EU-funded public Wi-Fi limited to Charlottenburg Town Hall in Berlin

The Charlottenburg Town Hall in Berlin is currently the only documented location in the city providing free, ad-free Wi-Fi through the European Union’s ‘WiFi4EU’ program. The EU provided a one-time grant of 15,000 euros for equipment and installation, while the district office is responsible for financing internet connection and maintenance for at least three years.

Access points are located in several meeting rooms, the large citizen hall, and the Heinrich-Schulz Library. While social media commentary has criticized the program as symbolic politics due to the limited number of access points in Berlin, the broader WiFi4EU initiative has distributed 132 million euros in vouchers across more than 7,200 municipalities. Germany was among the largest recipients, receiving 856 vouchers between 2018 and 2020.