Aug 30, 2012
By Paul Pennay and Zhu Na

In the lead up to the 2008 Olympics, the host city proudly announced that large sections of central Beijing would be covered by free Wi-fi for the use of visitors during the games.

At the time, China Comm, the company behind the project, also announced that they planned to extend the wireless zone to at first cover all areas within the city's fifth ring road by 2009 and then cover the whole city by the end of 2010.

As you're probably aware - that never happened.

Indeed, although the London Games have already concluded (well the first part of it anyway), the dream of having free Wi-fi covering most of central Beijing still seems quite a way off.

Despite media reports late last year once again raising the prospect that large swathes of the CBD and other pockets of the city would soon be covered with a free wireless Internet signal, a report in yesterday's Beijing Evening News suggests that the coverage still has some holes.

The daily tabloid reported that many of the free Wi-fi hotspots that are supposedly scattered across key central locations in the capital are not working. Reporters who tried to use the service either couldn't find the signal or were unable to log on.

That said, the service is working well in some areas like Dongzhimen.

For those who want to use the service, you first need to locate the "My Beijing" signal, then enter your mobile phone number and then you'll be sent a password which will allow you to use the service for three hours.

This morning, a representative from Beijing Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology responded to the newspaper's report by noting that it's possible that the "My Beijing" wireless signal could be interrupted by other wireless signals.

The official also said that Beijing would continue to improve the quality of the Wi-fi connections and the scope of the coverage. Noting that areas around Houhai and Nan Luoguxiang will be covered by the end of the year.

The official also added that Beijing had already installed 23,000 wireless communication base stations and established a total of 118,000 WLAN access point.

The Commission of Economy and Information Technology has said in the past that free Wi-fi will continue to be provided in areas like Xidan, Wangfujing, Financial Street, the Olympic Green and at railway stations for at least three years. After that they might begin to charge for the service.

Links and Sources
Beijing Evening News: 实测北京免费WiFi热点地区：大半无法连接
Beijing Evening News: 北京经信委回应公益无线网络信号差 称将完善
The Beijinger: Wireless City - Free wireless internet in central Beijing during the Olympics
TechinAsia: Beijing’s Central Business District Gets Wi-fi
TechinAsia: Free WiFi Coming to Beijing Buses