Free Wi-Fi is making a comeback in Chennai, with 120 new smart poles planned

Chennai: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has begun efforts to revive the city’s free Wi-Fi initiative, five years after several of its smart poles stopped functioning.

The civic body plans to repair existing non-functional poles and install nearly 120 new ones across Chennai. The project will be implemented using Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds, with internet service providers (ISPs) agreeing to provide free connectivity.

Under the new plan, 50 smart poles will be installed at Marina Beach, 25 each at Besant Nagar and Thiruvanmiyur beaches, and 10 each at Neelankarai and Thiruvottiyur beaches. The initiative will also cover select parks and playgrounds.

The free Wi-Fi project was launched by the previous government in 2021, initially covering 49 locations, including Marina and Thiruvanmiyur, with a target of creating 500 Wi-Fi access points. However, the target was not achieved and the service has remained non-functional at several locations.

At Marina Beach, several of the Wi-Fi poles have remained unused for so long that bird nests have appeared on some of them.

The existing poles at Marina are spaced around 70-80 metres apart, between the Labour Statue and the lighthouse. New poles are likely to be installed within the sandy stretch of the beach.

However, the corporation does not plan to extend the free Wi-Fi usage limit beyond 45 minutes a day per user ID, citing the need to prevent misuse.