We are working to establish free Wi-Fi service in restaurants, cafés, pubs and other public locations throughout Europe."

It is estimated that there are 6,000 hotspots worldwide. Freehotspot.com is one of a handful of providers installing free services designed to generate revenue through advertising instead of payment for access.

The company is anticipating "exponential" growth in its provision of free services.