GCC Expands Public Wi‑Fi to Marina, Besant Nagar and Thiruvanmiyur

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is set to broaden its free public Wi‑Fi footprint by installing 107 smart poles on the city's beach fronts. Starting in September, Marina Beach will see 75 new poles, with 20 placed in Besant Nagar and 10 in Thiruvanmiyur. Each pole will grant users a 45‑minute free internet window per day. The initiative is fully financed through the corporate social responsibility contributions of the participating internet service providers. Alongside the new installations, GCC will revamp about 2,600 older poles spread across parks, hospitals and civic offices to ensure seamless connectivity. Providers have been asked to repair any damaged infrastructure and forward data on user consumption for monitoring purposes. Security safeguards are being prioritized to mitigate risks associated with open Wi‑Fi access.