Chennai Marina, Besant Nagar Beaches Get Free Wi-Fi at 32 Locations

Free Wi-Fi services have been restored at 32 locations across Chennai’s Marina and Besant Nagar beaches, benefiting residents, visitors and tourists who use these popular waterfront areas.

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is taking steps to expand free public Wi-Fi facilities at major beaches across the city. Under the initiative, a total of 107 new Wi-Fi smart poles are planned to be installed at Marina, Besant Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur and Tiruvottiyur beaches.

45 Minutes of Free Wi-Fi Every Day

Once the facilities are fully operational, the public will be able to access free internet for up to 45 minutes every day.

The project is being implemented with support from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds from companies, with the aim of improving digital connectivity in public spaces.

As part of the latest rollout, free Wi-Fi has been made available at 32 locations at Marina and Besant Nagar beaches.

Marina Beach: 27 locations from the Labour Statue to the Lighthouse
Besant Nagar Beach: 5 locations

Free Wi-Fi to Help Beach Visitors

The public Wi-Fi service could be particularly useful in crowded beach areas for making emergency calls, accessing online services and carrying out digital payments.

The expanded connectivity is also expected to benefit tourists and residents who visit Chennai’s beaches regularly.

However, some members of the public have raised concerns about existing public Wi-Fi networks. They have reportedly experienced situations where devices connect to the network but internet services do not function properly.

Public Seek Reliable Wi-Fi and Strong Cybersecurity

Residents have urged the civic body to ensure that the free Wi-Fi facility provides a stable and uninterrupted internet connection, rather than being available only nominally.

Since the service is provided through a public network, people have also called for strong cybersecurity measures and data protection to prevent potential data theft and misuse.

The expansion of free Wi-Fi across Chennai’s major beaches is expected to improve public digital access, provided the network remains reliable and adequate security measures are maintained.